diff --git a/lib/hidapi/hidconsole.py b/lib/hidapi/hidconsole.py
index 896aba76..1390de25 100644
--- a/lib/hidapi/hidconsole.py
+++ b/lib/hidapi/hidconsole.py
@@ -41,19 +41,6 @@ prompt = '?? Input: ' if interactive else ''
 start_time = time.time()
 
 strhex = lambda d: hexlify(d).decode('ascii').upper()
-try:
-    unicode  # noqa: F821
-    # this is certanly Python 2
-    is_string = lambda d: isinstance(d, unicode)  # noqa: F821
-    # no easy way to distinguish between b'' and '' :(
-    # or (isinstance(d, str) \
-    #     and not any((chr(k) in d for k in range(0x00, 0x1F))) \
-    #     and not any((chr(k) in d for k in range(0x80, 0xFF))) \
-    #     )
-except Exception:
-    # this is certanly Python 3
-    # In Py3, unicode and str are equal (the unicode object does not exist)
-    is_string = lambda d: isinstance(d, str)
 
 #
 #
@@ -65,7 +52,7 @@ del Lock
 
 def _print(marker, data, scroll=False):
     t = time.time() - start_time
-    if is_string(data):
+    if isinstance(data, str):
         s = marker + ' ' + data
     else:
         hexs = strhex(data)
diff --git a/lib/logitech_receiver/base.py b/lib/logitech_receiver/base.py
index 2c6b9611..1aa49894 100644
--- a/lib/logitech_receiver/base.py
+++ b/lib/logitech_receiver/base.py
@@ -346,7 +346,6 @@ _HIDPP_Notification = namedtuple('_HIDPP_Notification', ('report_id', 'devnumber
 _HIDPP_Notification.__str__ = lambda self: 'Notification(%02x,%d,%02X,%02X,%s)' % (
     self.report_id, self.devnumber, self.sub_id, self.address, _strhex(self.data)
 )
-_HIDPP_Notification.__unicode__ = _HIDPP_Notification.__str__
 del namedtuple
 
 #
diff --git a/lib/logitech_receiver/common.py b/lib/logitech_receiver/common.py
index 25edcd60..4189fce3 100644
--- a/lib/logitech_receiver/common.py
+++ b/lib/logitech_receiver/common.py
@@ -22,24 +22,7 @@ from binascii import hexlify as _hexlify
 from collections import namedtuple
 from struct import pack, unpack
 
-try:
-    unicode  # noqa: F821
-    # if Python2, unicode_literals will mess our first (un)pack() argument
-    _pack_str = pack
-    _unpack_str = unpack
-    pack = lambda x, *args: _pack_str(str(x), *args)
-    unpack = lambda x, *args: _unpack_str(str(x), *args)
-
-    is_string = lambda d: isinstance(d, unicode) or isinstance(d, str)  # noqa: F821
-    # no easy way to distinguish between b'' and '' :(
-    # or (isinstance(d, str) \
-    #     and not any((chr(k) in d for k in range(0x00, 0x1F))) \
-    #     and not any((chr(k) in d for k in range(0x80, 0xFF))) \
-    #     )
-except Exception:
-    # this is certainly Python 3
-    # In Py3, unicode and str are equal (the unicode object does not exist)
-    is_string = lambda d: isinstance(d, str)
+is_string = lambda d: isinstance(d, str)
 
 #
 #
@@ -80,8 +63,6 @@ class NamedInt(int):
     def __str__(self):
         return self.name
 
-    __unicode__ = __str__
-
     def __repr__(self):
         return 'NamedInt(%d, %r)' % (int(self), self.name)
 
@@ -104,7 +85,7 @@ class NamedInts:
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         def _readable_name(n):
             if not is_string(n):
-                raise TypeError('expected (unicode) string, got ' + str(type(n)))
+                raise TypeError('expected string, got ' + str(type(n)))
             return n.replace('__', '/').replace('_', ' ')
 
         # print (repr(kwargs))
diff --git a/lib/logitech_receiver/device.py b/lib/logitech_receiver/device.py
index 15f19384..8d92e791 100644
--- a/lib/logitech_receiver/device.py
+++ b/lib/logitech_receiver/device.py
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ class Device:
             self.number, self.wpid or self.product_id, self.name or self.codename or '?', self.serial
         )
 
-    __unicode__ = __repr__ = __str__
+    __repr__ = __str__
 
     def notify_devices(self):  # no need to notify, as there are none
         pass
diff --git a/lib/logitech_receiver/i18n.py b/lib/logitech_receiver/i18n.py
index 7f14f086..c2d51cce 100644
--- a/lib/logitech_receiver/i18n.py
+++ b/lib/logitech_receiver/i18n.py
@@ -20,13 +20,8 @@
 
 import gettext as _gettext
 
-try:
-    unicode  # noqa: F821
-    _ = lambda x: _gettext.gettext(x).decode('UTF-8')
-    ngettext = lambda *x: _gettext.ngettext(*x).decode('UTF-8')
-except Exception:
-    _ = _gettext.gettext
-    ngettext = _gettext.ngettext
+_ = _gettext.gettext
+ngettext = _gettext.ngettext
 
 # A few common strings, not always accessible as such in the code.
 
diff --git a/lib/logitech_receiver/listener.py b/lib/logitech_receiver/listener.py
index 5443c6be..2f0e870f 100644
--- a/lib/logitech_receiver/listener.py
+++ b/lib/logitech_receiver/listener.py
@@ -105,8 +105,6 @@ class _ThreadedHandle:
         if self._local:
             return str(int(self))
 
-    __unicode__ = __str__
-
     def __repr__(self):
         return '<_ThreadedHandle(%s)>' % self.path
 
diff --git a/lib/logitech_receiver/receiver.py b/lib/logitech_receiver/receiver.py
index b8c7b3c9..868d5cea 100644
--- a/lib/logitech_receiver/receiver.py
+++ b/lib/logitech_receiver/receiver.py
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ class Receiver:
     def __str__(self):
         return self._str
 
-    __unicode__ = __repr__ = __str__
+    __repr__ = __str__
 
     __bool__ = __nonzero__ = lambda self: self.handle is not None
 
diff --git a/lib/logitech_receiver/settings.py b/lib/logitech_receiver/settings.py
index f74c3f56..44a38f39 100644
--- a/lib/logitech_receiver/settings.py
+++ b/lib/logitech_receiver/settings.py
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ class Setting:
             )
         return '<Setting([%s:%s] %s)>' % (self._rw.kind, self._validator.kind if self._validator else None, self.name)
 
-    __unicode__ = __repr__ = __str__
+    __repr__ = __str__
 
 
 class Settings(Setting):
diff --git a/lib/logitech_receiver/status.py b/lib/logitech_receiver/status.py
index 4b98ea6b..c3568e38 100644
--- a/lib/logitech_receiver/status.py
+++ b/lib/logitech_receiver/status.py
@@ -116,8 +116,6 @@ class ReceiverStatus(dict):
             }
         )
 
-    __unicode__ = __str__
-
     def changed(self, alert=ALERT.NOTIFICATION, reason=None):
         # self.updated = _timestamp()
         self._changed_callback(self._receiver, alert=alert, reason=reason)
diff --git a/lib/solaar/i18n.py b/lib/solaar/i18n.py
index 52adbd81..6a47be77 100644
--- a/lib/solaar/i18n.py
+++ b/lib/solaar/i18n.py
@@ -59,11 +59,6 @@ _gettext.bindtextdomain(_LOCALE_DOMAIN, path)
 _gettext.textdomain(_LOCALE_DOMAIN)
 _gettext.install(_LOCALE_DOMAIN)
 
-try:
-    unicode  # noqa: F821
-    _ = lambda x: _gettext.gettext(x).decode('UTF-8')
-    ngettext = lambda *x: _gettext.ngettext(*x).decode('UTF-8')
-except Exception:
-    _ = _gettext.gettext
-    ngettext = _gettext.ngettext
-    pgettext = _gettext.pgettext
+_ = _gettext.gettext
+ngettext = _gettext.ngettext
+pgettext = _gettext.pgettext
diff --git a/lib/solaar/listener.py b/lib/solaar/listener.py
index 71585522..fed2f0e4 100644
--- a/lib/solaar/listener.py
+++ b/lib/solaar/listener.py
@@ -275,8 +275,6 @@ class ReceiverListener(_listener.EventsListener):
     def __str__(self):
         return '<ReceiverListener(%s,%s)>' % (self.receiver.path, self.receiver.handle)
 
-    __unicode__ = __str__
-
 
 #
 #