Your MacBook's keyboard has LED backlighting that helps with typing in low-light conditions. However, sometimes you may need it to be extremely bright, whereas other times, you want it set low.

On older MacBooks, it's as simple as pressing F5 to lower and F6 to increase keyboard brightness, respectively. On Apple silicon Macs, however, it's not as straightforward.

Want to know how to adjust the keyboard brightness on your MacBook? We've got you covered. Here are two ways you can do so.

Adjust Keyboard Brightness From System Settings

Adjusting your keyboard's brightness is one of several ways you can customize your Mac's keyboard settings. Knowing whether your Mac uses Intel or Apple silicon determines whether or not you'll go this route when attempting to adjust your keyboard brightness. You can easily do this by looking at your keyboard's function keys.

The F5 and F6 function keys on an Intel MacBook have light symbols on them. On an Apple silicon MacBook, the F5 and F6 keys have a speaker and moon symbol on them, respectively. Once you've confirmed you're using an Apple silicon MacBook, do the following:

  1. Click on the Apple menu in the menu bar and choose System Settings from the dropdown.
  2. In System Settings, scroll down and click on Keyboard in the sidebar. Or search for it using the search bar.
  3. In the Keyboard menu, use the slider beside Keyboard Brightness to adjust your MacBook's keyboard brightness. You can slide it all the way to the left to turn off your keyboard's backlighting.
Screenshot of Keyboard settings in System Settings (1)

Besides manually setting the keyboard brightness, you'll find additional settings to configure your keyboard's brightness. For example, you can toggle Adjust keyboard brightness in low light off or on.

You can also set your keyboard's backlighting to turn off after a period of inactivity. If you plan on leaving your MacBook alone for a while, it might be a good idea to enable this feature to conserve battery, especially if the keyboard's brightness is high. You can set the time, ranging from five seconds to five minutes.

Screenshot of Keyboard menu in System Settings (2)

Adjust Keyboard Brightness From Control Center

Besides using System Settings, you can also adjust your keyboard brightness from the Control Center. Here's how:

  1. Click on Control Center in the top-right of the menu bar.
  2. Click on the Keyboard Brightness button. If you don't see it, skip to the next section for instructions on how to add it to the Control Center.
  3. Drag the slider left or right to adjust your keyboard's brightness.
Screenshot of Keyboard Brightness in Control Center

How to Add the Keyboard Brightness Function to Control Center

You can customize the Control Center on your Mac. So, if you don't see the Keyboard Brightness button in the Control Center, don't worry. It's possible to add it. Here's how:

  1. Click on the Apple menu in the menu bar and choose System Settings from the dropdown.
  2. Click on Control Center in the sidebar.
  3. In the Control Center menu, scroll down until you see Keyboard Brightness. Next, click the Show in Control Center toggle to add the Keyboard Brightness button to the Control Center.
Screenshot of Keyboard Brightness in Control Center menu -1

After this, the Keyboard Brightness button should appear in your Control Center. Besides the Control Center, you can also add it to your menu bar by clicking on the Show in Menu Bar toggle.

Adjust Your Mac's Keyboard Brightness as Needed

You can adjust your MacBook's keyboard brightness depending on your needs. Increase the brightness if you're working in low light conditions and need to see your keyboard better. If you're in a well-lit space, decrease your keyboard's brightness or turn it off completely.

Add the Keyboard Brightness button to the Control Center or your menu bar for quicker access, so you don't have to go through System Settings every time. And if you're worried about conserving your Mac's battery, set your keyboard's backlighting to go off after a period of inactivity.