Uneven Keyboard Backlight on 2020 MacBook Pro – Anyone Found a Solution?

Question

Level 1

4 points

Uneven Keyboard Backlight on 2020 MacBook Pro – Anyone Found a Solution?

Hi everyone,

I have a 2020 MacBook Pro (Intel i5, 13-inch, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports), and I’ve been experiencing an issue with the keyboard backlight. On my device, some keys (Q, W, 1, 2, 3, P, =, -, M, ]) are noticeably brighter than others, which makes the lighting look uneven and a bit distracting in low-light environments.

I’ve checked the logic board connections and everything seems properly seated. There’s no visible physical damage, and the MacBook works perfectly otherwise. I also tried resetting the SMC, but that didn’t solve the issue.

After some research, I noticed a few other users had similar problems, but I haven’t found a clear explanation or fix yet. I’ve attached a photo, and also found a video from another user which illustrates the issue much more clearly than I could capture myself. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aeAtydOFUCQ

Has anyone else experienced this? Is this a hardware issue? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Posted on Mar 30, 2025 4:15 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Mar 30, 2025 7:21 AM in response to nagy211

There are no specifications suggesting that keyboard backlight will be even, tasteful, or aesthetically pleasing. Yours is brighter in the regions you pointed out because that is where the LEDs that provide the illumination are located.

The keyboard backlight exists so that you can hunt and peck type in the dark. It looks like yours is accomplishing that mission admirably.

You are welcome to contact Apple support or make an appointment at an Apple-owned store to have that backlight evaluated. I expect they will tell you what I already said above.

Reply

Answer 2

nagy211 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 30, 2025 10:36 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thank you very much for your reply!

I completely understand your point, and I appreciate you taking the time to explain it.

However, I would like to mention that the keyboard backlight on my MacBook did not look like this when I first purchased the device the illumination was much more uniform across all keys. Over time, the difference in brightness has become more noticeable.

In low-light conditions, if I don't use the backlight at maximum brightness, the keys in the middle section are barely lit compared to the outer ones.

Reply

Quick Links

Uneven Keyboard Backlight on 2020 MacBook Pro – Anyone Found a Solution?