How to Turn Off Lights on Your Keyboard
Whether your keyboard lights turn on automatically or not, you can control them using a few different shortcuts and settings. This can vary based on your laptop and even between different models from the same company.
Most manufacturers include a dedicated app that allows you to customize your backlighting. Depending on your model you can use it to add colors, adjust the brightness, and more.
How to Turn On Keyboard Lights
Most modern laptop computers come with backlit keyboards that make typing in the dark much easier. These features are very useful if you find yourself working late into the night or in a low-light environment. However, if you are not careful, you can quickly find yourself with a bright keyboard that is distracting or even annoying to others in the room.
Fortunately, there are ways to turn off these keyboard lights and customize them to your liking. In this article, we will show you how to do this on both Windows and Mac computers.
The first step is to open the Settings app on your laptop and select Keyboard. In the Keyboard settings, you can adjust how bright or dim the keyboard is and set a time after which the keyboard will automatically turn off. You can also change the keyboard shortcuts (F6, fn-F6, or the corresponding button on the Touch Bar) to increase or decrease the brightness.
How to Turn Off Keyboard Lights
The keyboard backlight on laptops can be very helpful in dim or dark environments, but not everyone needs or wants the feature. If you’re one of those who prefer a completely distraction free workspace, there are a few different ways to turn off the lights on your keyboard.
Depending on the laptop model, you may have the option to control your keyboard lighting settings through a built-in app or software. This is particularly common with gaming laptops where the keyboard backlight can be used to highlight important keys and commands.
On most laptops, you can easily control the brightness of your keyboard backlight by pressing a button or key combination. For example, on many MacBook models running MacOS Monterey or Big Sur, you can adjust the keyboard light through the Touch Bar by clicking the arrow to expand it and then moving the slider. Alternatively, you can also open the Windows Mobility Center on your PC and adjust the keyboard backlight setting there.
How to Customize Keyboard Lights
Depending on your laptop model and manufacturer, there may be options for changing keyboard backlight colors. For example, most MSI laptops come with Dragon Centre software that can help you configure your MSI keyboard lights to your liking. Similarly, Razer Synapse can be used to control your gaming keyboard lighting.
Another option is to open System Settings, and then adjust the keyboard backlight in low light mode using the slider or a button like F5 or F6, if your PC has one. Some Macs also allow you to control keyboard lighting via the Touch Bar. To do so, tap the Increase brightness button (looks like a sun with rays) to turn on, then press Decrease brightness (half-circle outlined in dots, not rays) to turn off.
Finally, many third-party software packages, such as Corsair’s iCUE program or Logitech’s Gaming Software, offer advanced customization options for your keyboard and mouse. These programs let you create customized lighting profiles, as well as set different colors and effects for specific keys.
How to Fix Keyboard Lights
Some computers (including laptops) have a feature that lets you toggle the keyboard lights on or off. To do this, visit the Windows Mobility Center, which is a built-in tool for controlling several different laptop settings. In the Windows Mobility Center, click on “Keyboard lighting” to view your options. Then, choose the circle that says “Off” to disable the keyboard light.
You may also want to consider using an app like Keysmith to create custom keyboard shortcuts that make it easier to access specific functions on your computer. Most PC manufacturers include instructions for changing the colors of keyboard lights in their desktop apps. If you’re having trouble with your keyboard backlight, it’s likely that something has gone wrong with your hardware. Try restarting your laptop in Safe Mode and running the built-in troubleshooter for additional help. Otherwise, you may need to contact your manufacturer’s support team for further assistance. They’ll be able to tell you more about the problem and how to fix it.