How to turn on Dell backlit keyboard

If you often work into the late hours or in dimly lit environments, a backlit keyboard can help you see the keys clearly without straining your eyes, making it easier to stay productive even in low light. Whether you’re unsure if your Dell® laptop has a backlit keyboard or want to learn how to turn it on, we’re here to help.

At Asurion, we make it our business to be experts on tech, so you don’t have to be. Here’s our guide on how to turn on the backlit keyboard on a Dell laptop.

Checking for backlit keyboard support

Not every Dell laptop has a backlit keyboard, so checking whether yours does is the first step.

Check your function keys or the spacebar on your keyboard—If you see an icon resembling a glowing keyboard, your laptop likely supports a backlit keyboard.

You can also refer to your Dell laptop’s user manual or visit the Dell Support page. Enter your laptop model to find the specifications.

Turning on the backlit keyboard

Once you’ve confirmed that your Dell laptop supports a backlit keyboard, you can turn it on. There are several ways to do this, depending on your laptop model.

Using keyboard shortcuts

• Press the function key. Press your Dell model’s corresponding Backlight key (commonly found on either the F5, F6, F7, or F10 keys) to turn on the backlit keyboard. Look for a key with an icon resembling a glowing keyboard.
• Adjust your brightness level. If your laptop has multiple brightness levels, hold down the Fn key while pressing the Backlight key to cycle through the different brightness levels.

Accessing keyboard settings

If the keyboard shortcuts don’t work, you may need to adjust your backlit keyboard settings through the system.

1. Type "support assist" or "peripheral manager" into the Windows search bar.
2. Go to the section labeled Keyboard or Lighting and change the settings there.

Turning the backlight on in BIOS

If your laptop has the correct keyboard light buttons but they still don't function properly, the keyboard backlight may be turned off in the basic input/output system (BIOS) settings and may need to be turned back on.

1. With the computer turned off, press the Power button.
2. Immediately begin pressing the F2 key repeatedly. If the computer boots into Windows, shut it down and try again.
3. Once you enter the BIOS, select Keyboard.
4. In the Keyboard Illumination section, select your desired options (including turning the backlight on and adjusting its duration).
5. Click Apply Changes, and then select Exit.

Customizing backlit keyboard

Some Dell laptop models can cycle through different colors and brightness levels. To change the keyboard backlight color, press the Fn + C keys to cycle through the default options: white, red, green, and blue. You can also add up to two custom colors in the System Setup section of BIOS with these instructions:

1. With the computer turned off, press the Power button.
2. Immediately begin pressing the F2 key repeatedly to bring up the BIOS menu.
3. Open the System Configuration menu.
4. Select RGB Keyboard Backlight. You can enable or disable the standard colors: white, red, green, and blue. To set a custom RGB value, use the input boxes on the right side of the screen.
5. Click Apply Changes, and then select Exit.