Apple Working on iPadOS Shortcuts for Changing iPad Keyboard Brightness

Apple appears to be working on keyboard shortcuts that will allow users who have a Magic Keyboard or other attached keyboard with key brightness settings to adjust the brightness level.

ipadpromagickeyboardtrackpad
Signs of Apple's work on the shortcuts were found in iOS 13.5.5 code by 9to5Mac. The site says the beta has references to keyboard shortcuts that replace some function keys.

We've found evidence in code that suggests the existence of new keyboard shortcuts to change the brightness of the iPad screen or even the backlight of the keyboard. However, we haven't been able to activate these shortcuts yet, and it's unclear if these will be customizable.

One of the negatives of the Magic Keyboard designed for the iPad Pro is that there's no quick way to change the brightness of the backlit keys because the keyboard lacks a function row in an effort to keep it compact.

iPadOS offers an option to remap modifier keys to do things like allow the Caps Lock button to serve as an Escape key, and 9to5Mac suggests that the brightness function keys will be adjustable similar to modifier keys, but with shortcut combinations.

iPad keyboards not designed by Apple that do feature function row keys typically have built-in brightness controls for backlighting, but this would be a welcome change for those that do not such as the Magic Keyboard.

Related Forum: iOS 13

Top Rated Comments

xxray Avatar
50 months ago
They should make the entire numbers key row an alternative function key row paired with another key, like function or option.

Ex: option + 1 = lower brightness
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bluespark Avatar
50 months ago
What would be great would be a bar above the keyboard that you could touch for different functions.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hipnetic Avatar
50 months ago
How about a key combo (like ALT-Globe) that brings up a touchbar-like bar at the bottom of the iPad screen, where it will be easy to reach and adjust several different things?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rp2011 Avatar
50 months ago

How about a key combo (like ALT-Globe) that brings up a touchbar-like bar at the bottom of the iPad screen, where it will be easy to reach and adjust several different things?
Great idea. Or just add it to control center
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rp2011 Avatar
50 months ago
I have never once missed not having the function keys. It’s pretty easy to change any setting as it is.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PlayUltimate Avatar
50 months ago

They should make the entire numbers key row an alternative function key row paired with another key, like function or option.

Ex: option + 1 = lower brightness
Seems silly that they hadn't. IMO, massive oversight.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...