HOW DO I get an offline remote keyboard to connect

Question

HOW DO I get an offline remote keyboard to connect

Mark A JONES 0

It works with just Google but NOT Windows 11. Batteries are new.

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Welcome Mark A JONES,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand your wireless remote keyboard works with your Google device but won't connect to your Windows 11 PC, even with new batteries.

To help narrow this down, could you please share:

The brand and model of the keyboard, and whether it connects with a small USB receiver (dongle) or directly through Bluetooth?
When you try to add it in Windows 11, does the keyboard show up in the device list at all, or does it show up and then fail to connect?

Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following:

1, Disconnect the keyboard from the Google device first

Turn off Bluetooth on the Google device, or unpair the keyboard there.
Many keyboards can only hold one active connection and will keep reconnecting to the last device they used.
If the keyboard has channel buttons (for example, 1/2/3 or F1/F2/F3), switch to an unused channel before pairing with Windows.

2, Turn on Advanced Bluetooth device discovery

Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices.
Under Device settings, set Bluetooth devices discovery to Advanced.
Put the keyboard in pairing mode again and select Add device > Bluetooth.

3, Make sure the Bluetooth Support Service is running

Press Windows key + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
Double-click Bluetooth Support Service, set Startup type to Automatic, select Start, then OK.
Restart the PC and try pairing again.

4, Remove old hidden keyboard and Bluetooth entries

Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
Select View > Show hidden devices.
Expand Keyboards and Bluetooth, right-click any greyed-out entries related to the keyboard and select Uninstall device.
Restart the PC and pair the keyboard again.

Looking forward to your update.

Emma1-N 14,920 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-11-11T07:51:24.4233333+00:00

Hello Mark A JONES,

I just wanted to check if my previous response addressed your question correctly. If there is anything I may have misunderstood, I would truly appreciate it if you could provide a bit more detail to help me better understand your needs.

Answer 2

If the keyboard works with another device but not with Windows 11, the issue is usually Bluetooth pairing or the Windows connection state.

Make sure the keyboard is in pairing mode.
- For many Microsoft Bluetooth keyboards, press and hold the pair button for about 5 seconds until the LED starts flashing.
- On some models, turning the keyboard on puts it into pairing mode automatically. If not, hold the pair button until the light flashes.
Pair it again in Windows 11.
- Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Add device > Bluetooth.
- Select the keyboard from the list.
- If Windows shows a Connect notification, select it and wait for setup to finish.
If it was already paired before, remove it and pair it again.
- In Settings > Bluetooth & devices, remove the keyboard if it appears there.
- Then put the keyboard back into pairing mode and add it again.
Confirm the PC supports Bluetooth and that Bluetooth is turned on.
- Windows devices need Bluetooth to pair Bluetooth keyboards.
- If the PC does not have built-in Bluetooth, a USB Bluetooth adapter is needed.
Check basic hardware conditions.
- Since the batteries are new, also make sure the keyboard has power, there is no dirt blocking keys or sensors, and if it uses a USB receiver or hub, try reconnecting directly to the PC.
If the keyboard still does not connect, test the wireless connection.
- If the device has a Reset button on the bottom, use it to disconnect and reconnect the wireless connection.
- For Bluetooth issues in Windows, also use the Windows Bluetooth troubleshooting guidance.

If the keyboard is a Microsoft model, the exact pairing method depends on the model:

Microsoft Bluetooth Keyboard: hold the pair button on the bottom for 5 seconds until the LED flashes.
Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard: slide the switch on the bottom to turn it on; it should enter pairing mode automatically, or hold the pair button on the top left for 5 seconds until the LED flashes.
Surface Keyboard: hold the pair button on the side until the LED above the Up arrow flashes, then complete pairing in Windows and enter the PIN if prompted.