Full-keyboard experience The ultra-slim Surface Go Signature Type Cover boasts a full-mechanical keyset, backlit keys, optimum spacing for fast, fluid typing, and an extra-large glass trackpad for precise control and navigation. Full-keyboard experience The ultra-slim Surface Go Signature Type Cover boasts a full-mechanical keyset, backlit keys, optimum spacing for fast, fluid typing, and an.
When it comes to saving battery, one of the things that you can do that is effective is to turn off the keyboard backlight of your Surface device. Note that other mobile devices will benefit from this as well, but that they may or may not support functionality to turn off the lighting of the keyboard.
The Surface Pro ships with a sensor built-in that will activate the light on the keyboard to highlight the keys better. This is a useful feature as it helps you identify the keys on the keyboard which may be an issue in low-light environments.
This is not much of an issue if the Surface device is connected to a power outlet, but if it runs on battery, you will notice that the lighting makes the battery drain faster.
The guys over on Linus Tech Tips ran battery saving tests recently which concluded that turning off the keyboard backlight extends battery use before you need to recharge by about 16%.
Other beneficial battery saving tweaks included:
- Removing mouse and keyboard peripherals (20%-30% longer battery life on a single charge)
- Turning down the brightness of the display to 50% (16% longer battery life, turning it further own is less efficient).
Turn off the Surface Keyboard backlight
The Surface keyboard backlight turns on and off automatically using the built-in sensor. You have controls however to toggle the backlight manually as well, but it may not be available on older versions of the Surface keyboard.
The first two keys next to the Esc-key on the keyboard above, those with the function keys F1 and F2, control the keyboard backlight on the Surface device. If you just tap on the keys however, you will notice that nothing happens. Or, to be more precise, that you press F1 or F2, and don’t toggle the keyboard lighting functionality.
You need to hold down on the Alt-key to access the special keys of the Surface keyboard. So, this is how you turn the backlight of the keyboard on or off:
- Increase the keyboard backlight on with Alt-F2
- Decrease the keyboard backlight off with Alt-F1
Activating the special keys increases or decreases the keyboard backlight on the Surface keyboard. You may need to activate the key multiple times to turn it off completely, to make it less bright, or brighter.
Is The Surface Go Keyboard Backlit
Verdict
If you need to squeeze the maximum battery duration out of your Surface device, you need to consider turning off the backlight keyboard of the Surface. While that may not be an option at all times, for instance in dark environments that make keys hard to identify, it is usually possible to at least turn the brightness of the lights down.
Now You: Do you have other power saving tips for mobile computers?
About Martin Brinkmann
Surface Laptop Go Backlit Keyboard
Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand.You can follow Martin on Facebook, Twitter or Google+
Best answer: The Surface Laptop Go does not have a backlit keyboard. However, it's still great — and the Surface Laptop 3 13.5 is a strong backlit alternative if you need it.
- Compact and affordable: Surface Laptop Go (From $550 at Microsoft)
- Stronger and backlit: Surface Laptop 3 13.5 (From $1,000 at Microsoft)
Why the Surface Laptop Go is still worth getting
The lack of a backlit keyboard on the Surface Laptop Go is disappointing for people who like to work in the dark but don't let that downside sway you away from considering the device. Armed with a 10th Gen Intel i5-1035G1 processor, competent Intel UHD Graphics, and up to 8GB of memory, the Surface Laptop Go is quite capable considering its low price and footprint. The 12.4-inch 1536 x 1024 display looks pretty good too, which is always great to see (ha) on a laptop. The resolution is a bit low, but for day-to-day use, it's perfectly fine. You can get up to 256GB of storage, too, and the laptop also supports Wi-Fi 6, which is the new Wi-Fi standard that boosts network speed and stability.
In terms of physical design, the Surface Laptop Go is awesome. With dimensions of 10.95 x 8.10 x 0.62 inches and a weight of 2.45 lbs, it's the lightest and smallest Surface Laptop device out there, making it perfect for travel. It also comes with a USB-A, USB-C, 3.5mm, and Surface Connect port for excellent peripheral support. While unfortunately not backlit, the keyboard is very comfortable to use, and it even comes with a nifty fingerprint reader. Overall, the Surface Laptop Go is easily one of the best Surface PCs.
Surface Go 2 Keyboard Backlight
The little guy
Surface Laptop Go
© Provided by Windows CentralSize doesn't tell the full story
Despite its small size and cost, the Surface Laptop Go packs quite a punch. The lack of a backlit keyboard is unfortunate, but it's not a huge issue by any means.
If backlighting is important
© Provided by Windows CentralIf you need a backlit keyboard, we recommend checking out the Surface Laptop 3 13.5, which is a larger, more capable, and more expensive Surface Laptop. With its more impressive 10th Gen Intel i5-1035G7 / i7-1065G7 CPU options, larger and higher resolution 13.5-inch display, and higher maximum RAM of 16GB, the Surface Laptop 3 is positioned as more of a traditional laptop rather than a compact and 'fun-sized' one like the Surface Laptop Go is. That being said, it's not difficult to take around with you, and the keyboard is backlit impressively, making the Surface Laptop 3 an excellent alternative to the Surface Laptop Go if you need a device with a backlit keyboard.
Backlit alternative
Surface Laptop 3 13.5
© Provided by Windows CentralSurface Pro Keyboard Backlight Settings
The next step up
The Surface Laptop 3 13.5 is a larger, more capable, and more expensive Surface Laptop compared to the Surface Laptop Go. It also features a backlit keyboard, ideal for people who work at night or in the dark.