Your MacBook's keyboard backlight is handy when you type in the dark. But how do you turn it on, make it brighter, and why does it sometimes stay off? Newer MacBooks no longer have dedicated keys for it, so many people cannot find it. This article explains how to turn on and set up the keyboard backlight on your MacBook, and what to do when it does not work.
Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam, including when the keyboard backlight is broken.
Turning it on and brighter
- Older MacBooks: with the F5 (dimmer) and F6 (brighter) keys, marked with a small keyboard symbol.
- MacBooks with a Touch Bar: via the Control Strip on the right of the Touch Bar; tap the arrow to see more buttons.
- Newer MacBooks without dedicated keys: open Control Centre at the top right of the menu bar and choose Keyboard Brightness. You can also pin the control to the menu bar via System Settings, Control Centre.
Backlight settings
Go to System Settings, Keyboard. There you find:
- Adjust keyboard brightness in low light: the MacBook controls the backlight itself with the light sensor.
- Turn keyboard backlight off after inactivity: choose after how many seconds or minutes the backlight turns off when you are not typing.
The backlight stays off
- Is the room bright? In a bright room the MacBook turns the backlight off automatically, because you do not need it. Test in a dark room.
- Is the light sensor covered? It sits next to the camera at the top of the screen. A sticker or camera cover can make it think it is dark or bright.
- Is it at zero? Turn the brightness up with the keys or Control Centre.
- Turned off after inactivity? Press a key and see whether it comes on.
- Restart the MacBook. On an Intel MacBook an SMC reset may help, because the SMC also controls the keyboard backlight. See resetting the SMC.
Making a shortcut
Miss the old keys? In System Settings, Control Centre, set Keyboard Brightness to "Show in Menu Bar". Then a small keyboard icon appears at the top right, letting you control the backlight in one click. If you often use an external keyboard, you can simply set the built-in backlight to zero; that saves a little power and the MacBook remembers the setting.
Saving energy
If Low Power Mode is on or the battery is nearly empty, the backlight may be dimmer. That is normal. See MacBook battery draining fast.
Uneven light or dark keys
If part of the keyboard lights up and another part does not, or a few keys are dark, it is often hardware. Dark spots were more common on the butterfly keyboard. After water damage the backlight can also partly fail. See replacing a MacBook keyboard.
When is it a repair?
- In the dark, with brightness up and after a restart, the backlight stays off.
- The keyboard brightness controls are greyed out or missing.
- It started after a spilled drink or an earlier repair.
Then the backlight film under the keyboard, its cable or a part on the logic board may be the problem.
What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam
We test the backlight, the cable and the logic board, and check whether just the backlight or the whole keyboard needs replacing. You hear beforehand what it costs. More on our page about MacBook keyboard repair.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my keyboard backlight keep turning off?
Probably "turn off after inactivity" is set to a short time, or the room is too bright.
Does the backlight use much battery?
A little. Turn it down or let it switch off after a few seconds if you want to save power.
Can I change the backlight colour?
No, MacBooks only have white backlighting.
