Fn key LED always on. It is very bright and distracting. How to turn the LED off?

[Mike86uk]

How do I turn off the LED on the Fn key of the laptop keyboard?

It's very annoying and distracting the way it's permanently on at all times, even when the keyboard backlighting is off. Surely the only solution can't be to stick tape over the key? I don't really want tape stuck on my keys, and I have the navy blue model so it probably will look silly too. Is there a way to stop the LED by physically dismantling the keyboard, such as by pulling the Fn key off and removing/blocking out the light under the key? But I don't really want to risk breaking my laptop keyboard either.

Is there not some way to just disable the bright Fn key LED in a setting?

[zoey7886]

@Mike86uk, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding LED issue! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

I understand your concern about the LED on the Fn key being distracting. However, altering or dismantling the physical components of your laptop may void your warranty or cause damage. Here are some alternative steps you can consider to address your issue:

Check Keyboard Settings: Some HP laptops provide the option to customize keyboard settings, including LED indicators. You can usually check this by going to the HP Support Assistant or keyboard settings in Windows.

BIOS Settings: Sometimes, Fn key behavior and LED settings can be configured within the BIOS. Access your BIOS settings during startup (usually by pressing the F10 or Esc key) and check for any related options.

HP Software: Ensure you have the latest drivers and software updates for your laptop through HP Support. Updated firmware might include enhanced control over keyboard backlighting and LED indicators.  

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Mike86uk]

Thank you for your reply. However, none of that helps at all.

Neither HP Support Assistant nor Windows 11 keyboard settings provide any options for configuring the Fn key LED indicator.

- BIOS: W75 Ver. 01.02.03-06/04/2025

- Keyboard revision: KBC Version 30.32.00

Afaik, these firmware I have are the up-to-date versions. I already have the latest drivers and latest HP software updates, so I can't try that suggestion.

(It is the F10 key to access the BIOS settings on this model.)

In the BIOS settings I do have a setting called "Launch Hotkeys without Fn Keypress" which has three options: "Auto" (default), "Enable", "Disable". This only changes the Fn key behaviour. It doesn't change anything to do with the Fn key LED.

- "Auto" enables the use of the Fn+LShift key combo to toggle FnLock on/off. If FnLock is on, the Fn key LED is on. If FnLock is off, the Fn key LED is off.

- "Enable" forces FnLock to be off.

- "Disable" forces FnLock to be on.

I want the F1-F12 function keys to perform F1-F12 function (not hotkey actions) without having to press the Fn key. On this laptop the hotkeys are the default action rather than the F1-F12 function. So FnLock has to be turned on for this. Therefore I have to set the BIOS setting to either "Auto" or "Disable".

Obviously, with "Auto" the Fn key LED turns on when I toggle FnLock on, as that's the whole purpose of this LED indicator. So I was hoping "Disable" might be the answer. However, with "Disable" the Fn key LED is permanently on. This seems silly as FnLock can't be toggled on/off in this mode, so what purpose is the LED indicator even serving in this situation? It's just an unhelpful distracting bright LED that is permanently on.

So none of that helped at all. There is no solution to my question other than to put tape over the key or risk voiding my warranty by removing the key?

My current idea is to simply remove the Fn key cap and swap it with one of the other key caps that is completely opaque. The Copilot key seems a strong candidate to swap places with the Fn key. It will be a shame having the wrong key caps on each key, but it will block the Fn LED entirely and seems less risky than trying to put anything between the LED and the underside of the key cap.

I'm not even sure if these keys are individually removable though. And I'm still concerned about voiding the warranty if I do this. So I'll wait to hear whether there really aren't any settings or software solutions to just turning off the LED first.