Learn how to set your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro to automatically turn off the keyboard backlight after a certain period of inactivity to save battery and get more use time on a single charge.
You can save MacBook battery by setting it to automatically turn off the keyboard backlight when you’re not typing.
A backlit keyboard is a terrific feature in low-light environments. But if you forget to turn it off when you go on a five-minute break that turns into an hour, you’re wasting battery.
A backlit keyboard may not consume much battery, but why waste any energy at all? Also, keeping the keyboard backlight on at all times may reduce the MacBook battery lifespan over time.
Follow these steps to set your MacBook’s backlit keyboard to automatically turn off when not in use. Don’t worry, it will light back up the moment you press a key.
Automatically turn off the keyboard backlight on your MacBook
- Open System Settings.
- Select Keyboard at the bottom of the sidebar.
- Click the menu next to “Turn keyboard backlight off after inactivity” and choose from the available options, ranging from 5 seconds to 5 minutes. I’ve set mine to After 30 Seconds.
To have your Mac automatically adjust keyboard brightness in dimly lit or dark environments, turn on the switch next to “Adjust keyboard brightness in low light.” macOS will adjust keyboard brightness dynamically, based on your environment, but be sure to avoid covering or smudging the ambient light sensor located near the webcam at the top of the screen.
To manually change keyboard brightness, drag the Keyboard Brightness slider here or in macOS Control Center. You can also press the dedicated keyboard brightness keys on your MacBook keyboard if it has them.
On older macOS versions
- Open System Preferences and choose Keyboard.
- Tick the box next to Turn keyboard backlight off after [time] of inactivity.
- Select a time from the menu.
A backlit keyboard doesn’t use much battery, but you’ll want to save as much power as possible when your MacBook is not plugged in. And setting the keyboard backlight to automatically turn off is one way to do it.
Do you leave the keyboard backlight on at all times? Let us know in the comments below.
More about your Mac’s battery: