How to Turn Off the Keyboard Light in Windows 10: A Comprehensive Guide

Many modern laptops come equipped with backlit keyboards, a feature designed to enhance visibility in low-light conditions. While this is incredibly helpful in dimly lit rooms or during nighttime use, there are times when you might prefer to turn off the keyboard light. Perhaps you find it distracting, are looking to conserve battery power, or simply prefer the aesthetic without it. Thankfully, Windows 10 provides several methods to disable the keyboard backlight, catering to different laptop models and user preferences. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various approaches, ensuring you can easily control your keyboard’s illumination.

Understanding Keyboard Backlighting

Before diving into the methods, it’s essential to understand how keyboard backlighting works. Typically, small LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are placed beneath the keys, illuminating the characters. The intensity and behavior of this light can often be adjusted, and sometimes even customized with different colors. While generally beneficial, it’s good to have control over when and how it’s used.

Common Reasons to Turn Off Keyboard Backlighting

• Battery Conservation: Backlighting, especially at higher brightness levels, consumes power. Turning it off can significantly extend your laptop’s battery life, particularly when working on the go.
• Reduced Distraction: Some users find the illuminated keys distracting, especially in environments with ample lighting. Turning it off can lead to a more focused and comfortable working experience.
• Aesthetic Preference: Some people simply prefer the look of a keyboard without the backlight.
• Avoiding Eye Strain: In certain situations, backlighting can contribute to eye strain. Turning it off may alleviate discomfort.

Methods to Turn Off the Keyboard Light

Here are several methods you can use to turn off the keyboard light on your Windows 10 laptop. The specific steps might vary slightly based on your laptop’s brand and model, but the general principles remain the same.

Method 1: Using Keyboard Shortcuts (Function Keys)

The most common and often the quickest way to toggle the keyboard backlight is through dedicated function keys on your keyboard. Here’s how to identify and use them:

Step 1: Locate the Correct Function Key

Look for function keys (F1 to F12) on your keyboard that have icons depicting a keyboard backlight or a small light symbol. These keys are typically located on the top row of your keyboard. The icon might look like a sun with rays or a keyboard with illuminated keys. It’s also very common to see an upwards pointing arrow key and some rays of light.
Commonly, these keys are F3, F4, F5, or F10, but this varies greatly between different manufacturers.

Step 2: Use the Function Key with the Fn Key

Most laptop keyboards require you to press the “Fn” key (usually located near the bottom left corner of the keyboard) in combination with the function key responsible for the backlight. Typically, pressing the Fn key + backlight key will cycle the backlight through a couple of intensities and then off. On some laptops, pressing the backlight key alone will toggle the backlight.

Step 3: Test and Verify

Press the Fn key along with the corresponding function key. Keep pressing this key combination to cycle through different backlight intensities and then off. Check if the backlight turns off or if a notification pops up confirming the changes. The icon will probably appear on your screen showing the brightness level and off when the keyboard light is turned off.

Note: The function key and combination may vary depending on your laptop manufacturer. Check your laptop’s manual if you have difficulty locating the correct keys.

Method 2: Using the Windows Mobility Center

The Windows Mobility Center provides a central location to manage several laptop settings, including the keyboard backlight in some instances. Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Open the Windows Mobility Center

You can access the Mobility Center using one of these methods:

• Keyboard Shortcut: Press the Windows key + X keys simultaneously, and from the context menu that appears, select “Mobility Center.”
• Search Bar: Click on the Windows search bar, type “Mobility Center,” and click the application from the search results.

Step 2: Locate the Keyboard Backlight Setting

Once the Mobility Center is open, look for a setting related to the keyboard backlight. This might be a slider, a dropdown menu, or a simple on/off switch. The availability of this feature in the Mobility Center depends on your laptop’s manufacturer and drivers. Some laptops may not have this option here.
Note that, if the option is available, it may not be labelled “Keyboard Backlight” and instead be labelled “Keyboard Lighting”.

Step 3: Adjust the Backlight

If you see a keyboard backlight setting, use the slider or dropdown menu to reduce the brightness to the lowest possible setting or turn it off completely. If it’s an on/off switch, simply toggle it to off.

Step 4: Close the Mobility Center

After making the necessary adjustments, you can close the Mobility Center. The keyboard backlight should now be off.

Method 3: Using the BIOS/UEFI Settings

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) settings allow you to configure hardware-level settings of your computer. Some BIOS/UEFI versions provide an option to control the keyboard backlight. This method is generally not recommended as it is more involved and if you change settings in the BIOS incorrectly, it can render your device unbootable. However, for a persistent solution or for laptops where no other solution is available, this is an option.

Step 1: Access the BIOS/UEFI Settings

Restart your laptop. During the startup, you’ll need to press a specific key to access the BIOS/UEFI settings. This key varies between manufacturers, but it’s usually one of the following: F2, F10, F12, Delete, or Esc. Look for a brief message during startup that indicates which key to press.
Be careful not to accidentally start the operating system as you only have a brief window to press the correct key before Windows starts loading.

Step 2: Navigate to the Keyboard Backlight Settings

Once in the BIOS/UEFI settings, use the arrow keys to navigate to the section containing hardware configuration or power management. The specific menu names can differ based on your BIOS/UEFI version. Look for options related to “Keyboard,” “Peripherals” or “Advanced”. Within that, look for options that directly state “Keyboard Backlight” or similar terms.

Step 3: Disable the Backlight

If you find the backlight setting, select the option to turn it off. The setting could be a dropdown menu with options like “On,” “Off,” or “Auto,” or it may be an option you can set to “Disabled”.

Step 4: Save Changes and Exit

After disabling the backlight, find the option to “Save Changes and Exit”. This will save your settings and restart the computer. The keys for this option are usually displayed on the screen, but are often “F10” or “Esc”.

Note: Be extremely cautious when working with BIOS/UEFI settings, and only make changes you understand. Incorrect changes can cause system instability.

Method 4: Using Manufacturer-Specific Software

Many laptop manufacturers provide their own utility software to manage system settings, including the keyboard backlight. If your laptop has pre-installed software from the manufacturer, check if it offers a keyboard backlight control option.

Step 1: Open the Manufacturer Software

Find the software from your laptop manufacturer in the Windows search bar or Start Menu. Common examples include Lenovo Vantage, HP Support Assistant, Dell Power Manager, and Asus Armoury Crate. These are usually preinstalled on your laptop and have a shortcut in the Start Menu.

Step 2: Locate the Keyboard Backlight Setting

Within the software, look for settings related to hardware, power management, or the keyboard. Many such software packages group system hardware together and so, finding this can be a matter of exploring different menus in the application. Some manufacturer software also has a search function.

Step 3: Turn Off the Backlight

Use the available options to turn off or reduce the brightness of the keyboard backlight. The software will usually have an on/off toggle and also some form of slider to adjust the intensity of the light.

Step 4: Close the Application

Once you’ve made the changes, the keyboard backlight should be off. Close the manufacturer’s software.

Method 5: Adjusting Power Settings

While not a direct method, adjusting your power settings can sometimes influence how the keyboard backlight behaves, particularly if the backlight is configured to dim or turn off automatically to save power. The following steps cover how to make sure the backlighting doesn’t automatically turn on and to further save battery.

Step 1: Open Power Settings

Click on the Windows start bar and type “Power Settings”. Then click on the “Power & Sleep Settings” from the results.
Alternatively you can also get to this page by clicking on the battery icon in the bottom right hand side of the screen, which brings up a menu. In this menu, there will be an option for “Power & Sleep Settings”.

Step 2: Click Additional Power Settings

At the bottom of the “Power & Sleep Settings” screen, there will be a blue link called “Additional Power Settings”. Click on this link.
This will bring up a new window called “Power Options” showing the power plans available on the laptop.

Step 3: Adjust the current power plan

Click on “Change plan settings” next to the currently selected power plan.
This takes you to a menu to edit the settings of the power plan.

Step 4: Change Advanced Power Settings

In the menu that appears, click on the “Change Advanced Power Settings”. This brings up a new popup with all of the advanced power settings. This is where it gets complicated, as not all laptops will have settings that directly relate to keyboard backlighting.
You must navigate through the different options and experiment a bit to find anything that refers to keyboard lighting. Some common options could be under:

• Display Settings – where there may be a setting for “Enable Adaptive brightness” which dims the backlight of all screens including the keyboard. This can indirectly reduce keyboard lighting, but is not the goal here.
• Wireless Adapter Settings – This section may have a “Power Saving Mode” option that you can try changing, as it may indirectly affect the keyboard lighting.
• Intel Graphics Settings – This section may also have a setting that affects the keyboard backlighting.

The ideal setting to find here would be one that directly mentions “Keyboard Backlighting”, which is unlikely. But experimenting with different settings can give you insights into how to keep the backlighting off, when it is not explicitly disabled with one of the other methods.

Step 5: Restore Default Settings

If after experimenting you cannot find a setting that helps, it is recommended that you click “Restore plan defaults” so that the power settings are back at a stable state.

Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble turning off the keyboard light, here are a few troubleshooting steps:

• Check Your Laptop’s Manual: Your laptop’s manual will have specific instructions on how to adjust the keyboard backlight, as the function keys used for backlighting can change from manufacturer to manufacturer.
• Update Keyboard Drivers: Ensure that your keyboard drivers are up to date. Outdated drivers can sometimes cause hardware features like backlighting to malfunction. You can update drivers from Device Manager.
• Restart Your Laptop: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve minor software or driver issues.
• Check for Windows Updates: Make sure your Windows 10 system is updated. Sometimes, bugs related to backlight control can be addressed in system updates.
• Contact Manufacturer Support: If all else fails, contacting your laptop manufacturer’s support team can provide specific guidance for your laptop model.

Conclusion

Turning off the keyboard light in Windows 10 is a straightforward task, often achievable through function keys. However, if those don’t work, you can use the Windows Mobility Center or your laptop’s manufacturer-specific software, and in some cases, BIOS/UEFI settings. By understanding these methods, you can easily control your keyboard backlight according to your preference and needs. Whether you want to conserve battery, reduce distraction, or simply prefer a more subtle look, having control over your keyboard’s lighting is a valuable feature of Windows 10 laptops.