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How-to: Manually adjust the MacBook Pro Keyboard Backlight

One of the many “fine touches” that I enjoy about my MacBook Pro is the keyboard, and it’s very nice back light effect. Normally, the keyboard back light only turns on when the MacBook Pro light sensor detects a dark room, but with Lab Tick now its possible to take full control of the power beneath your finger tips. Lab Tick is a very resource non intensive application that cleanly installs itself as a menu item, with options to load your brightness settings on boot. This application is a must for MacBook Pro users and personally, I think it should be included as an option in Mac OS X.

Developer’s home

Download now

The menu interface is clean and unobtrusive.

Comments:

Comments: 18

Comment from Alexander Repty
Time: December 6, 2006, 6:11 pm

I’m glad you like it :-)

Cheers,
Alex

Comment from scubadirgeek
Time: December 16, 2006, 3:48 pm

Thanks for the tip I just recently purchased a 17″ macbook pro core 2 duo . and so far it has actually been fun to get up and go to work as I know I won’t have to reboot 3 times a day with my old windows thinkpad. I hope mac really keeps going in the direction it has in the past few years and puts a woopin on the market share , as this product is the bomb.. great tip and util thanks ..

scuba

Comment from jlbeek
Time: December 30, 2006, 5:05 am

Hello,

Please help. Is it possible to use the backlit illumination keyboard with windows XP software on a macbook pro

Your help or tips would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Jean-Louis Beek

Comment from Colby
Time: May 20, 2007, 9:57 pm

THANK YOU FOR THIS! I got tired of sitting in a pitch-black room with my Powerbook thinking it was smarter than me, constantly turning my keyboard light off.

Pingback from The Mac Diva
Time: July 8, 2007, 4:58 am

[...] The MacBook Pro’s keyboard background light only comes on when its light sensor detects a dark room; however, if you want to manually control of that feature you can download this handy application here. [...]

Comment from Hanzel
Time: September 30, 2007, 3:11 pm

great application!!!
changing keabord light was really annoying me

Comment from john carter
Time: October 11, 2007, 7:31 pm

Dream come true!! many of MAC’s factory settings are thoughtful, but the dim keybaord was annoying. Thanks a million for maximizing one of the key selling features of the Macbook Pro

Pingback from How To Change the Brightness on Your MacBook Pro KeyBoard
Time: October 27, 2007, 3:37 pm

[...] The MacBook Pro’s keyboard background light only comes on when its light sensor detects a dark room; however, if you want to manually control this feature manually you can download this handy application. [...]

Comment from Ben
Time: December 18, 2007, 10:37 am

Installed this on my MacBook Pro and for some reason it doesn’t work - any suggestions?

Comment from jb
Time: December 31, 2007, 10:57 pm

This little utility is the only answer I found to the problem my macbook pro developed.
The keypad was just the perfect illumination when I bought it, but less than a year later it had just dimmed itself down to being almost invisible in a dark room. I could NOT find any way to adjust this– read way too many posts and board– but now I can!

A Big Thank You!

Comment from Clarissa Luz
Time: April 17, 2008, 8:28 am

Hello, please, I need your help guys!
I bought my MBP 3 months ago, but since 2 weeks ago, the light won’t turn on!
I’ve installed this program but when I double-click to open it, there’s only a screen with a lot of numbers and letters, what is it?

I’m new to the mac world as well.

Thanks from Brazil
Clarissa

Pingback from no keyboard detected
Time: May 17, 2008, 7:55 am

[...] keyboard detected Posted on May 17, 2008, 2:53 pmby admin best video: no keyboard detectedoff by itself for no apparent reason. I documented the problem on video in case, for some reason,no Keyboard detected? - PC Perspective ForumsDec 28, 2005 … Says no keyboard detected? Tech Talk. … PC Perspective Forums &gt General Tech &gt Tech Talk &middot Reload this Page Sayskeyboard detected on A7V.But whenever I boot it up, there is the error message’no keyboard detected.’ This is a known working keyboard, power supply is o.k 300w. Noconfigure some options.http://www.olofsson.info/index.html?inputremapper.html&quotbios screen says no keyboard detected - CNET Desktops ForumsMar 1, 2008 … &quotbios screen says no keyboard detected&quot is what I&39dthere is no …http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?topic=56602.0Computing.Net - HELP ! no keyboard detected!Name: From My Computing.Net Settings E-Mail: From My Computing.Net Settings Subject: HELP ! noto stay off the computer keyboard.http://www.bitboost.com/pawsense/pawsense-faq.htmlSWECHECK 1.5 no keyboard detected, press any key to continue Namn: Release: Datum: Grupp: Storlek: URL: Tusenbr?der 2×04 *DVDRip*kbd installer crashing/no keyboard detectedSynopsis: kbd installer crashing/no keyboard detected Responsible-Changed-From-To: freebsd-bugs-&gtbrooks Responsible-Changed-By: brooks…http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-bugs/2004-November/009980.htmlptafflist - No keyboard detectedd’erreur de la part du BIOS: “No keyboard detected” avec le tr??s utile message ” … Je reboot encore: “No keyboard detected” …http://ptaff.ca/ptafflist/2005-08/1125062119-no_keyboard_detected/&quotNo Keyboard or Keyboard Not Detected&quot errorFree Means Free. No Gimmicks. No Tricks. … Title: &quotNo keyboard or keyboard Not Detected&quot error …http://www.experts-exchange.com/Hardware/Q_10337838.html [...]

Comment from Mike Jackson
Time: June 29, 2008, 5:06 am

Works great, THANK YOU

Comment from aaron
Time: April 22, 2009, 10:12 pm

Thanks! I hated the way the keyboard light just had a mind of it’s own! Now I am back in control. :) Great solution.

Comment from Joshua Martelli
Time: June 12, 2009, 12:35 pm

I have stopped banging my head against my non-illuminated MB.
Thanks. Nice one!

Comment from Laura Myers
Time: June 17, 2009, 10:29 pm

I have lab tick, and its nice, but I’m very frustrated that just randomly my keyboard illumination has completely turned off. Sure I can manually fix it with Lab Tick, but it really upset me that all of a sudden for no reason I don’t have a lit keyboard anymore. I just want to know why, and fix it, because honestly, Lab Tick can get annoying at times, and I paid over two grand for this laptop, and in less than a year it already has a functional problem with the feature I loved the most. How much is it going to cost to get my computer to function like it normally did with the regular illuminating keyboard?! How can I get it back? Someone help!

Comment from Stewart
Time: June 24, 2009, 11:54 am

Just brilliant! Many thanks for this. I often have to work in dimmed light and this just made my life a whole lot easier! Simple but very effective. What else have you got?

I’m just about to send off my MBP for a new display. Its only 2.5 years old and its going to cost me nearly £500 ($700 ). New cheap Laptop or New MBP screen, a big decision!

Comment from Stewart
Time: June 24, 2009, 11:54 am

Just brilliant! Many thanks for this. I often have to work in dimmed light and this just made my life a whole lot easier! Simple but very effective. What else have you got?

I’m just about to send off my MBP for a new display. Its only 2.5 years old and its going to cost me nearly £500 ($700 ). New cheap Laptop or New MBP screen, a big decision!

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November 30th, 2006