Turn on a backlit laptop keyboard by pressing the function key with the light icon, typically with Fn held down. If no such icon exists, the laptop lacks the hardware.
The quickest way to make your laptop keyboard backlit is to press a function key that shows a small keyboard with radiating light beams. That icon is almost always in the top row, and on many models you hold the Fn key while tapping it. Common options include F5, F7, F9, F10, or F11, and some brands use Fn+Space. If none of these work, your laptop was likely built without backlighting, and no software fix can change that.
Where to Find the Backlight Key on Your Laptop
Vendors place the toggle in different spots, so check your function row first. The key normally has a backlight icon printed on it — if you don’t see that symbol anywhere in the top row, the keyboard almost certainly lacks built-in lighting hardware.
Some models use Fn+F4 and Fn+F3 to raise and lower brightness, while gaming notebooks use Fn+Up and Fn+Down instead. Dell notebooks place the backlight control on F5, F6, F7, F10, or the Right arrow key, and you press it together with Fn.
Why Pressing the Key Sometimes Does Nothing
If the shortcut seems dead, the Fn lock mode is the usual culprit. When the function row is set to standard F1-F12 behavior, the backlight key won’t respond unless you hold Fn. On Dell systems, press Fn+Esc to switch lock modes, then try the backlight key again.
Some laptops also expose a Keyboard brightness slider in Windows Mobility Center. Search for “Mobility Center” in the Start menu, then drag the slider right to increase illumination. On macOS, open System Preferences > Keyboard to adjust the backlight, or use the Control Strip in the Touch Bar on supported Macs. A few Dell notebooks offer yet another layer: the setting can be enabled in BIOS under Keyboard > Keyboard Illumination.
When Your Laptop Has No Backlight Icon
If your function row has no light icon, your laptop was not built with a backlit keyboard, and there is no supported way to add one to the internal assembly. DIY retrofit videos exist, but no official manufacturer source endorses taking a standard laptop keyboard apart to install LEDs, and doing so risks damaging the board.
Two practical options solve the problem without opening your laptop. First, a USB LED lamp clipped to the screen edge lights the keys cheaply and works on any machine. Second, a wireless backlit keyboard gives you illuminated keys plus a better typing angle, and it carries over to your next laptop. For readers ready to upgrade rather than adapt, our roundup of the best 17-inch laptops with backlit keyboards covers tested models worth the switch.
| Brand | Backlight Keys | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ASUS | Fn+F7 | Some models use Fn+F3/F4 for brightness |
| ASUS Gaming | Fn+Up / Fn+Down | Gaming notebook layout differs |
| Dell | Fn+F5, F6, F7, F10, or Right arrow | Press Fn+Esc first if lock mode blocks it |
| Lenovo | Fn+Space | Cycles Off / Low / High |
| Surface | F5 | Cycles through four levels |
| Logitech (external) | Dedicated key or Fn+F4/F5 | Check model-specific layout |
One detail worth repeating: backlight behavior varies by model even within a single brand. ASUS’s own support documentation stresses that the exact key differs between notebook lines, and Dell’s guide lists several possible keys depending on the system. If your first guess fails, check the others before concluding the keyboard lacks lighting.
References & Sources
- ASUS Support. “[Notebook] How to Use the Keyboard Backlight Function” Details Fn+F7 and model-specific brightness keys.
- Dell Support. “How to Turn Off or On and Troubleshoot the Backlit Keyboard on Your Dell Notebook Computer” Covers Fn+Esc lock mode and BIOS settings.
- Logitech. “The Complete Guide to Keyboard Backlighting” Explains toggle keys and brightness shortcuts on Logitech models.