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Keyboard backlighting not working

I've been unable to use the backlight on my 2019 mac book pro for a few months now and can't find any solutions. I have never damaged or spilled anything on my laptop so I don't know why it would be broken. I can access various ways to adjust the light level on both my touch bar on the bar at the top of my desktop, but both do nothing. When I try to move the adjustment bar on my desktop, it just jumps back to being turned off.


What's weirder is that when I reset my laptop, the keyboard backlight turns on when my laptop is restarting. However, as soon as the restart is complete, it shuts off again.


I've looked at a lot of forums online and they say to use system preferences to change options surrounding automatic adjustment of light levels, but I don't even have that as an option in my system preferences. I'm totally lost.


Thank you in advance!

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Jan 3, 2022 11:28 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 4, 2022 7:04 AM

EWHY223 wrote:

I've been unable to use the backlight on my 2019 mac book pro for a few months now and can't find any solutions. I have never damaged or spilled anything on my laptop so I don't know why it would be broken. I can access various ways to adjust the light level on both my touch bar on the bar at the top of my desktop, but both do nothing. When I try to move the adjustment bar on my desktop, it just jumps back to being turned off.

What's weirder is that when I reset my laptop, the keyboard backlight turns on when my laptop is restarting. However, as soon as the restart is complete, it shuts off again.

I've looked at a lot of forums online and they say to use system preferences to change options surrounding automatic adjustment of light levels, but I don't even have that as an option in my system preferences. I'm totally lost.

Thank you in advance!
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/bfc7a53a-0606-4180-a361-016070183c31


If this is an Intel Mac—

Try resetting the SMC http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964


Try resetting NVRAM/PRAM http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379


If this is an M1 Mac—

No SMC or NVRAM on the M1 SoC.

The best you can do if you have an issue— equivalent Shut down, close the lid 30 secs+ , reboot as normal.

If no resolve try SafeBoot https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262 to sort anomalies.


Similar questions

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 4, 2022 7:04 AM in response to EWHY223

EWHY223 wrote:

I've been unable to use the backlight on my 2019 mac book pro for a few months now and can't find any solutions. I have never damaged or spilled anything on my laptop so I don't know why it would be broken. I can access various ways to adjust the light level on both my touch bar on the bar at the top of my desktop, but both do nothing. When I try to move the adjustment bar on my desktop, it just jumps back to being turned off.

What's weirder is that when I reset my laptop, the keyboard backlight turns on when my laptop is restarting. However, as soon as the restart is complete, it shuts off again.

I've looked at a lot of forums online and they say to use system preferences to change options surrounding automatic adjustment of light levels, but I don't even have that as an option in my system preferences. I'm totally lost.

Thank you in advance!
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/bfc7a53a-0606-4180-a361-016070183c31


If this is an Intel Mac—

Try resetting the SMC http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964


Try resetting NVRAM/PRAM http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379


If this is an M1 Mac—

No SMC or NVRAM on the M1 SoC.

The best you can do if you have an issue— equivalent Shut down, close the lid 30 secs+ , reboot as normal.

If no resolve try SafeBoot https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262 to sort anomalies.


Keyboard backlighting not working

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