How to Enable Backlit Keyboard | Key Combos for Every Brand

To enable a backlit keyboard, locate the backlight icon on your laptop’s function row and press it, typically while holding the Fn key.

A laptop keyboard that lights up is one of those features you do not miss until you are typing in a dim room, squinting at unlit keys. The guide covers how to enable a backlit keyboard on the four most common laptop brands and what to do when the shortcut does nothing. The core idea is the same everywhere: find the key with a backlight icon (it usually looks like a small keyboard with rays), then press it — sometimes alone, sometimes with the Fn key held down.

Where the Backlight Key Lives on Any Laptop

The backlight icon is almost always on one of the F-keys at the top of your keyboard. F5, F7, F9, and F10 are common spots, but the exact key depends on the brand. On Apple MacBooks there is no Fn-key combo — the backlight controls live in System Settings instead. On most Windows laptops, the icon sits on a key that also serves another function (screen brightness, projector switching, or volume), which is why you often need to hold Fn and press it at the same time.

ASUS Notebooks — F7 Usually Does It

Most ASUS notebooks use Fn + F7 to toggle the backlight. Press it once to turn the light on, press it again to cycle through brightness levels, and keep pressing until the light turns off. Some ASUS models use Fn + F4 (increase) and Fn + F3 (decrease) instead. Gaming notebooks from ASUS use Fn + Up Arrow and Fn + Down Arrow.

• Locate the key with the backlight icon — on most models it is F7.
• Press Fn + F7 to turn the backlight on. Press the same combo again to raise brightness.
• Keep pressing until the light cycles off if you want to turn it off.
• On gaming models, use Fn + Up to brighten and Fn + Down to dim or turn off.

Apple Mac — System Settings Controls Everything

Mac laptops handle backlighting through macOS itself rather than a function key. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard. From there you can drag the keyboard brightness slider, enable automatic adjustment in low light, and set an inactivity timeout so the light turns off when you step away.

• Click the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
• Click Keyboard in the sidebar.
• Drag the Keyboard brightness slider to your preferred level. Dragging all the way left turns the backlight off.
• Toggle on Adjust keyboard brightness in low light.
• Use the Turn keyboard backlight off after inactivity dropdown to set a timeout — 5 seconds, 30 seconds, or longer.

On older MacBooks with dedicated brightness keys (F5 and F6), you can press those keys directly without opening System Settings.

Dell Notebooks — Fn, the Light Icon, and BIOS

Dell places the backlight icon on one of the function keys or arrow keys depending on the model. Hold Fn and press that key to turn the light on; keep pressing to cycle through brightness levels. If pressing Fn + the key does nothing, press Fn + Esc to toggle the Fn lock mode and try again. The BIOS also contains a Keyboard Illumination setting that can override the software shortcut. Dell’s official keyboard illumination guide covers both the shortcut and the BIOS option in detail.

• Find the key with the backlight icon — it varies by model. Common spots are F5, F6, F7, F10, or the right arrow.
• Hold Fn and press that key. Each press cycles: off, low, high, off.
• If it does not respond, press Fn + Esc to change the Fn lock mode, then retry.
• Still no luck? Enter BIOS by pressing F2 at startup, go to Keyboard, and check Keyboard Illumination. Set it to Enabled or a brightness level, then save and exit.

Samsung PCs — Fn + F9 and the Samsung Settings App

Samsung laptops typically use Fn + F9 to toggle the backlight. If that key combo does nothing, the Samsung Settings app may be missing or outdated. Install or recover Samsung Settings from the Microsoft Store or through Samsung Update, then configure the hotkey behavior under the Keyboard section. Run Samsung Update afterward to catch any driver updates that affect the keyboard backlight.

• Press Fn + F9 to turn the backlight on. Press again to cycle brightness levels.
• If nothing happens, open Samsung Settings and check the Keyboard section for hotkey configuration.
• If Samsung Settings is missing, install it from Samsung Update or the Microsoft Store.
• Restart the laptop after installing or updating.

Enabling a Backlit Keyboard: The Key Combo for Every Major Brand

Below is a quick reference for the most common shortcuts. Individual models within a brand sometimes use slightly different keys, so check your function row for the backlight icon as a final confirmation.

What If the Backlight Still Won’t Turn On?

A backlight shortcut that does nothing is frustrating, but the cause is usually one of a few common problems. The table below covers the most likely reasons and what to try next. Understanding the gate ahead of time saves a lot of tapping on unlit keys.

Final Steps to Confirm the Backlight Is Working

Once you have pressed the right combo or adjusted the setting, the keys should glow within a second or two. If the light comes on but turns off too quickly, check the inactivity timeout in your system settings. On a Mac that setting is in System Settings > Keyboard. On a Windows laptop it lives inside the OEM utility — ASUS Armoury Crate, Dell Alienware Command Center, or Samsung Settings. If the light still fails to appear after trying every method here, your laptop likely lacks the hardware: a backlit keyboard is not standard on all models, and adding one after purchase is rarely practical. That outcome is worth knowing so you can stop hunting for a shortcut that simply does not exist on your machine.