Published on : 30 June 20202 min reading time

What is the purpose of this small electronic device, called a dongle, the size of a USB key, without being a USB key?
A dongle looks like a USB key but is not. It is a small electronic device that connects to a computer via a USB port. It is also called Software USB dongle, USB dongle protection, USB anti-copy dongle… It has a very specific function, it is both a means of activation, and a means of protection. Télé Loisirs explains in more detail what a dongle is used for.

Wifi dongle, tv dongle…

For the dongle to work, it must be used with the right user for which it is programmed. Without knowing your security data (password), nobody can use the dongle to activate the software. That’s what a dongle is for!

A dongle can also be used to bring you a connection. We talk about the 4G dongle for example: when you connect it, you get the 4G on your device. There are also wifi dongles ( like those available at www.my-webspot.com for instance) and TV dongles. These allow you to install your Amazon Prime Video account on your TV just by connecting the dongle.

Protect your software with a dongle

A dongle is used with software. It prevents licensed software from being pirated. You’ve probably already heard one of your colleagues or friends say that he “cracked Photoshop”: this kind of software, whose licenses are very expensive, is pirated and copied. The dongle prevents this from happening.

For the software to work on your computer, the dongle is necessary. It brings additional features, and somehow decrypts the software. When the dongle is not connected to the computer, the software becomes unreadable and therefore blocked, to prevent piracy.

To use your licensed software, you therefore need this dongle. There is nothing else to do but connect it to your computer. It will recognize it automatically and allow you to use the software freely. And it doesn’t matter what operating system you are working on: Mac, Windows or Linux.