Backlit keyboards have been around for a long time now. It’s like a built-in customization option for your keyboard. So, once you start using the keyboards with lights on, normal keyboards look bland in comparison.
Turning on keyboard lights on a MacBook is much easier to do than on other computers, certainly because there are many ways to accomplish the feat. On top of that, the option to adjust the keyboard brightness and set a timer to automatically turn on/off the keyboard light is like a cherry on the top.
Here in this guide, we go through the steps to help you make your keyboards illuminate. So, let’s not wait anymore and get straight to the point.
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How to Turn on Keyboard Light on Macbook
Now that we’ve gone through the basics, we shall proceed to turn on the keyboard lights on your MacBook. This can be done with a few different methods. All of them are listed below.
Via the Keyboard
Your keyboard probably has buttons to configure the backlight and its brightness. Usually, on a MacBook, either the F5, F6, or F7 keys are used to increase/decrease the keyboard brightness.
So, repeatedly tap the brightness increase button (F6 on most computers) to turn on your keyboard lights. Stop tapping when your keyboard is bright enough as per your requirement.
And if you want to turn off the light, repeatedly tap the brightness decrease button (F5 on most computers) to turn off your keyboard lights. You can also use this button to decrease the brightness as per your need.
Via the Touch Bar
The touch bar in the Macbook was originally designed to replace the function keys. Not all MacBooks have this touch bar integrated on their keyboard, however, for the ones that have, you can use it to perform different operations, including altering your keyboard brightness.
Here’s how to use the touch bar to turn on the keyboard light:
- First, click on Show All to view all touch bar options.
- Now, expand the touch bar by clicking the arrow sign.
- You can now turn on the keyboard light by tapping the brightness increase button repeatedly.
- Additionally, to turn off the keyboard light, repeatedly tap the brightness decrease button.
Via the Control Center
The control center is situated in the top right corner of your screen. Through the control center, you can quickly access control options like Wifi and sound. So, here, a keyboard-related option is also present, and this is where our work will be done.
- From the menu bar, click on the Control center icon.
- Select Keyboard Brightness.
- Now, drag the slider to the right to turn on your keyboard light and adjust its brightness accordingly.
MacBook Keyboard Backlight Customizations
MacBook offers versatile keyboard backlight customization options. There are a couple of these options for you to try out and they are listed right down below.
Automatic Brightness Adjustment
Macbook allows you to set the option for the system to automatically adjust the keyboard brightness (increase/decrease) based on the surrounding you’re on. So, for this,
- Click on the Apple menu that’s towards the top left corner of your screen.
- Go to System preferences.
- Select Keyboard.
- Here, mark the option to Adjust keyboard brightness in low light.
Automatic Backlight Turn On/Off
This option allows your computer to save additional power by turning off the keyboard light when your system is in an idle state. So, when the macbook is turned on but you’re away, the keyboard will not be lit until you return and start using your computer for yourself. You can do so by:
- Click on the Apple menu that’s towards the top left corner of your screen.
- Go to System preferences.
- Select Keyboard.
- Here, mark the option to Turn keyboard backlight off after a period of inactivity.
- Also, from the drop-down menu, select the time period after which you’d like your system to turn off the backlight.
Related Queries
Should I Turn on the Keyboard Light on a Macbook?
Generally, the need to turn on the keyboard light depends upon user preference. However, it still has a few pros and cons that you might want to take note of.
Most MacBook keyboards have an LED incorporated for individual keys. This is done to ensure that the brightness remains constant across every key on your keyboard. These lit-up keys are especially helpful if you type/game in the dark. So, unlike a regular keyboard, the letters and numbers in an illuminated keyboard are clearly visible in an otherwise dim surrounding.
However, the lights on your keyboard come with a certain disadvantage as well. That is, the main concern regarding an illuminated keyboard is the extra power it draws for the LED underneath. Although a single LED costs an insignificant amount of power, nevertheless, when taken in bulk, it might be a problem for some. So, we say that it’s better to try and figure it out for yourself.
What Can I Do if My Keyboard Doesn’t Light Up?
If you notice that the keyboard light doesn’t turn on even after following the aforementioned steps, chances are it’s bugged and might require a troubleshoot. The steps to do so are listed below.
Check the Light Sensor
The light sensor is located on the top of your screen, by the side of the camera. It informs your computer to turn off the keyboard light when exposed to any form of bright external light. Similarly, in a dim environment, the light sensor instructs the computer to light the keyboard back up.
More often than not, this sensor can act unusually, and hence your system could misread the data sent from the light sensor. And when this happens, your keyboard light might seem faulty. Hence, restart your computer and then, take your MacBook to a dark room to let the light sensor do its job properly.
Power Cycle Your Macbook
When your MacBook behaves in an abnormal fashion, performing a power cycle usually fixes the issue. Doing so dissipates the additional charges from the capacitors and will refresh the computer to fix any unwanted issues. So,
- Turn off your computer.
- Unplug the charger.
- Remove the battery if possible.
- Hold the power key for 60 seconds.
- Then, reattach the batteries.
- Plug back the charger.
- And finally, turn on your computer.
Reset the SMC
The SMC controls all the low-level functionalities that your computer depends upon for efficient processing. The keyboard backlight falls into this category and therefore, resetting the SMC could see your keyboard light back up.
The steps below show how you can reset the SMC if you’re using a Macbook pro with a T2 chip.
- Turn off your computer.
- Unplug the charger.
- Now, hold the Control button (left) + Option button (left) + Shift key (right) for about 10 seconds.
- Then, without leaving your fingers off the above button configuration, hold the power key as well. Do this for another 10 seconds.
- Finally, turn on your computer.
For Macs with an M1 chip, a simple system restart automatically resets the SMC. However, if your system characteristic is composed of anything different, we have a detailed article prepared just for you. steps listed here.
