How to backlight a keyboard

Do you often work on your computer in low light conditions, if not in the dark? Well, this isn't exactly the best for your eye health, just know that. Above all, I imagine the enormous effort you will make to be able to identify the keys to press on the keyboard. Listen to me: if you want to avoid losing some diopter, take a few minutes all to yourself and try to remedy the situation as soon as possible. How? I'll explain it to you right away.

If you have a keyboard with a backlight , you can greatly improve the situation only by activating the latter and adjusting the brightness of the keys according to your preferences. If, on the other hand, your computer keyboard is not backlit, you can try to solve the problem by purchasing special lamps to connect to the computer and with which to illuminate the keys, to work with greater agility.

So, would you like to deepen the subject and find out in more detail how to backlight a keyboard ? Yup? Fantastic! Make yourself comfortable, take all the time you need to concentrate on reading the next paragraphs and, more importantly, try to implement the "tips" that I will give you. If you do, you will not have the slightest problem in completing your "business" today. There is nothing left for me to do but wish you good reading and wish you a big good luck for everything!

How to light up the laptop keyboard

As I mentioned in the introduction of the tutorial, to illuminate the keyboard of the laptop in your possession, all you have to do is use the keys for adjusting the backlight level: in fact, through the latter, you can increase or decrease the brightness of the keyboard. in an extremely easy and fast way.

In the vast majority of Windows laptops it is possible to activate the keyboard backlight by pressing the Fn key and then pressing one of the keys on which a dash with light rays is depicted (usually the F2 or F3 or F3 and F4 keys , it depends on the brand and computer model you are using). To increase the backlight, just hold down one of the keys until you reach your preferred brightness level. Well: did you see how simple it was to activate the backlight of your laptop keyboard?

I also point out that on some models of Windows laptops (especially gaming computers ) it is possible to customize the colors of the keyboard backlight and even create flashing light games. To do this, however, you have to rely on the software that allows you to manage these specific settings (usually it is pre-installed on your computer or you can download it from the official website of the laptop manufacturer).

In principle, you need to start the program that allows you to manage the backlight and other features of the keyboard, go to the menu dedicated to its customization and change the colors and animations to be applied to it. Since the procedures to follow vary from one program to another, I recommend that you rely on the official guide of the application that allows you to manage the keyboard of your computer, so as to avoid problems.

Now I will give you some more details on some notebooks of well-known brands, to best help you perform the operation, based on the device in your possession.

How to backlight a Lenovo keyboard

If you have a Lenovo notebook , the operation to turn on the keyboard backlight may be different depending on the model. The one I will describe to you is related to the Lenovo Y50 notebook but you can easily identify the keys to press on any model by following my instructions.

As with many other notebooks, to activate the backlight you need to press the Fn key , also commonly called the Function key. You find it on the keyboard at the bottom left, between Ctrl and the one to call up the Windows start menu , in combination with another key. Generally these are the ones at the top, i.e. F1 to F12, however for Lenovo it is often the Space bar .

To increase or decrease the brightness completely, just press Fn + Spacebar and choose the intensity you prefer. If the combination doesn't work, you probably have a Lenovo notebook model with a different configuration. Don't despair though, you can very simply check if it is a laptop with a backlit keyboard just by looking at the keys: you have to identify the icon of a key with stylized rays .

If you can't find it, unfortunately I have to tell you that you don't have a notebook with a backlit keyboard. However, you can always opt for a different solution, you will find more details on this in the following chapters .

In the event that you have found the buttons but, upon pressing, you have not had any feedback, it could be a hardware problem related to the malfunction of the individual keys, but do not lose heart. You don't want to give up the backlight, right? Then I have good news for you, you can also perform the procedure via software, specifically Lenovo Vantage .

This is installed by default on most Lenovo devices, however if you can't find it in the Windows Start menu , you can still download and install it via the Microsoft Store . To search for the application then click on the virtual store icon and search for Lenovo Vantage in the upper bar , then click on the search result and then on Install .

After installing the software, you will find a battery icon on the taskbar , from which you can easily access the software. Click on it and then choose Go to Lenovo Vantage . From the main page then click on Device , at the top, to open a pop-up menu, from which you have to select Input and accessories .

In the Smart keyboard tab you will find the backlight option: just activate the button under Keyboard backlight to make it light up immediately and click again if you want to turn it off.

How to backlight an ASUS keyboard

If you have an ASUS laptop available , you can backlight the keyboard by directly intervening on the function keys of the latter. You don't have to perform complicated operations or navigate the settings menus, are you wondering how to do it specifically? No problem, read on and you will find out.

First turn on your computer and wait for the desktop to appear on the screen. A necessary precaution since, pressing a few keys for the backlight during power on, you may accidentally enter the BIOS of the computer.

The procedure has been tested on ASUS ZenBook , so please note that this may vary, in some cases, on other ASUS notebook models. On the keyboard, therefore, identify the buttons that show the icon of a stylized keyboard with a light source (in this case it is F3 and F4 ). By pressing them alone, these would have no effect on the backlight, however, in combination with the function key, that is Fn (which you can find in the lower left part of the keyboard, between Ctrl and the Windows key ), you can increase or decrease the lighting effect.

By pressing Fn + F3 , you will reduce the brightness, instead with Fn + F4 , you will increase it. Remember that to avoid excessive battery drain, if you don't actually need the backlight to type in dark environments, it's a good idea to turn it off.

If Fn in combination with the appropriate keys does not work, you may have activated the Function key lock. To remove it, you can use the MyASUS application , often pre-installed on ASUS notebooks but can also be downloaded from the Microsoft Store . The features, however, differ from model to model, so I suggest you take a look at my specific guide for ASUS computers.

Furthermore, if the problem were to be of a hardware nature, therefore linked to an accidental breakage of the function key, there are programs that can work around the problem. I'll tell you about it in my guide on how to use function keys without pressing Fn .

How to light up the Mac keyboard

Do you have an Apple laptop and would like to know how to activate the keyboard backlight on it? Quiet: Brightening up your Mac keyboard is easier than you can imagine. Whether you own a MacBook , a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro , it doesn't matter: on all the laptops of the “bitten apple” just press the F6 key to activate the backlight (and keep holding it down to increase it to the maximum). Lowering the backlight is just as simple: just press the F5 key and keep holding it down to turn it off.

If you should notice any problems related to the backlight of your Mac keyboard and you think it is necessary to reset the settings of the latter, know that it is possible to do this by resetting the SMC ( System Management Controller ), a chip that manages some components of the Mac, including keyboard lights.

If you use a MacBook manufactured up to 2009, a MacBook 12 ″ , a MacBook Pro manufactured after 2009 or a MacBook Air (therefore devices with a non-removable battery ), to reset the SMC you must turn off the computer by selecting the Shut down item from the menu Apple (the "bitten apple" logo at the top left of the menu bar) and connect the power supply to the Mac. Then press the shift + ctrl + alt + power keys at the same timeon the keyboard, hold them down for about ten seconds (if you have a computer equipped with a Touch ID sensor, the power button is included in the latter) and then turn on the computer again by pressing the power button .

If, on the other hand, you are using a MacBook or MacBook Pro manufactured before 2009, with a removable battery , to reset the SMC you must completely shut down the computer by selecting the Shut Down item from the Apple menu (the "bitten apple" logo located at the top left , in the menu bar) and disconnect the MagSafe power adapter from the Mac. Then remove the battery from the computer by opening the compartment on the back of the computer, press the power button on the Mac keyboard and hold it down for about 5 seconds. Now, insert the battery back into its slot, connect the MagSafe power adapter to the Mac and turn on the computer by pressing the power button again.

After performing the SMC reset procedure, the keyboard key brightness should have been reset to their default values. If any steps are not clear to you and you want more information on how to reset SMC on Mac , consult the in-depth study that I have linked to you, it will certainly be useful.

How to light up a non-backlit keyboard

Would you like to know if there is a way to light up a keyboard with no backlight ? The answer is " ni ". Even if, for obvious reasons, it is not possible to make a keyboard that does not have this particular hardware feature backlit, it is possible to try to illuminate the keys of the keyboard "artificially", by using special keyboard lights .

These devices, which can be purchased in the most well-stocked electronics stores and online stores (such as Amazon ), illuminate the surface of the computer keyboard allowing you to correctly display the letters, numbers and all other symbols imprinted on the various keys, despite the poor lighting conditions in which you might find yourself.

Usually, these "lamps" can be connected via USB to the computer and positioned to illuminate the entire surface of the keyboard. Their purchase price is around 10-20 euros (there are also more expensive models, which offer greater quality and durability) and are compatible with practically all laptops out there.

If you want to buy some, take a look at those listed below: I'm sure you will find at least one that can be right for you.