Struggling to type on your Windows 10 laptop in a low-light environment? Well, it’s the perfect time to learn how to turn on the keyboard light Windows 10.
Nearly all mid-to-high range Windows 10 laptops feature a light-up/backlit keyboard. But most of the consumers don’t make use of their backlit keyboards because they are unaware of the backlighting feature.
So today, I’m here to guide you about configuring your keyboard backlight settings. From popular keyboard lightning adjustment methods to FAQs, I’ll be covering everything in this guide.
So without further ado, let’s get clicky.
Popular Methods Of Adjusting Keyboard Backlight On Windows 10
As being the go-to IT Guy in my friends and family circle, I have come across the problem that most people don’t know how to turn on the keyboard light windows 10. Or they are unable to configure their keyboard backlight settings.
So whenever I’m asked to fix any such issue, I use the following methods:
Method #1 – Using Built-in Software
Firstly, I check for any built-in keyboard lighting software installed on the PC from the laptop manufacturer. Nowadays, laptop manufacturers provide customers with pre-installed software to turn off the backlight, adjust keyboard backlight settings, and more. However, note that different laptop manufacturers make use of different keyboard backlight software.
For instance, Dell laptops have a pre-installed custom software called Dell Systems and Devices Manager. This software allows the user to adjust keyboard brightness percentage, activation settings, and more.
Other manufacturers have different software for adjusting keyboard backlight settings. For people who want to learn how to turn on the keyboard light windows 10 on HP laptops, especially HP Omen laptops, they need to look for a program called HP Omen Control Software.
Other than that, if you are not sure about your laptop, simply type “backlight” in your windows search option. If any backlight software is installed on your PC, it will appear.
Method #2 – Using Windows Mobility Center
Next up, in the quest of finding how to turn on the keyboard light Windows 10, I use the Windows Mobility Center.
Windows Mobility Center is a built-in tool on Windows 10. With this app, you can inspect information about certain hardware in your PC like audio devices, displays, keyboard lighting/brightness, etc.
If I’m unable to find a native software for adjusting the keyboard backlight on Windows 10, here’s how I use Windows Mobility Center to do the job:
- Click the Start button or press Windows Key + S on your laptop’s keyboard.
- Type Control Panel in the search bar and open it.
- Select Large Icons by clicking on the View by option located on the top right side of the window.
- Then, locate Windows Mobility Center and select it.
- After opening the Windows Mobility Center, look for Keyboard Brightness or Keyboard Lighting option.
- Click on the option, and you’ll see all the keyboard backlight settings.
Don’t see any such option on your laptop? The following method might fix your problem.
Method #3 – Pressing Keyboard Shortcuts
Many people are unaware of the fact that if their laptop features a backlight keyboard, there would be dedicated controller keys for it. Regardless of the manufacturer of your laptop, there would be some keys present on your keyboard for adjusting keyboard brightness – if your laptop features it in the first place.
Closely look for the icons printed on the F key array; there would be an icon that would resemble a keyboard light. If you are unable to find any such key on the F key array, look for other keys on your keyboard.
Once you have found the key, press it and see if anything happens. In case nothing happens, locate the Fn or function key on your laptop and then try pressing the keyboard light key with it.
In some laptops, there are a total of three keys that resemble a keyboard light. One for enabling or disabling keyboard light, the other for lowering brightness, and one for turning up the brightness. Try pressing the keys with and without the Fn key to see if anything happens.
This is one of the simplest and effective ways on how to turn on the keyboard light Windows 10.
Still can’t make the backlight work on your Windows 10 laptop? The last method will surely help you out.
Method #4 – Enabling Keyboard Backlight From BIOS
I was able to fix the keyboard backlight not working issue by tweaking some settings in the BIOS. Note that BIOS isn’t part of your operating system, so you’ll have to access it when turning on your laptop.
Here’s how you can enable keyboard backlight from BIOS:
- Firstly, switch off your laptop and then turn it on.
- Then, immediately press the F2, F8, F10, or Del key to enter the BIOS menu of your system. The method of entering BIOS varies from laptop to laptop; a simple google search will let you know how to access your laptop’s BIOS menu.
- Now go to System Configuration and look for Keyboard Illumination/Brightness/Backlight.
- After that, you’ll see all the options related to your keyboard backlight.
- You can turn it on, off, or adjust it according to your preferences.
If you don’t find any such settings, make sure to check the Advanced tab of BIOS and access the Built-in Device Options for adjusting keyboard backlight settings.
Enabling Or Disabling/Adjusting Keyboard Brightness On Different Laptops
Depending on the manufacturer of your windows 10 laptop, there can be different key combinations for enabling, disabling, and adjusting keyboard brightness.
For your ease, I have compiled windows 10 shortcuts for adjusting backlight keyboards on systems of different popular laptop manufacturers.
Dell
Is the dell keyboard not working in terms of keyboard brightness? Here’s how to turn on the keyboard light Windows 10 with keyboard shortcuts on various dell models.
For Dell 14 Inspiron 7000, 15, 2016, 15, 17 500 Series, press Alt and F10 keys together. On other Dell Inspiron and Latitude machines, you can try pressing Fn and F10 to turn on/off backlight keyboards.
For Dell Studio laptops, press Fn+F6 for enabling or disabling keyboard light. And lastly, a single F10 keypress on Dell XPS machines can turn on/off keyboard brightness.
HP
Can’t figure out how to turn on the keyboard light windows 10 on an HP laptop? Well, an HP laptop with a backlit keyboard can feature one of the four possible combinations for turning on/off keyboard brightness.
On some HP laptops, I was able to enable and disable the keyboard light by pressing Fn+F5. On some other HP laptop models, people reported that the combo of Fn+11 or Fn+9 did the trick.
Still can’t turn on the keyboard light on your HP laptop? Try pressing Fn and Space keys together.
Asus
There’s an advantage for people who own an Asus laptop. All Asus laptops that are equipped with a backlight feature have dedicated keys on their keyboard for turning on/off the keyboard light.
The majority of Asus laptops use the combo of either Fn+F4 or Fn+F3 to enable or disable backlit keyboards.
If you are unable to find a key with a keyboard light icon, the chances are that your Asus laptop doesn’t have the keyboard backlight feature.
Lenovo
Those who do or simply the owners of Lenovo laptops with backlight features can turn it on/off by holding the Fn button and then pressing the Space Bar.
All the recent mid-and-high range laptops manufactured by Lenovo are equipped with keyboard backlight support.
You can use the Fn+Space Bar shortcut on your Lenovo laptop’s keyboard to toggle the backlight. Or, if you are unable to turn it off/on, simply use the methods I have listed above.
Acer
If you own an Acer laptop, you are in luck! The majority of Acer laptops with backlit keyboards can be toggled by pressing Fn and F9.
However, there can be some exceptions. And for that, you can look for the keyboard light icon on the keys of your laptop and try pressing it with or without the Fn key.
Mac
What’s Mac doing in the guide of how to turn on the keyboard light windows 10?
Wait a sec. I know that Macs don’t come with Windows 10 as an operating system. But for those of you who have side-booted Windows 10 on their Macs, I am only addressing you guys.
Just like you would adjust the brightness of your Mac’s backlit keyboard on Mac OS using F5 and F6, the same works on Windows 10.
Simply use the F5 key to lower the brightness of your keyboard or to turn it off completely. And use the F6 key to turn up the brightness of your keyboard or to turn it on completely.
So before I end the piece with some takeaways, let’s check out some popular questions asked related to adjusting the keyboard backlight on Windows 10.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have picked the following frequently asked questions by searching and analyzing various Windows 10 forums, portals, and blogs. The following FAQs might assist in answering the questions you have in your mind related to windows 10 keyboard backlight issues.
How Can I Troubleshoot My Keyboard Backlight Settings?
There’s a built-in keyboard troubleshooter you can use to trouble your laptop’s backlight settings. Thankfully, Microsoft has made the pre-installed troubleshooter advanced enough to fix keyboard backlight issues.
Here’s how to troubleshoot your keyboard backlight settings:
- Navigate to Start Menu -> Settings -> Update and security -> Troubleshoot -> Additional troubleshooters.
- Click on Keyboard and then select Run the troubleshooter.
- Wait for the troubleshooter to run and come up with solutions.
- Do as directed by the troubleshooter, and then restart your laptop.
Can I Change The Color Of My Keyboard Brightness?
Changing the color of your keyboard light or brightness is totally possible. But only if you have a high-end laptop (likely a gaming laptop) that features an RGB backlight keyboard.
The chances are slim that you’ll find an RGB backlit keyboard on a laptop other than a top-tier gaming laptop.
However, if you have one that supports it, you can use the built-in control app of the manufacturer of the laptop to change the keyboard’s light color.
How To Figure Out If My Laptop Features A Backlight Keyboard?
One of the easiest ways to figure out if your laptop features a backlit keyboard is by inspecting its keyboard. Look for icons on the keys that mimic a keyboard with a backlit.
Next up, you can also do a quick google search with the name of your laptop’s model along with the keyword backlit keyboard. And the results will tell if your laptop features the keyboard backlight or not.
Can I Install A Backlight Keyboard In My Laptop?
Until and unless you are a hardware IT technician with super-duper skills, you can’t install a backlit keyboard on your laptop.
Installing a backlit keyboard or any other additional hardware meant to be built-in requires precise craftsmanship and hardware expertise.
Can I Control The Keyboard Brightness?
Not all laptop manufacturers provide the feature of controlling the brightness level of a backlit keyboard.
To see if you can control your keyboard brightness, check windows mobility center, native laptop manufacturer’s app, BIOS settings, or keyboard keys with more than one keyboard light alike symbols.
Can I Animate My Keyboard Brightness?
Animating keyboard brightness is only possible on high-end gaming laptops that feature RGB backlit keyboards. On those laptops, the manufacturers include a built-in program for adjusting the pattern, brightness, and other settings of the backlit keyboard.
Final Words
After going through this piece, I’m pretty confident that you have the answer to how to turn on the keyboard light on Windows 10.
Still, if you have any questions, feel free to drop them down below, and I’ll be more than happy to answer you!
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