How to Adjust Keyboard Brightness on a MacBook Air

This article explains how to adjust keyboard brightness on a MacBook Air, including instructions for both Intel and Apple Silicon models.

How to Change Keyboard Brightness on a MacBook Air

Your MacBook Air has an adjustable keyboard backlight, but the method you use to adjust it depends on which model you have. If your MacBook Air pre-dates the introduction of Apple Silicon, it has dedicated keys to increase and decrease the keyboard brightness. MacBooks released after that don’t have dedicated keys, but you can still adjust the brightness using the Control Center.

If you aren’t sure which MacBook version you have, you can just check the top row of keys on the keyboard. If your F5 and F6 keys have light icons on them, then you have an Intel MacBook and you can adjust the brightness with those keys. If those keys have different icons, skip to the next section for instructions.

To decrease the keyboard brightness on an Intel MacBook Air, press F5. To decrease the keyboard brightness, press F6.

How to Change Keyboard Brightness on an Apple Silicon MacBook Air

The Apple Silicon MacBook Air still has a row of function keys, but none of them are dedicated to adjusting the keyboard brightness. You can still adjust the brightness, but you need to use the Control Center.

Here’s how to change the keyboard brightness on an Apple Silicon MacBook Air:

1. Click the Control Center, which is located near the right side of the top menu bar.

   

2. Click Keyboard Brightness.

   

   You may see a button that says Keyboard Brightness or a smaller icon with the keyboard brightness icon (dash with rays emanating from it). If you don’t, skip to the next sections for instructions on adding a keyboard brightness button to the Control Center.

3. 

   Click the slider, and drag it left to lower the keyboard brightness or right to raise the keyboard brightness.

How to Add the Keyboard Brightness Button to Control Center

The keyboard brightness button may not show up in your Control Center depending on the other options that appear there. If it is present, it may be one of the large buttons that includes both text and an icon, or it may be a smaller button at the bottom of the Control Center that only has an icon.

If you don’t see a keyboard brightness button in the Control Center at all, you can add it. You can also add this button directly to your menu bar for easier access if you find that you adjust your keyboard brightness a lot.

Here’s how to add the keyboard brightness button to the Control Center or menu bar:

1. Click the Apple icon and select System Settings.

   

2. Click Control Center.

   

3. Click the Show in Control Center toggle to place the Keyboard Brightness button in the Control Center, or the Show in Menu Bar toggle to put it on the Menu Bar.

   

   You can select both toggles if you want.

4. Click the red button in the upper right corner of Control Center to close the window. The Keyboard Brightness button will now appear in the location or locations you selected.