How to turn keyboard backlight on or off on Mac (2023)

In addition to its impeccable finish and vibrant display, Mac also features a stylish backlit keyboard. The backlit Mac keyboard automatically brightens in low light and dims in bright light, making Mac easy on the eyes.

Some Macs have dedicated keys for adjusting keyboard brightness, making it easy to adjust keyboard brightness. Some no longer have this key. If you’re wondering how to turn your Mac’s keyboard backlight on or off, this guide will help you.

• How to turn keyboard backlight on or off on Mac
• Automatically adjust your Mac’s backlight in low light conditions
• Turn off keyboard backlight automatically when idle on Mac

How to turn keyboard backlight on or off on Mac

Changing or turning off your Mac’s keyboard backlight depends on which model you have.

• If you have an older MacBook Air or Pro (pre-Apple silicon processors), you should find the dedicated keyboard brightness keys in the F5 and F6 keys to dim and brighten the keyboard backlight, respectively. Keep pressing the brightness down key to turn it off completely.
• If you have a MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, expand the control strip and tap the brightness up or down button. To turn off the backlight, touch and hold the brightness down button.
• On macOS Ventura, you can manually dim or turn off the keyboard brightness by going to the Apple logo → System Preferences → select Keyboard from the sidebar and toggle the slider next to Keyboard Brightness.
• On macOS Monterey, you can manually dim the keyboard brightness.
  • Go to Control Center → click the “Keyboard Brightness”icon.
  • Adjust the slider as you wish.

In addition to being able to customize your keyboard backlight, you can use many keyboard shortcuts with your Mac keyboard. Check out over 200 keyboard shortcuts for beginners and pros in our Mac Keyboard Shortcuts eBook.

Automatically adjust your Mac’s backlight in low light conditions

If you are in a poorly lit area, you may find it inconvenient to manually increase the keyboard backlight. This can be useful if you share a room with someone who is already sleeping, or if you are often outside.

1. Navigate to the Apple logo → System Preferences.
2. Scroll down and select “Keyboard”from the sidebar.
3. Turn on Adjust keyboard brightness in low light.

Note. For macOS Monterey and Ventura, the steps are the same.

Turn off keyboard backlight automatically when idle on Mac

1. Navigate to the Apple logo → System Preferences.
2. Find Keyboard in the sidebar.
3. Click the drop-down menu next to Turn off keyboard backlight after inactivity option → select a specific duration. On macOS Monterey, you need to check the box next to the specified option.

Completion…

No matter what type of Mac you have, these steps should help you turn off your Mac’s keyboard backlight when needed.

And if you’re looking for something a little more convenient, you can also set your Mac to automatically adjust the brightness of your keyboard, or even turn it off in standby mode.