Out of all of the options, keyboard backlighting has in all probability raised probably the most eyebrows and obtained probably the most reward. Mac keyboard lights not solely illuminate the perimeter of every key but additionally shine instantly by the letters and symbols, making typing at evening easy and simple on the eyes. What’s higher is that backlit Mac keyboards mechanically activate in low-light environments and switch off in brilliant ones.
There are, nonetheless, circumstances if you don’t need to activate keyboard backlighting. So listed below are a number of of my straightforward methods to show your laptop computer keyboard gentle off.
What occurred? | Right here’s what to do |
---|---|
Keyboard backlight is on when it isn’t wanted | Use F5 key (older Macs), Contact Bar, or System Settings > Keyboard > Slider to show it off. |
No brightness buttons on newer Macs | Go to System Settings > Management Heart > Present Keyboard Brightness in Management Heart. |
Keyboard gentle stays on even when inactive | Go to System Settings > Keyboard > Flip keyboard backlight off after inactivity > Choose most popular flip off time. |
Auto-brightness not working | Transfer Mac to shade or disable auto-brightness in Keyboard settings. |
Keyboard gentle not responding or caught | Reset SMC (for Intel Macs) or restart (Apple Silicon Macs). |
Utilizing exterior keyboard with no backlight controls | Examine for built-in controls or modify in System Settings if supported. |
Want distant management over Mac options | Use Distant Mouse app to handle Mac from telephone. |
Need to automate keyboard gentle | Use Keysmith to create a shortcut. |
Why flip Mac keyboard lights off?
If you flip off the lights in a room to observe a film, for instance, you don’t need your Mac keyboard gentle to distract you from what’s taking place on the display. Equally, when you understand all of the keys by coronary heart and haven’t any drawback typing blindly, even at evening, you won’t need to gentle up the keyboard and drain your Mac’s battery life.
Lastly, in case you discover that you’ve a lightweight keyboard in the course of the day, it’s only a pure waste of vitality.
So let’s dive into what you particularly have to do in these conditions.
Find out how to flip off keyboard gentle on completely different Mac fashions
The process for turning off the keyboard backlight is dependent upon your Mac. In some fashions, it’s so simple as tapping a key. In others, the method could also be a bit extra difficult.
MacBook fashions
In case you are utilizing a MacBook (Air or Professional), you’ve got a number of built-in choices for adjusting the keyboard lighting:
- Perform (F) keys: On pre-2016 fashions, you solely have to press F5 to scale back keyboard brightness and F6 to extend it. To show it off, maintain F5 for about 2 seconds. If Perform keys set off different macOS options, maintain Fn or modify System Settings > Keyboard > Use F1, F2, and so on. keys as commonplace operate keys.
- Contact bar: On fashions with a Contact Bar, develop the Management Strip, then faucet and maintain the brightness down icon to show off the sunshine.
- System Settings: The choice is simply out there from the settings on newer MacBooks (M1 and up). Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Keyboard. You possibly can then use the slider to regulate the keyboard brightness. Slide all of it the way in which down to show it off.
In case you are utilizing a brand new Mac, a trick I discover helpful is including keyboard brightness to the Management Heart or Menu bar (extra on that later).
iMac and Mac Professional
Desktop Macs don’t include built-in backlit keyboards, so the choice is solely not there. The one different is utilizing a third-party backlit keyboard.
Exterior keyboards
Some exterior keyboards, particularly gaming ones, include their very own lighting controls. Go searching for 2 buttons with bulb icons or solar symbols. In any other case, in case your exterior keyboard helps macOS natively, you’ll discover the brightness slider in Apple Menu > System Settings > Keyboard.
Alter keyboard backlighting or flip it off manually
Relying on the mannequin of your Mac, select one of many following:
- On older Macs, search for the Brightness buttons in your keyboard (generally, they’re within the prime row with the F keys). There are two buttons: the rise brightness button (a small circle with dashes round it) and the lower brightness button (a small circle with dots round it). To show the backlight off, press the lower brightness key. You’ll see an indicator in your display displaying how the brightness is reducing.
- Alternatively, go to Management Heart (out there in macOS Huge Sur and better) within the higher proper nook of the menu bar. Click on Keyboard Brightness and drag the slider. In case you don’t see it, go to System Settings > Management Heart > Activate Present in Management Heart beneath Keyboard Brightness.
For Mac computer systems with the Contact Bar, develop the Management Strip, then search for the rise and reduce brightness buttons. To show the backlight off, contact and maintain the brightness lower button.
Alter keyboard backlighting in low-light situations mechanically
If you aren’t utilizing the keyboard, you may need to ask your MacBook to show off the keyboard backlight by doing the next:
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click on Keyboard.
- Activate Alter keyboard brightness in low gentle.
In the identical window, you even have the choice to set Mac keyboard lights to show off after a sure interval of inactivity (from 5 secs to five min). Subsequent to Flip keyboard backlight off after inactivity, choose the popular timing:
In case you’re utilizing a MacBook mannequin outfitted with a Contact Bar, you won’t see the proper icon to lower the keyboard backlight for the reason that Contact Bar dynamically adjustments primarily based on what you’re doing. On this case, search for a number of commonplace icons (akin to display brightness and quantity). There must also be a left-pointing arrow beside them. Faucet the arrow to develop the Contact Bar and reveal the usual icon set. Then comply with the instructions above. In case you nonetheless don’t see the keyboard backlight icons, click on in your desktop or open Finder to reset your Contact Bar.
Find out how to activate keyboard gentle on Mac
After you be taught how one can flip off laptop computer keyboard lights, you may additionally surprise easy methods to activate the backlit keyboard on a Mac when you should.
The method is essentially the identical, however in reverse:
- Go to Management Heart, which is situated within the higher proper nook within the menu bar
- Click on Keyboard Brightness and drag the slider to lower brightness.
When you’ve got an older Mac mannequin, you too can use the Brightness buttons in your keyboard (generally, it’s within the prime row with the F keys).
Find out how to repair backlit Mac keyboard not working
Typically, even in case you comply with all of the instructions above, you may discover that your gentle keyboard keys will not be working and your Mac shows a lock icon if you’re attempting to make use of them.
Mostly, the lock icon seems when your Mac can’t precisely detect the lighting situations — when your lighting sensor is in direct daylight, for instance. For the reason that sensor is situated proper subsequent to your MacBook’s front-facing digicam, simply attempt to transfer your Mac to a shade.
The subsequent step is to take over the laptop computer keyboard gentle management:
- Click on the Apple Menu > System Settings > Keyboard.
- Flip off Alter keyboard brightness in low gentle.
- Transfer the keyboard brightness manually.
Reset SMC
If not one of the above corrected the problem, you may have to reset your SMC (System Administration Controller), which is accountable for many low-level duties in your Mac.
To reset SMC on Intel-based Macs with a non-removable battery:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Press and maintain the Shift + Management + Possibility keys.
- Then, press the ability button on the similar time.
- Maintain these keys for about 10 seconds.
- Launch all keys, then press the ability button to show in your Mac.
For Apple silicon Macs (M1 and later), there’s no conventional SMC to reset — it’s constructed into the system and mechanically resets with a easy restart.
Find out how to management your Mac remotely
Whereas following the entire above ought to get your laptop computer keyboard lights working, there’s additionally one other method to manipulate just about any choice in your Mac — with a faucet in your telephone.
Distant Mouse is an easy however highly effective Mac (additionally iOS and Android) app that mixes the flexibility of your keyboard and mouse to manage any software program or function in your Mac. Use your telephone’s quantity buttons to alter your Mac’s quantity or flip by the slides in a presentation. Wave your telephone within the air to maneuver the cursor in your desktop. Activate dozens of instructions by voice all through your day and even simply change between your Macs.
Merely click on Present QR code to scan it together with your iPhone to setup it up as a distant mouse:
Find out how to work on Mac quicker with shortcuts
Because you’re most probably repeating most of the similar actions every single day time and again (copy-paste, shut the app window, and so on.), discovering or creating keyboard shortcuts for them pays off significantly.
Keysmith is a device that creates customized shortcuts in your Mac and the net. If you click on New Macro after which click on the report button, Keysmith begins to seize your mouse and keyboard actions. Enter some textual content or choose gadgets from lists, Dock objects, buttons, menus, and extra. Similar to you probably did, however a lot quicker.

macOS options that assist handle keyboard backlighting
Past the handbook controls, macOS affords a number of options that permit you to modify keyboard brightness mechanically. These could be fairly helpful in newer Macs or in case you merely need to save battery.
Auto-adjust brightness in low gentle
Your Mac can take over the brightness controls to detect if you end up in a dim atmosphere and modify the brightness accordingly for higher visibility.
To show this on:
- Go to Apple Menu > System Settings.
- Click on Keyboard within the sidebar.
- Allow Alter keyboard brightness in low gentle.
Now, if you end up working late or in a darkish room, your Mac will mechanically make the keyboard brighter.
Set a timer to show off keyboard gentle after inactivity
If you step away out of your Mac, there’s no have to hold the keyboard glowing. You possibly can set it to show off mechanically:
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click on Keyboard within the sidebar.
- Select a timer beneath Flip keyboard backlight off after inactivity. The alternatives vary from 5 seconds to five minutes.
This feature permits you to save battery life.
Use the Management Heart for fast entry
In case you are utilizing the newer Silicon Macs, having to go to keyboard settings each time you should modify the brightness could be annoying. A lifesaver is including the choice to the Management Panel.
Right here’s how to try this:
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings.
- Click on Management Heart within the sidebar.
- Scroll right down to Keyboard Brightness and activate Present in Management Heart.
You must now discover the Keyboard Brightness button within the Management Heart. Click on on it, then drag the slider to regulate it.
Flip off keyboard gentle on Mac situation made straightforward
You see, it’s very easy to show off the keyboard gentle on a Mac utilizing a number of keys and choices. And in the event that they don’t work, you understand how to repair the issue by resetting the SMC.
It’s also possible to use the Distant Mouse app to manage any software program or function in your Mac simply. And if you wish to work quicker in your pc and save time, strive Keysmith, the app that information your actions and creates shortcuts.
Each apps can be found to you completely free for 7 days by a trial of Setapp, a platform with greater than 250 time-saving Mac instruments, from process managers (GoodTask) to distraction dimmers (HazeOver). Strive all of them immediately without charge and see for your self!
FAQ
How do I flip off the keyboard gentle on my Mac?
You possibly can flip off the keyboard gentle by urgent F5 on older Macs, utilizing the Contact Bar on fashions which have it, or by System Settings on all different Macs. For the latter, you possibly can add the choice to the Management Heart to make entry simpler and quicker.
How do I flip off the keyboard gentle?
You possibly can flip off the keyboard gentle by reducing its brightness until the sunshine goes off. Use the F5 key, Contact Bar, or System Settings > Keyboard to do that.
What’s the shortcut for keyboard gentle on Mac?
Most MacBooks allow you to management the keyboard gentle utilizing the F keys (F5 and F6) or the Contact Bar. In case you are utilizing M3, M4, or another Mac the place these don’t work, you possibly can customise the Management Heart to have a keyboard brightness choice.
How do I flip off my MacBook Air keyboard?
To show off the MacBook Air keyboard, simply press the keyboard brightness button (F5) till the sunshine turns off. In case your MacBook Air model doesn’t have devoted keyboard brightness keys or the Contact Bar, you are able to do so from the System Settings.