OpenDMG
NightKeys icon

NightKeys for Mac

Keeps the keyboard backlight on only while typing on the built-in keyboard.

By fratayaydn. Free and open source, MIT licence.

Get it with OpenDMG View source on GitHub

NightKeys at a glance

Version
1.0.3
Released
27 October 2026
Download size
2.2 MB
Works on
Apple silicon and Intel
Licence
MIT
Category
System Tools
Developer
fratayaydn
GitHub stars
5

About NightKeys

Turns the MacBook keyboard backlight on only when you type on the built-in keyboard. Trackpad, mice and external keyboards no longer wake it.

Screenshots

NightKeys screenshot 1

How to install NightKeys on a Mac

  1. Get OpenDMG. It is a free app store for open source Mac apps. Download OpenDMG.
  2. Search for NightKeys and press Get. OpenDMG downloads version 1.0.3 from fratayaydn's own GitHub release.
  3. Open it. The download is checked against its SHA-256 fingerprint and its signature is checked on your Mac before it lands in Applications.

Updates to NightKeys show up in OpenDMG and install with one button. No account is needed.

Prefer to do it by hand? The developer's file is on GitHub: NightKeys-1.0.3.dmg (2.2 MB).

What is new in NightKeys 1.0.3

- The light now keeps the level you set. Changes you make with the brightness keys, Control Center, System Settings or the NightKeys window are kept
- Brightness changes macOS makes by itself around sleep, wake or screen lock are undone, so the light no longer stays off after the Mac sleeps
- Moving the Brightness slider in NightKeys shows the level on the keyboard again

Download `NightKeys-1.0.3.dmg` below, or let the app update itself.

sha256: `e4d1c73b6377ba656e871c91e91392bce6c2d9862eea940fc4b01c6b275e9a50`

More System Tools apps

All System Tools apps