Magic Keyboard backlight won’t come on

[boston04and07]

I got my new 11 inch M4 with a silver magic keyboard today, and so far everything is great except for the fact that the backlight on the keyboard isn’t working. In Control Center the slider to adjust the brightness is grayed out, and in the Hardware Keyboard settings, the slider is set all the way down and won‘t move when I click on it. I’ve attached a screenshot of that.

Does anyone know if there’s some setting I’m missing or if this is otherwise an easy fix, or should I just exchange it?

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

I’ve seen this before even with the last gen MKB. I don’t think it enables itself whenever there’s too much light (see the note below the slider).

When you took the screenshot was it in a well lit environment?

 

[boston04and07]

I’ve seen this before even with the last gen MKB. I don’t think it enables itself whenever there’s too much light (see the note below the slider).

When you took the screenshot was it in a well lit environment?

Yes, I should have mentioned that I was in a very dark room when this happened. I forgot about it for a while and now it seems to be working (even when I’m in a well lit room, lol), but if it happens again I’ll probably just try to exchange it. Thanks for the help!!

 

[papbot]

Yes, I should have mentioned that I was in a very dark room when this happened. I forgot about it for a while and now it seems to be working (even when I’m in a well lit room, lol), but if it happens again I’ll probably just try to exchange it. Thanks for the help!!

There have been a couple of similar issues in the previous versions, as well as this one with the backlit keys. Almost always detaching and reattaching the ipad from and to the MKB will restore those functions.

 

[Dopestar]

Yes, I should have mentioned that I was in a very dark room when this happened. I forgot about it for a while and now it seems to be working (even when I’m in a well lit room, lol), but if it happens again I’ll probably just try to exchange it. Thanks for the help!!

Same thing is happening to me. I even had to validate myself by going to the apple site to see the spec features of the new Magic Keyboard to ensure it stated backlight keys. I am in a dark room and the lights don’t turn on the keyboard. WTH?

 

[Dopestar]

There have been a couple of similar issues in the previous versions, as well as this one with the backlit keys. Almost always detaching and reattaching the ipad from and to the MKB will restore those functions.

I detached and reattached it like 5 times in a dark room and the lights don’t turn on.

 

[papbot]

I detached and reattached it like 5 times in a dark room and the lights don’t turn on.

I ran into an issue with mine yesterday when the backlighting would not turn off. I waited about 5 or more minutes and it stayed on the whole time. Detaching the iPP from the keyboard and putting it back took care of it. I had similar bugs happen with my previous 2020 MKB and ipad and detaching it always worked. However before I discovered that I was restarting the ipad which also fixed it. You might try a forced restart if detaching it or a simple restart doesn’t restore the backlighting. The fact that your keyboard brightness slider is greyed out suggests a software bug or perhaps a hardware issue in the connection between the iPP and keyboard. But I think you would notice other keyboard issues if that were the case. I would try that forced restart - volume button up, then volume down, then hold power button down until it goes black and Apple logo reappears.

Force restart iPad

If iPad isn’t responding, try forcing it to restart.

support.apple.com

 

[Hyr558]

Hello. If all else fails, try unplugging your iPad, removing it from the keyboard, and rebooting. Then let the iPad power up before returning it to the keyboard and / or plugging it in.

 

[xraydoc]

Reboot iPad. If it still doesn’t work, then exchange it.

 

[papbot]

Reboot iPad. If it still doesn’t work, then exchange it.

Neither have posted since May. And the original poster stated back in May that it was now working. I assume they got it sorted out back then.