Keychron K6 Pro not detected

[Firemad03]

Keychron K6 Pro not detected that is released in Kickstarter last week.

[lubaxe]

Same issue, just got the keyboard and am unable to configure it using VIA. Just sits at "Searching for Devices...".

[jvanhees]

Same here, I'm on Pop Os (Linux)

[Skelbti]

Actually, Keychron K6 Pro is working with VIA but the JSON file is not automatically added as the keyboard is new. You have to :

• Download the JSON file on this page (https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k6-pro-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard?variant=40119467901017)
• Open your VIA destop app
• Click on setting and allow design tab
• Browse the K6 Pro JSON file

[stephanieraymos]

I have a Megaladon Macropad that VIA isn't detecting either.

Stuck on "Searching for devices".

This device is supposed to be plug and play (no need to install firmware), but I had a look at the firmware downloads and I don't even see Megalodon listed for any of their products.

Editing with the fix:
I came across this helpful guide on keebmonkey and was able to get it working.

[inversiondk]

I just tried this on my new Q1 that wouldn't connect either: https://usevia.app/
From the online version I can authorize my keyboard, enable Design and upload the JSON file from the Keychron website.
I am now a happy Keychron user again :)

[GorrillaRibs]

I've got the same issue here, but uploading the json doesn't seem to fix it. I've tried both the browser and local on Windows & Archlinux via to no avail. Is there something extra I need to do to get it detected? Thanks!

[Skelbti]

I've got the same issue here, but uploading the json doesn't seem to fix it. I've tried both the browser and local on Windows & Archlinux via to no avail. Is there something extra I need to do to get it detected? Thanks!

Everything is explained on Keychron website for the K6 Pro. I suppose that you can find the right JSON file for each of their VIA compatible keyboard.

The keyboard has to be wired when you upload the JSON file. I'm not sure that's working on browser but it works on desktop app.

[GorrillaRibs]

Unfortunately not working here, but maybe I missed something from Keychron's site so I'll take another look there when I get a chance. Are there any troubleshooting steps I can do myself in via (i.e. a verbose mode/debug mode?). It just gets stuck on looking for devices, no matter when I upload the JSON or which OS I try on (windows/arch)

If I end up figuring it out I'll update here with what I did!

[lubaxe]

This works fine for me, I just tested it again.

Download the newest VIA from here:
Windows: https://github.com/the-via/releases/releases/download/v1.3.1/via-1.3.1-win.exe
Mac: https://github.com/the-via/releases/releases/download/v1.3.1/via-1.3.1-mac.dmg
Linux: https://github.com/the-via/releases/releases/download/v1.3.1/via-1.3.1-linux.deb

The download the JSON here:
RGB: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0059/0630/1017/files/k6_pro_us_rgb_v1.1.json.zip?v=1669017133
White: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0059/0630/1017/files/K6-Pro-White-US-V1.0.json.zip?v=1659421908

Run VIA, then

1. Go to Settings and Enable "Show Design tab".
2. Go to Design->Load and select the JSON.
3. Go to Configure.

Profit?

[GorrillaRibs]

Those steps worked right away! For reference, I had been using VIA 2.05 (from here), so maybe it's a regression on that version? In any case, solved & working now on 1.3.1, thanks!

[wilba]

The downloaded VIA application is deprecated, users should use the web app here: https://usevia.app/

[lubaxe]

The downloaded VIA application is deprecated, users should use the web app here: https://usevia.app/

I'm not sure what else needs to be done but the web app just hangs at searching for device.

Even though I am able to Authorize the keyboard and it seems like it should work it does not.

Keychron K6 Pro here.

[wilba]

This is because the definitions for Keychron K6 Pro are not in the VIA repository. You will still need to load the JSON provided.

[lubaxe]

This is because the definitions for Keychron K6 Pro are not in the VIA repository. You will still need to load the JSON provided.

So, I figured it out actually. If you just load the JSON it does not work. You need to toggle the "Use V3 Definitions" to OFF before you load the JSON. It works on the webapp after you do this.

It does not work unless you do this.

[GorrillaRibs]

Ah, that makes sense - when I had been trying the new version I always left that toggle on

[wilba]

I can't explain why the web app doesn't work but the downloaded VIA 1.3.1 does.

Maybe it has something to do with the device.

Someone at Keychron should look into this, or maybe @adophoxia or @lalalademaxiya1

[adophoxia]

The firmware that that ships with the K Pro boards (and even most of the Q/V boards), and from their website are before the Nov 26 Breaking Changes merge, ie., the one that had @wilba's PR for the VIA V3 update.

So far, both their playground branch and bluetooth_playground branch on Keychron's fork have been merged with upstream qmk:master to include support for the VIA V3 changes.

[pm0u]

K3 pro that just arrived today, confirmed that the 1.3.1 desktop app worked but 2.0.5 did not. Got the JSON file from the product page on their site.

[adophoxia]

@pm0u, did you try checking the Use V2 Definitions toggle in the Design tab when loading the JSON on the 2.0.5 app?

[pm0u]

@adophoxia I did not, my first time using via and this thread only mentioned "Use V3 definitions" which confused me. It does work with that checked for me in the web app. Only have 1.3.1 locally atm but I assume it would work there as well.

Screen.Recording.2022-12-20.at.9.14.38.AM.mov

[heyiamparker]

I was having this same issue with my K8 Pro and VIA but was able to get it working by doing 1 of 2 things

1. Connecting it directly to my computer and not via a USB-C hub
2. Downloading an older version of VIA (1.3.1) from the releases tab
   Not sure which one did it but it's working now
   

[cbmeeks]

Unfortunately, it looks like the releases only support version 2.0.5 now. At least all I could find on GitHub.

[adophoxia]

For those using the older version of VIA (1.3.1), it's either bc of it accepting the V2 Definitions of the JSON used for loading, or the firmware that's on these boards that works with 1.3.1 are on an older build that's pre-V3 on the QMK side of things.

[cbmeeks]

Where can you get v1.3.1? The releases for that version only contain a README.md file.

[adophoxia]

Oh. They must've deleted the previous versions (pre-2.0.5) from their releases page.

[cbmeeks]

Yep, it seems so.

[wilba]

See the-via/app#91

[mvanorder]

For some reason My new work laptop works just fine with v2.0.5 v1.3.1(correction as I must have downloaded just before the version was updated) as well as and not the web version. However A new(fully updated) Chromebook doesn't work with the web version and my personal laptop(fully up to date) doesn't with with either the web app or v2.0.5

web version: can authorize device, but it never detects it
v2.0.5: never detects my K8 pro or K3 pro
v1.3.1: works perfectly fine

I was able to find a workaround. While v1.3.1 is no longer available in the repo, the actual content is still on objects.githubusercontent.com, I found the link to the actual content with the archive.org:

https://web.archive.org/web/20220910013257/https://github.com/the-via/releases/releases/download/v1.3.1/via-1.3.1-win.exe

[adophoxia]

@mvanorder, are either your K8 or K3 Pro up to date with the latest firmware? May be while v1.3.1 works for you while v2.0.5 is a hit or miss on some of your machines.

[mvanorder]

The K3 pro was just released. I haven't updated firmware on either keyboard since I received them.

Also correction: my work computer is doing the same as my personal. I thought I had the latest version of via on it. I guess I downloaded it right before 2.0.5 was released.

[hannaschmueck]

K8 Pro here, VIA 2.1.0 also fails to recognise my keyboard (perpetually on searching for devices) only using the 1.0.1 json and VIA 1.3.1 works. I am able to load in the K8 Pro RGB ISO v1.5 .json using V3 definitions into the 2.1.0, but all this gives me is the design tab shown correctly, but no customisation options.

[htpasswd]

It didn't work for me too. I tried to upload V2 .json into design tab but the device still couldn't load in configure. I managed to fix https://usevia.app for Q1 V2 on Ubuntu. It's turned out that the WebHID device didn't have permissions in udev. You need to edit a file in /etc/udev/rules.d/ directory and put there your device ID.

1. You need idVendor and idProduct. To find it open terminal and type there

lsusb

• find your device it should have ID like or similar "Bus 003 Device 002: ID 3434:0205 Keychron Keychron Q1"
• the ID has idVendor and idProduct separated by colon.

2. Find any file in /etc/udev/rules.d/ directory that already has some hidraw. Or create a new one. I used this /etc/udev/rules.d/81-plugin-hidraw.webex.rules. Open it with sudo and add there a new line:

KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="3434", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0205", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"

• change idVendor and idProduct to yours.

3. Restart the udev rules:

sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger

4. Now you can go to the https://usevia.app load .json V2 into the design tab and configure should show now the keyboard.

4.1. Make sure that your user is in the group plugdev. If not, add your user to the plugdev group.

[kmanwar89]

K8 Pro here, VIA 2.1.0 also fails to recognise my keyboard (perpetually on searching for devices) only using the 1.0.1 json and VIA 1.3.1 works. I am able to load in the K8 Pro RGB ISO v1.5 .json using V3 definitions into the 2.1.0, but all this gives me is the design tab shown correctly, but no customisation options.

+1 on the K8 Pro, purchased in October 2022. I've been able to drag/drop the keychron_k8_pro.json file from Keychron's website into VIA via the design tab for some months, previously using VIA 1.3.1. It appears VIA auto-upgraded to 2.1.0 on January 6th:

This now causes the following errors when loading the JSON design file:

I have been using the Desktop application since getting this board in October and have had 0 issues until now. I recognize the desktop app is deprecated, but I'm also facing the "hanging" issue when trying to authorize the app via my browser (seems I may be hitting the-via/app#91??)

I have VIA 1.3.1 installed on my work laptop, and am able to load the definitions without problems. I'll likely revert until the issues with 2.X are resolved.

[wilba]

Please attach the file keychron_k8_pro.json that doesn't load.

[kmanwar89]

keychron_k8_pro.json - this file is from Keychron's website, dated October 5th 2022 (the timestamp on the file is slightly different since I just edited it to remove any sensitive information in the macros section)

K8-Pro-ANSI-RGB-V1.3.json - Just downloaded this file on 17 FEB 2023 from Keychron's website

Both attached as a zip, since Github doesn't allow attaching JSON file extensions

Keychron Files.zip

[wilba]

keychron_k8_pro.json is a saved layout. It's not supposed to be loaded in the design tab as a keyboard definition.

[kmanwar89]

keychron_k8_pro.json is a saved layout. It's not supposed to be loaded in the design tab as a keyboard definition.

Thank you for explaining this. Can you speculate on why loading it as a keyboard definition works using 1.3.1 of the VIA desktop app, but not version 2.X?

EDIT: I just re-downloaded the file directly from Keychron's website and found someone with version 1.3.1 still hosted on Github, thankfully. I confirmed that this file does work in 1.3.1, but breaks in 2.X.

I also have a case open with Keychron's (not so helpful) support team. We'll see what comes of it - I just recorded a screencast and sent it to them, since they didn't take the time to read my email whatsoever.

[xegulon]

I'm on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, I've just bought a K6 Pro. I could not do anything with the web app, but the desktop app (in my case installed through the .deb file) worked with no additional setup!

https://github.com/the-via/releases/releases/tag/v3.0.0

Keychron should mention this app in their docs 😄

[DerfOh]

Using via 3.0.0 desktop and chrome webapp on windows 11 pro, the keyboard only seems to be recognized by Via intermittently (like 1 in probably 60 retries) and not at all with QMK using the steps outlined in the documentation. Resetting the keeb fw completely using fn2+j+z seemed to get me one shot at via but that's it nothing more, the error log is full of errors. I've had this issue for over a year now, and literally, lack of support on this is the only thing keeping me from buying more keychron products. I will never buy a team a set of these if the solution to firmware issues is "just buy a Q series keeb".

[kmanwar89]

Wow, 1.5 years later and I don't actually think the Keychron team ever got back to me or gave me a suitable response. FWIW, I haven't really needed to program my keyboard often, so it's not a huge deal since it's done so infrequently. It also helps that VIA now lets you program everything directly through a browser (have to use Chrome or Chrome-based browsers), so for the few and far between instances, that suffices for my use case.