How To Know If Your Laptop Has A Backlit Keyboard

By Marlo Strydom

Are you working in the dark (literally)? Do you just want your laptop to look stylish? The backlit keyboard could be a great advantage. Not all laptops come with this feature, though, and it’s not always clear if yours has it.

1. Look up the Laptop’s Manual or Specifications

The easiest way to find out if your laptop has a backlit keyboard is to check the manual or search online. Most manufacturers detail all the features, including whether the keyboard’s backlit, in the laptop’s documentation. Here’s how you can do it:

  • Search the web : Go to the manufacturer’s site, then search for your laptop model. When you find the product page, scroll down the list of features to see if it mentions a backlit keyboard.

  • Read the manual : If you still have the manual that shipped with the laptop, it should have a section on the keyboard and its features.

  • Box labels : Sometimes the box for the laptop or a label on the laptop itself will indicate if it has a backlit keyboard.

2. Find an Icon on the Keyboard for Backlighting

Most laptops that have a backlit keyboard have a button to turn the backlit keyboard on or off. Usually, the icon looks like a glowing keyboard or light. The key can often be found in the function row (the top row of keys), Often on the F5 or F6 key.

To activate the backlight, try the following:

  • Use the Function (Fn) key : If the keyboard for LED backlight is available, press the Function (Fn) key: While holding down the Fn key, press the key with the backlight icon. If you have a backlit keyboard, that should illuminate.

  • Cycle through brightness levels : Some laptops let you change the brightness of the backlight. The key combination Fn + backlight will allow you to cycle through several brightness levels of the keyboard light or turn it off.

3. Experiment with Switching Settings in the Operating System

If the backlight key combination doesn’t seem to do anything, your laptop may have the backlight disabled in the settings, or may require software to control the backlight. Here’s how to look for settings in either Windows or macOS:

On Windows:

  1. Open Windows Mobility Center :

    1. You can do this by pressing Windows key + X and choosing Mobility Center from the menu.

    2. Find the keyboard backlight or keyboard lighting option from the Mobility Center.

    3. Most devices allow you to turn on the setting for backlight or control brightness.

  2. Check Keyboard Settings :

    1. Navigate to Settings > Devices > Typing .

    2. Also check if you have the following options related to keyboard backlighting by scrolling down.

On macOS:

You can control the brightness levels on Macs with back-lit keyboards using the System Preferences :

  1. Go to the Apple menu and click System Preferences > Keyboard .

  2. On the Keyboard tab, you should see a keyboard brightness slider . You also have the option to set it to the automatic backlight using the ambient light around you.

4. Check the Keyboard for Low Light

A quick, simple way to determine if the laptop is equipped with a backlit keyboard is to turn off the lights in the room or lower the lighting to a very low level. The keyboards with backlighting are designed to light up in low-light surroundings. Give some of the keys a press — if the keyboard has a backlight, as the environment darkens it should light up.

5. BIOS or Firmware Settings Inspection

The keyboard's backlight feature could be disabled in your laptop's BIOS / Firmware. This can be verified by going into the BIOS setup menu and checking the details of keyboard lights.

To access the BIOS:

  1. Restart your laptop.

  2. Hit the BIOS access key ( F2 , Del , or Esc , depending on the machine) when the manufacturer’s logo is on the screen.

  3. Check Keyboard Settings (or a similar section) in the BIOS menu for an option to activate the backlight.

Tip: If you have difficulty accessing the BIOS, try holding the shift key when clicking on Restart from the Power Icon in the Start Menu. (Or enter *shutdown.exe /r /t 0 /fw * from the Command Prompt)

6. Use Manufacturer-Specific Software

Some laptop manufacturers have their own software that controls laptop features such as keyboard backlighting (e.g. Dell, HP, Lenovo, ASUS). Many of these tools have options for customizing the backlight color, brightness, or effects. Look for any pre-installed software from the manufacturer:

  • Dell : Dell QuickSet or Dell Power Manager.

  • HP : Check HP Command Center, HP System Event Utility.

  • Lenovo : Search for Lenovo Vantage.

  • ASUS : ASUS Armory Crate or ASUS Keyboard Hotkeys

7. The Keyboard - Physical Inspection

If nothing works, you can check the keyboard for any signs of a backlit feature physically. The keys or their letters also have somewhat translucent characters on the keys on backlit keyboards. In good light it can be hard to tell, but in less well-lit conditions, the presence of one of these translucent areas often suggests backlighting capability.

Putting It All Together

To know if your laptop supports backlit keyboard feature, you should check the laptop specifications, evaluate the presence of backlighting control key or test in a dark environment. Others may require changes to settings in the BIOS or manufacturer software in the operating system. For those that require it, external USB keyboards (with backlighting) are always an option if yours doesn’t have a backlit keyboard.