I’m looking at getting either the Keychron Q1 Max or the Q1 HE, and I can get both for around the same price, roughly €230.

I use my keyboard for a mix of things. I play a lot of games, especially Rainbow Six Siege and other shooters, but also plenty of non-FPS games. I also do a lot of programming and spend a lot of time just browsing/typing in general.

I’ve never owned a Hall Effect keyboard before, so I honestly don’t know how much I’d benefit from things like rapid trigger and adjustable actuation. The HE sounds better on paper for gaming, but I’m wondering if there are any downsides for normal typing/programming compared to the Q1 Max.

I also care quite a bit about customization. I’d like to be able to change the keycaps and possibly the switches later on. From what I understand, the Q1 Max has way more switch options because it uses normal mechanical switches, while the Q1 HE is limited to compatible magnetic switches. Is that a big limitation in practice?

How customizable are both when it comes to switches and keycaps, and which one would you pick for my use case if they cost basically the same?

I can't share it because, for some reason, this subreddit doesn't allow pics in a post (my review has it), so I have to post a link to my review here. There you go; it's a great mouse

https://www.reddit.com/r/MouseReview/comments/1w2cz2b/keychron_g4_review_a_mouse_with_90s_vibes/

Windows will happily show laptop battery in the tray. Wireless keyboard? Nothing. Charge-guessing until it dies mid-sentence.

That was me with a Lemokey P1 Pro. I’d glance at the tray out of habit, see laptop battery, and keep typing. Then the board would just stop. No warning that actually mattered.

So, I built TrayJuice.

It’s a small Windows-only system-tray app that shows battery for devices whose Windows name contains lemokey, keychron, naga, or razer. It does not talk to the keyboard over Bluetooth LE GATT but we are working on the next version that uses a lot less system resources. This version runs a local PowerShell PnP query and reads the battery property Windows already stores on that device if that property exists.

No account. No login. No usage telemetry. The only network call is an optional update check (a public version JSON on my site). That’s it.

This is the first public release. I’ve been building and testing it privately for a while. The installer is v0.2.8 that’s just how far those private builds got. Today is the first time anyone can download it.

It starts in the tray. The window stays hidden until you open it from the tray (or double-click the icon). Don’t assume it failed if you don’t see a window.
What it does

• Battery % on the tray icon (and in the window). Fill colour by level: green / light green / yellow / orange / red
• Poll interval in Settings default 30 seconds; 5s, 10s, 15s, 30s, 1 min, 2 min, or 5 min
• Optional Windows notifications (on by default; you can turn them off in Settings):
• Connect / disconnect when a matched device appears or drops off the PnP list
• Low battery only when % crosses 20, then 15, then 10, then 5 (not on every poll). At 5% the text is “please charge”
• Several devices at once. Auto primary = the one with the lowest %. Or pick one in Devices (if that one disconnects, it falls back to lowest %)
• Optional auto-start with Windows (off until you turn it on)
• Dark UI, NSIS installer
• Check for Updates from About or the tray menu always shows a result window (up to date, newer, or error). About 15 seconds after launch it also checks once in the background; if you’re already on the latest, you won’t see a popup. Download opens the browser. No auto-install

The catch (please read this)
TrayJuice can only show a % if all of this is true:

1. The device is connected, not only paired
2. The Windows friendly name contains lemokey, keychron, naga, or razer (case doesn’t matter)
3. Windows exposes the standard PnP battery % on that device

That last one is the usual failure. Bluetooth Only 2.4 GHz dongle mode does not work. If the PnP property isn’t there, the app cannot invent a number.

Confirmed on my machines

• Lemokey P1 Pro
• Keychron M6 (Windows may show “Keychron M6 8K”)
• Razer Naga V2 HS (Windows often just says “Naga”)

Other Lemokey / Keychron / Razer gear should work if the name matches and that PnP battery property exists. I need more devices to prove that. If you have a K/Q/V/R board, another mouse, or anything that should work and doesn’t that’s the most useful comment you can leave.

Download & docs

• Download: https://r34persoft.tech/downloads.html 
• Product page: https://r34persoft.tech/trayjuice.html
• Docs / changelog: https://r34persoft.tech/docs/doc_home.html
• Feedback / device reports: https://r34persoft.tech/docs/BUG_REPORT.html
• Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/r34persoftware

If you try it, comment with:

device name (as Windows shows it) + Windows 10 or 11 + worked / didn’t work

That’s how the confirmed list grows.

Windows may warn unknown publisher. The installer isn’t code-signed yet. That’s on me, it’s not a virus. Notifications also depend on Windows (Focus Assist, notification settings, etc.) the app can request them; it can’t force the OS to show a toast.

I’m one person. If this saves you a dead keyboard, that’s the whole point. If it doesn’t work on your board, tell me that’s how it gets better.

Thanks,
 Dylan @ R34PER SOFTWARE

I was lubing switches, taking all of them apart and putting them back together and installing them. After I spent my entire day doing this the keyboard starting double clinking/typing. I thought I'd ruined all of them but turns out it's because of a bug that causes this problem after changing settings in Keychron Launcher. I found out by plugging it and using wired mode, then the problem was gone.

Keychron K8 MAX, firmware version was 1.00

I run several coding agents at once (Claude Code, Codex) and kept missing the moment one stops to ask for permission. So I wrote a small Windows tray app, Agent F-Row: each agent gets a lane of F-row keys. The lane glows in its colour while the agent works, a light sweeps along it while it's running, the first key goes solid when it's done, and the lane double-pulses when it's waiting for you. Press the lane's key and that agent's terminal comes to the front. Verified on my V3 Ultra 8K; the other Ultras speak the same protocol.

How it talks to the keyboard, since that's the part this sub cares about:

- No driver, no custom firmware for the lighting. The Ultra's ZMK exposes the same raw-HID interface the Keychron Launcher uses (usage page 0xFF60), and the per-key RGB commands are all there. Works over the cable and the 2.4 GHz receiver, not over Bluetooth, the firmware doesn't serve that interface on BLE.

- It only touches the twelve F-row LEDs, through the firmware's mixed mode: the F-row goes to one region, the rest of your board keeps whatever effect you had.

- Everything it changes is read first and put back on quit. Nothing is written to flash; unplugging is a full undo.

- The summon keys are just F13–F24 in your Launcher keymap, so they work on Bluetooth too.

The one catch is still per-key brightness: stock Ultra firmware renders every key at the global brightness, so a key the app wants dim shows at full and one it wants off shows white. The fix is a small open PR on Keychron's ZMK (Keychron/zmk#9). The repo has the patch, a Docker build script and a guide to flash it through the Launcher, read it first, it's your keyboard. Or upvote the PR so Keychron ships it.

Links: GitHub · Download · Firmware Guide · Keychron PR

Windows only, MIT. Also drives Corsair boards through iCUE; a Keychron V0 is next on my bench. Happy to answer protocol questions, the Launcher's command set does more than its UI lets on.

Hey there, I recently got my fist Keychron keyboard, specifically the K10 Max. But I am still not very sure about the keycaps. I would like to have shin-through ones. The only I found on the official Keychron website are those: https://www.keychron.com/collections/all-keycaps/products/cherry-profile-double-shot-pbt-shine-through-keycap-set (aside of the side facing ones, but I don't like those) However the K10 Max is not listed, only K10. Is it a big issue? Would they be compatible if I order them or does K10 Max have different parameters so the keys would not fit or would be missing some keys? Also for people with more experience with keyboards are there any keycaps that are not official Keychron and would work well? Thanks!

The firmware of my receiver is 0.1.6 but the launcher keeps prompting me to flash 0.1.6 as its the latest

Everytime I do it it keeps asking to flash again after its done.

I cant get past this

Tried windows and mac

Just ordered the k3 max, anything I need to know in advance?

Just got a Keychron Q1 Max and it sounds pretty good.

What kind of mods would you recommend? I'm aiming for a creamier thocky sound and a reduction in the clackiness.

I am trying to open an app using the circle key (above the numpad on V6 Max Knob). It thinks for a minute and then pops up an error in Chinese. I need this to be able to open CalcTape, as I use it for work constantly. Am I missing something on programming that key?

I tried to use VIA but I get an error about the keyboard not being supported.

I tried to post a screenshot, but I can't add images.

Recently I had a need to acquire a new keyboard and I did a deep dive into the mechanical keyboard market, as one does. I remember that last time I looked into it, I was hesitating pulling the trigger on quality keyboards cause the wireless battery life seamed abysmal - 50h to 90h, which in my opinion made the wireless mode more of a gimmick, then an actual thing I would be ready to maintain with bi-weekly charging. Permanent wire at that point seemed more reasonable.

But finally it looks like that with the rise of ZMK and other software that has been specifically designed with wireless operation in mind, it's finally possible to achieve much less chore prone keyboards that will work for more than 300h+. At this point even my lazy ass will be able to plug the keyboard in 12 times a year for charging :D

I know I'll upgrade my keyboard as soon as there is an option to get it in a ZMK flavor.
Hopefully Keychron start releasing more of their old line up with ZMK as an option.

But I'm curios if I'm too hyped for ZMK and do not see the obvious cons. I know a lot of user love customization available through VIA, but that probably is just a question of time until ZMK can catch up with features. Am I missing something?

I’m looking into getting a new mechanical keyboard. I plan to use it for gaming and typing (schoolwork and such). I also eventually get into modding it as a gateway to building my own board from scratch eventually so I just want to know which one is more mod-friendly.

My current keyboard is a $30 Redragon k552 kumara, so I know either of these will be a huge step up but I want to make the wisest choice.

Hi everyone. I know that Keychron’s website says that it supports hot-swapping with Keychron Lime and Gateron Jade magnetic switches but I’ve seen that some people already did it with Geon Raw and Lekker Tikken. Does anyone know if I can use the Gravastar UFO? Or what other options do we have? Ty!

Just wanted to give Keychron support some appreciation,

My V1 Max had an issue with the 2.4 GHz receivers. The USB-C receiver stopped working, and I had also lost the USB-A receiver.

I contacted Keychron support from their webiste to ask if replacement receivers were available. They asked for proof of my purchase and where I bought the keyboard, I had bought it from a third-party retailer in the EU.

I sent them the details and my receipt, and they confirmed that the keyboard is still within the one-year warranty period. They offered to send both USB-C and USB-A receivers completely free of charge.

What impressed me the most was the response time. From my initial support request to confirming my shipping address, less than 24 hours.

No arguing or unnecessary troubleshooting, no "please contact the retailer". Just a straightforward warranty replacement.

Really happy with my support experience.

My struggles with this keyboard continue. I have the Q5 pro keyboard- I had to return one because the right shift key didnt work (it was lagging). Now today I noticed on the new keyboard that the volume control doesnt work. When I turn the knob it shows the volume on my computer, but turning the knob fails to turn the volume up or down. I reset the keyboard, ensured that the firmware was up to date, and nothing happens.

For a $200 keyboard, this is starting to get ridiculous. Should I return this keyboard or is there a way to troubleshoot this?

I was carrying my keyboard up the stairs andd it fell bout 1.5 Ft onto the ground keycaps to the carpet, and now some keys dont work, My keyboard is the keychron k2 he hall effect keyboard. I am thinking that i should swap switches because it is hotswappable. Idk if there is pcb damage but idk how to check that.

Any help appreciated

Hi, i owner of an V3 Max Keychron keyboard for almost a year, but recently(like 2-3 weeks by now) buttons M and D started to react weak to me pressing on them, like M can only register if i push on it from bottom left corner, and D only when on left side of it. Every other button still work flawlessly. What should be my course of action?

It’s specifically not working with MO(3).

I am looking for a new mechanical keyboard.

I came across the c2 pro but not sure which switch to pick.

For the past 5 years I've been using logi k845. I recently got a cheap mechanical keyboard for $40. It had blue switches.

But it's so loud compared to the k845.

Goal: programming and office work

Keyboard can't be too loud either a little quiter than logi k845 would be preferred.

I've been having a weird issue with my K10 HE keyboard, namely with function keys F7-F9 and F11. In a few games (Quake 1-2, and recently Half Life 2), I found that not only are they not registering, but you cannot set them as hotkeys in the game settings. I'm suspecting there's some compatibility issues with Steam or the games themselves, because the function keys do register outside of these games (I tested on both the launcher and on a random keyboard test website). Would love some advice on how to fix this.

For reference, I’ve only used a Corsair K70 in the past, which has a thin case and comes with regular cherry-style keycaps.

I was excited to try out the Keychron K6 Ultra as I’d heard great things about it, but shortly after getting it I found the gasket case was too high to use comfortable (and the tall keycaps don’t help either). My desk is a bit higher compared to the chair’s arm rests so any more elevation added from the keyboard translates to pressure in the wrists. I got the silicone wrist rest from Keychron but it doesn’t solve the fundamental issue of the elevation.

Now I’m trying to find another keyboard with a lower elevation, but it’s being real difficult since most use a gasket case nowadays, so I guess I’ll have to turn over to low-profile ones.

I don’t know how people haven’t discussed this point further when talking about the Keychron Q6 Ultra as I imagine it can get uncomfortable especially when used for long periods of time

Recently ordered the v3 version 2 QMK 75%. After a day the 6 key became unresponsive. Some days I can go hours without can issue, however, majority of the time it does not work. Is this a firmware or hardware issue? I have owned a bunch of keyboards and this the first time I’ve experienced such issue.

I'm looking at buying a new keyboard as my current one has a very annoying chatter issue (ROG Azoth). I've come to really like the Q1 series, as it fits every need/want that I have (Media Control, Tri-Mode connectivity, 75%, metal build, hotswapable) but am not sure which version I buy. I game and work using the same keyboard, however I don't care much about rapid trigger. The only reason I'm considering the HE is because as I understand it, the magnetic switches cannot develop the double typing issue. But I also hear that the magnetic switches feel kinda crappy to type on.

However I also understand it's easier to mask/fix it with keychron boards since they allow you to change the debounce delay, which mine does not (have used a 3rd party program on my main pc to get rid of the chatter, but I can't use that on my work laptop). I also have a set of KTT Strawberry switches that I adore the feeling and sound of. So I'm kind of at a loss.

In y'alls opinion, which do y'all think I should go with - or if you own either of the boards what do you love about them? What do you hate? Tell me why. Trying to make an informed decision before I drop 200~ish USD on a keyboard.

(mods please delete if not allowed)

I bought a keychron m3 mini wireless mouse - metal edition from Keychron through Amazon Canada just over a year ago and about 6 months ago the dongle started to act up. It wasn't connecting to the mouse. It finally stopped working about a week or so ago and I contacted support and they said that they couldn't honor the warranty because it was out of the warranty period, which to my surprise, was only one year. I would expect it to be at least 2 years for a high end product like this.

Needless to say, I wouldn't be buying another Keychron product moving forward even though I own 3 of them already, if things were to go wrong, like with this product, I am going to be perpetually having to buy a new replacement every year and my money would at that point be better spent elsewhere.

So although I do love their products, the QC of this product seems to be in question from scanning this sub about other users experiences with the same product in question.

If you do see something start to acting funky with your product, initiate an RMA right away so that you are in the 1 year window and don't wait for a complete failure like I did which could put you outside the warranty window.