Changelog & Known Issues

At some sub-minimum brightness levels (particularly levels 3–10), you may notice subtle brightness fluctuation or gentle pulsing. This is an inherent characteristic of how Midnight Keyboard achieves sub-minimum brightness.

Why it happens: macOS does not provide an API to set the keyboard backlight below its built-in minimum. Midnight Keyboard works by precisely controlling hardware fade transitions to hold the backlight at brightness levels Apple never intended to expose. Maintaining a steady hold at these levels requires a technique that can produce minor visible oscillation.

We've already made the oscillation subtle at most levels, and we're actively working on stabilizing all brightness levels for future releases. Levels 1–2 are fully stable today.

When switching between sub-minimum brightness levels, you may see a brief flash as the backlight resets before transitioning to the new level. This is a necessary step in the transition process and typically lasts less than half a second.

If your Mac has ambient light auto-brightness enabled, it may interfere with Midnight Keyboard's sub-minimum hold. The app disables keyboard auto-brightness while active, but external brightness changes (such as pressing F5/F6 or other apps adjusting brightness) can interrupt the hold and require the level to be re-applied.