To turn off your keyboard backlight, press its lighting decrease or toggle key until the lights go out, holding Fn if required. On a Mac, you can also open System Settings > Keyboard and drag Keyboard brightness completely left. Use the backlight symbol to identify the correct key, because shortcuts vary by model.
The short version
- Start with the keyboard: Use the key marked with the backlight symbol, adding Fn when required, until the lighting is off.
- Mac controls: Move Keyboard brightness completely left in System Settings > Keyboard.
- Windows controls: Set Brightness to zero through Dynamic Lighting on compatible Windows 11 devices, or use your keyboard’s supported app.
- Lights returning: Check automatic brightness, competing lighting apps, and onboard lighting settings.
| Control | Where it applies | How to turn lighting off |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware shortcut | Keyboards with backlight keys | Decrease brightness or cycle to off |
| Mac settings | Backlit Mac laptops | Move Keyboard brightness completely left |
| Windows Dynamic Lighting | Compatible Windows 11 keyboards | Set device Brightness to zero |
| Manufacturer app | Supported laptop and external keyboards | Choose an off effect or zero brightness |
| Chromebook shortcut | Models with dedicated backlight controls | Press Decrease keyboard backlight brightness until off |
| Linux desktop controls | Hardware exposing keyboard brightness | Switch Keyboard backlight off or set zero keyboard brightness |
| Firmware controls | Supported Dell laptops | Set Keyboard Illumination to Disabled |
| Inactivity timeout | Supported Mac and Acer Nitro models | Enable automatic backlight shutdown |
Use the backlight shortcut on your keyboard
Look for the keyboard backlight symbol, then press the key bearing it repeatedly until the light switches off. Some keyboards cycle through brightness levels, while others have separate increase and decrease keys. If yours has separate controls, use the decrease key. If it performs its regular function instead, hold Fn while pressing it.
Dell and HP laptops: Use the key bearing the keyboard backlight symbol, with Fn when required. Dell places this control on different keys across models, and HP commonly uses F4 or F5. On Dell models requiring a different function key state, press Fn + Esc to toggle FnLock, then retry the key bearing the backlight symbol.
ASUS laptops: On models with the backlight symbol on F7, repeatedly press Fn + F7 until off. Models with separate controls on F3 and F4 use Fn + F3 to decrease brightness. Gaming models with arrow controls use Fn + Down Arrow.
Lenovo and Framework laptops: Yoga 7a models covered by Lenovo’s 2026 instructions and Framework laptops with standard backlit keyboards cycle lighting with Fn + Space; repeat until off. On Legion 7a 16-inch Gen 11 models, hold Fn and repeatedly press the key bearing the keyboard brightness decrease symbol instead, because Fn + Space cycles effects. Framework Laptop 16 RGB US English and RGB Clear ANSI keyboards with the default keymap use Fn + W to switch effects off.
Samsung, Acer, and Razer laptops: Supported Samsung models use repeated presses of Fn + F9, while Razer Blade models with the corresponding lighting control use Fn + F10. Acer key locations vary, so repeatedly press the key bearing the keyboard backlight decrease symbol, holding Fn when required. If the shortcut does not control the lights, use the matching settings or manufacturer app below.
Turn off a Mac keyboard backlight
Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, then select Keyboard. Drag Keyboard brightness completely left to switch the backlight off. If your Mac has a dedicated key bearing the keyboard brightness decrease symbol, you can also press it repeatedly until the lighting is off.
For a quicker control, open Control Center > Keyboard Brightness and move the slider completely left. If you have enabled the menu bar control, click Keyboard Brightness there and move its slider completely left. If neither control appears, use the slider in System Settings.
To add the control on current macOS, open Control Center > Edit Controls, drag Keyboard Brightness into Control Center, then click Done. Hold Control and click the added control, then choose Add to Menu Bar or Copy to Menu Bar when offered. Available controls depend on your Mac’s hardware.
Use Windows lighting controls
On Windows 11 with a compatible lighting device, open Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting. Select your keyboard’s device card and move Brightness completely left. Individual device settings override the global brightness setting, so select the keyboard when you want only its lighting off.
If you turn off Use Dynamic Lighting on my devices, Windows restores the device’s default behavior, which does not guarantee darkness. Set Brightness to zero to turn the lighting off through this control. If your keyboard does not support Dynamic Lighting, use its hardware shortcut or supported manufacturer app.
On Surface keyboards, repeatedly press the top row key bearing the keyboard backlight symbol until off. If the top row is operating as function keys, press Fn so its light turns off, then use the backlight key. On supported Surface models, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard, turn off Change keyboard brightness automatically when lighting changes, then cycle the backlight control to off. This automatic brightness setting is available only on supported hardware.
Adjust Chromebook and iPad keyboard lighting
On a Chromebook with dedicated keyboard brightness controls, press Decrease keyboard backlight brightness until the lighting is off. On backlit Acer Chromebook CB514-1H configurations, holding Alt and pressing Screen brightness decrease dims the keyboard backlight. That combination is model specific, so check your keyboard’s controls before using it on another Chromebook.
For a compatible iPad Pro or iPad Air with a backlit Magic Keyboard, attach the keyboard first. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Hardware Keyboard, then drag the slider to its lowest level. Apple describes this slider as adjusting the level of backlighting in low light conditions. This Magic Keyboard adjustment requires iPadOS 14.5 or later.
Switch off lighting in your laptop app
Use the lighting app supported by your exact laptop model. MSI, for example, uses MSI Center for some keyboards and SteelSeries software for others, so the controls depend on your configuration.
ASUS ROG and TUF: In compatible Armoury Crate 6.0 or later configurations, select your laptop, open Lighting, and move BRIGHTNESS to 0%. For Aura Sync devices, open Aura Sync > Aura Effects > Basic Effects and select Dark (Off). These controls appear only for supported devices.
Alienware: In Alienware Command Center 6.x, open Game Library and select System Default or the relevant game tile. Under System Lighting mode, select Go Dark, which sets hardware lighting brightness to 0%. Use AlienFX Eco view to reach lighting controls for multiple devices.
Acer gaming laptops: Open NitroSense or PredatorSense, choose Scenario, and move the keyboard brightness slider marked with a lightbulb completely left. This path applies to models using the Scenario interface.
MSI laptops: For models controlled by MSI Center, open Utility > Mystic Light, select the laptop or keyboard icon, choose Off, then click Apply. If your model uses SteelSeries software, use its lighting controls instead.
Samsung laptops: In the interface with an Input page, open Start > Samsung Settings > Input and set the keyboard backlight level to 0. Newer interfaces can place these controls under Keyboard.
For supported Razer keyboards, open Synapse 4 and select your keyboard. Open LIGHTING and move BRIGHTNESS completely left. On a Razer Blade, use Fn + F10 as described above, or open Razer Synapse > LIGHTING and turn the lighting off under SYSTEM LIGHTING > On Battery for battery use.
Turn off an external keyboard backlight
On Logitech Craft and MX keyboards, look for the backlight decrease symbol, an illuminated keyboard with shorter rays. Press the key bearing it repeatedly until off, adding Fn when required. On supported MX keyboards, you can instead open Logi Options+, select the keyboard, open Backlighting, and turn off Backlighting.
On SteelSeries keyboards supporting the hardware dimming shortcut, hold SteelSeries + F11 until the lights turn off. To disable lighting in GG, open Engine > GEAR, select the keyboard, and open its illumination tab. Select all keys and set Base Effect to Off. Repeat for Reactive Layer and AFK Effect, then save.
On Corsair K70 CORE, Fn + F3 lowers brightness in 20% steps. To switch the lighting off, use Fn + F12 to put the rotary dial in Backlight Control mode, shown by a solid red light, then press the dial. Keychron models with the corresponding backlight toggle use Fn + Light or Fn + Tab, depending on the layout. On Logitech G512, repeatedly press Fn + F7 to cycle to 0%.
If SignalRGB controls your keyboard, open the app and press Pause in the Effect Player to turn controlled RGB lighting off. For only the keyboard, open Devices, select it, and set Device Brightness to 0%. The Global Brightness control affects all devices under SignalRGB’s control.
Use keyboard brightness controls on Linux
In GNOME 45 or later, open the top right system menu and press the Keyboard backlight button to switch it off. The control requires your keyboard driver to expose backlight adjustment. If your firmware controls the lighting and this menu control is absent, use your keyboard’s supported hardware shortcut.
On supported KDE Plasma 6 systems, open Brightness & Color and lower keyboard brightness to zero. To apply zero brightness for a power condition, open System Settings > Power Management and choose On AC Power, On Battery, or On Low Battery. Under Display and Brightness, select Change keyboard brightness, set the level to zero, and apply. Repeat for each power condition where you want the backlight off.
Keep the lights from coming back on
When a game restores lighting on a Dynamic Lighting device, open Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting and turn off Compatible apps in the foreground always control lighting. Under Background light control, prioritize the controller holding your off setting. Competing lighting apps can otherwise replace the setting you chose.
On compatible Corsair keyboards with onboard lighting memory, use iCUE 5.14 or later to store an off configuration. Select the keyboard, enable Device Memory Mode, open Lighting Effects, and create a static black configuration for all keys. Save it to a memory slot using that slot’s save control.
For supported Dell laptops with firmware lighting controls, restart and press F2 at the Dell logo. Open Keyboard > Keyboard Illumination > Disabled, select Apply Changes, then Exit. This setting takes priority over keyboard shortcuts.
If you want lighting while typing but darkness afterward, set an inactivity timeout. On a Mac, open the Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard and choose a finite interval for Turn keyboard backlight off after inactivity. On supported Acer Nitro models, open NitroSense, select Settings using the upper right gear, and turn on Backlight off after 30 seconds. Acer’s setting uses a fixed timeout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a small light still on after the keyboard backlight is off?
Charging, Caps Lock, connection, and other status LEDs can remain illuminated after the backlight is off. These indicators are separate from the lighting behind the keys.
Will uninstalling an RGB app turn the keyboard lights off?
Uninstalling a lighting app can reveal an onboard or default effect instead. Use a hardware brightness control or save an off configuration to control the lighting.
Can Chromebook Battery Saver turn off the keyboard backlight?
Yes, Battery Saver includes keyboard backlight shutdown among its effects. Click the battery icon, open Settings > System preferences > Power, and turn on Battery Saver. It is unavailable while charging.
Can you turn a wireless keyboard off completely?
Yes, you can switch off a keyboard with a genuine power switch, such as Logitech MX Keys, when you are finished using it. This also stops keyboard input, so use its backlight control when you still need to type.
Does the Windows display timeout also turn off a Dell keyboard backlight?
No, Dell’s keyboard backlight timeout is separate from the Windows display timeout. On supported models, restart and press F2 at the Dell logo to enter BIOS. Open Keyboard > Keyboard Backlight Timeout, choose a finite interval, then select Apply Changes and Exit.