We've waited years for a glowing Apple logo to return, now some want to turn it off again – here's Apple's advice on switching it off on your new MacBook Pro (and how to turn it back on again)
How to turn off the glowing Apple logo on the back of your new MacBook Pro
When Apple announced the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display, it wasn’t just the touch capability that made it exciting.
Admittedly, the touchscreen is a huge deal, since no previous MacBook has offered a touch display, despite PC laptops having had them for years. After all, Steve Jobs once said touch on a MacBook would be “ergonomically terrible”.
But the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display also brought back a feature many Mac fans have really missed over the last few years. When Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2016, it ditched the glowing Apple logo on the lid. Now the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display brings it back.
It works differently this time, though. As Apple notes in a support document, spotted by 9to5Mac: “The Apple logo behind the built-in display is illuminated whenever the Mac is awake. It automatically dims or brightens based on the brightness level of the built-in screen and the lighting conditions detected by the computer’s ambient light sensor.”
Basically, when the lid of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display is closed, the logo looks like polished metal, just like the MacBooks we have been used to for the last decade. And if you prefer that look permanently, even when the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display is awake and the illuminated logo is not for you, it’s possible to turn it off.
How to turn off Apple logo illumination on the new MacBook Pro
In the same support document, Apple also explains how to turn off the illumination. You’ll need to use Terminal, which you can find in the Utilities folder or by searching for it in Spotlight. You will then need to type or paste this code and press return:
sudo defaults write com.apple.CoreBrightness LEBacklightMode -int 0
You will need to enter your administrator password when prompted, then press Return again. After this, the logo illumination will turn off immediately. To turn it back on, enter this code in Terminal:
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sudo defaults delete com.apple.CoreBrightness LEBacklightMode
You can also reinstall macOS to turn the illumination back on.
We personally like the glow, but at least there's now an option if you don't.
Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer tech from phones, tablets and wearables to smart home and beauty tech, with everything in between. She has a fashion journalism degree from London College of Fashion and previously did a long stint as deputy editor of Pocket-lint, but you’ll now find her byline on several titles including GQ, the Express, the Mirror, TechRadar, Stuff and iMore. You'll never find her without her Apple Watch on, aiming to complete her rings so she can justify the extra bar of chocolate and she loves a good iPhone trick.
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