Illuminated Keyboard Control

[jbrown]

I like the backlit keyboard, but hate that it does it automatically.

How can I gain control/turn off the ambient light sensor - and set the keyboard light levels manually.

cheers

 

[xUKHCx]

Perhaps Lab Tick, i don't have an MBP so don't know how well it works.

 

[siurpeeman]

F8-F10 are controls for the illuminated keyboard. F8 turns it off completely, while F9 dims and F10 brightens.

 

[Neutral Gamer]

Perhaps Lab Tick, i don't have an MBP so don't know how well it works.

I use Lab Tick on my MBP and it works great - it completely overrides the built in settings and keeps it at whatever level you specify. You can easily change it anytime from the associated Menu bar icon.

The only thing is that after using it for a bit you realise that you don't want the brightness level of the keyboard at a set level all the time and that the built in automatic settings ARE useful. For example if you put the backlight on when there's already enough light in the room then the keys become harder to read thanks to the white glow on and around the keys.

I hardly use it anymore; only when you're in the "grey" area of not quite dark and not quite light do you feel the need to override the settings and load up Lab Tick.

But that's just my experience. Use it and you'll probably find you don't need it as much as you thought as the built in settings are already pretty good!

 

[iViking]

I know you can override the controls and make the backlit keys brighter than they are automatically, but why is it that sometimes when you try to turn up the backlighting, it won't even let you turn it on?

There's just a circle with a line going through it indicating, "You can't turn on the backlit keys right now, peasant boy! Only when the sun goes down a bit shall I let you fiddle with my backlit keys!"

 

[smartalic34]

There's just a circle with a line going through it indicating, "You can't turn on the backlit keys right now, peasant boy! Only when the sun goes down a bit shall I let you fiddle with my backlit keys!"

yeah. pretty much.

 

[borgersbjorn]

I have a MacBook Pro, and I have found a manual, maybe rather unorthodox way of overriding the automatic keyboard illumination. Heres how it goes:

1. If you have a MacBook Pro, place your hands over both of the speakers, where the light sensors are located. Notice that the screen dims and the illumination turns on.
2. Quickly remove one of your hands [preferably the side where there is the least light] and press the keyboard illumination key (keep it pressed), in my case F6.
3. Remove your other hand as well. Now you can stop pressing the illumination button, and your keyboard should be lit.

The computer will however not allow you to adjust the level of illumination or even turn it off... therefore you just have to cover the speakers again, so that there is a change in light level and remove them again... the backlight will then switch off.

Hope it helps...

 

[tdgrn]

I have a MacBook Pro, and I have found a manual, maybe rather unorthodox way of overriding the automatic keyboard illumination. Heres how it goes:

1. If you have a MacBook Pro, place your hands over both of the speakers, where the light sensors are located. Notice that the screen dims and the illumination turns on.
2. Quickly remove one of your hands [preferably the side where there is the least light] and press the keyboard illumination key (keep it pressed), in my case F6.
3. Remove your other hand as well. Now you can stop pressing the illumination button, and your keyboard should be lit.

The computer will however not allow you to adjust the level of illumination or even turn it off... therefore you just have to cover the speakers again, so that there is a change in light level and remove them again... the backlight will then switch off.

Hope it helps...

Depends on the MBP, if it is a unibody, then the light sensor is by the iSight camera, and your method wouldn't work...

 

[theLimit]

I have a MacBook Pro, and I have found a manual, maybe rather unorthodox way of overriding the automatic keyboard illumination. Heres how it goes:

1. If you have a MacBook Pro, place your hands over both of the speakers, where the light sensors are located. Notice that the screen dims and the illumination turns on.
2. Quickly remove one of your hands [preferably the side where there is the least light] and press the keyboard illumination key (keep it pressed), in my case F6.
3. Remove your other hand as well. Now you can stop pressing the illumination button, and your keyboard should be lit.

The computer will however not allow you to adjust the level of illumination or even turn it off... therefore you just have to cover the speakers again, so that there is a change in light level and remove them again... the backlight will then switch off.

Hope it helps...

Thanks for that tip! It works on my Early 2008 MBP. I do miss the option to turn off the light sensor that was available on my PowerBook.