One of the many features of laptops is their keyboard illumination. It allows us to see the letters that we are pressing if we are using the laptop in a dark place. Some offer white illumination while others have an RGB option which attracts people due to its clean look.
Every keyboard has its own function key on how to turn on and off the keyboard’s backlist. As for Dell laptops, it is usually the FN key plus F6, F10, or arrow keys. If doesn’t work, you have to find the backlit key for your keyboard in order for you to control it.
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Does my laptop have a backlist keyboard?
Not all dell laptops offer a backlit keyboard, so for you to check if you have one, search the function key for the backlit logo which looks like this.
Some backlit icons can be found on one of the arrow keys on some Dell laptops. If your keyboard does not have a dedicated lighted key, there is a good probability that your Dell laptop does not have one.
If your laptop’s keyboard does not illuminate despite having a dedicated keyboard backlit key, it’s possible that the BIOS has deactivated the keyboard illumination settings.
Turning on the Keyboard light on Dell Laptops
Almost all laptops have dedicated keys for turning on their keyboard illumination. As for Dell laptops, there are a few ways how to turn them on so let’s start with the easiest way.
The Backlight Key
The simplest of them all is by enabling the backlight via the backlight key on your keyboard.
1. Find the Backlit icon on your keyboard
2. Press the key once to enable
3. Keep pressing it to adjust the backlit brightness to your desire.
Alienware Command Center
Aside from the backlit key, some Dell laptops also support Alienware Command Center which allows users to control and gain access to several system configurations. You can find here the control for CPU and GPU Temp, your voltage, and your memory speed.
You can also control your backlit on this software. Alienware Command Center often comes pre-installed on Dell’s gaming laptops. However, not all of them support this software.
1. Press the Windows key and select All apps.
2. Search and open the Alienware Command Center
3. Click on AlienFX to view your keyboard layout.
4. Select the area of the keyboard
5. On the left panel, find your preferred color of backlit that you think suits your laptop.
6. If you want to turn off the keyboard backlight, you need to select the color black.
Since some Dell laptops don’t come with a pre-installed Alienware Command Center. If this is the case, you have to download the app from the official website, and here is how to do it.
1. Go to their Official Dell Support Page
2. Under Search Support, enter your laptop’s model.
3. Go to the Drivers & Downloads page.
4. Under the Keyboard tab, type in Alienware Command Center.
5. The website should give you a download link to download Alienware Command Center for your Dell laptop. Click on Download.
If the Alienware Command Center doesn’t show up it means that your Dell laptop is incompatible with the software.
Enabling the Backlit from BIOS
Additionally, Dell laptops have a specific BIOS setting that lets users control the brightness of the keyboard lighting and also set a timeout period. Quick side note, some settings, and features won’t be visible in your BIOS unless your BIOS is up-to-date. So make sure that you update your BIOS first.
1. Turn on your laptop and repeatedly press your designated BIOS key to enter the BIOS.
2. Expand the System configuration on the left panel and search for the keyboard illumination.
3. If it’s disabled, it means that the keyboard backlight will turn off, Dim sets it to 50% brightness, and bright sets it to a full 100% brightness.
4. Click on Apply Changes and Save and Exit from BIOS.
Keeping the Keyboard Lights Permanently On
On most laptops, by default keyboard backlit will automatically turn off after being inactive. By configuring some of your settings in the BIOS you can set the timeout period for your backlit keyboard. You can even set it to permanent if you don’t want it to turn off, however, it will consume more battery since the timeout period was designed to conserve battery life.
1. Turn on your laptop and repeatedly press your designated BIOS key to enter the BIOS.
2. On the left panel, click on System Configuration and select Keyboard Backlight with AC.
3. Now on the right panel, enable Keyboard Backlight with AC.
4. Check Keyboard Backlight Timeout on Battery. This allows you to set the timeout period for your keyboard when on the battery.
5. Click on Apply Changes.
6. Save and Exit from BIOS and see if your backlight it permanently turned on.
