The glowing Apple logo is back. Apple’s new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display lights up the logo on the lid again, the first MacBook Pro to do it in about 10 years.
Most people are excited about it. But if you use your laptop in a dark room, a lecture hall, or on a plane at night, a glowing logo pointed at everyone behind you isn’t always what you want. And Apple hasn’t mentioned a switch for it in System Settings.
Someone shared the command to turn it off in a group chat I’m in, so I figured I’d share it here. In this post, I’ll show you how to turn off the glowing Apple logo with one Terminal command, how to turn it back on, and how to check which way it’s set. Let’s get into it.
Terminal Command to Turn Off the Glowing Apple Logo
Since you’re likely here for the command, here it is. Open Terminal and run:
sudo defaults write com.apple.CoreBrightness LEBacklightMode -bool falseTerminal will ask for your Mac password since sudo runs the command as an administrator. Nothing shows up while you type it, which is normal. Press Return and you’re done.
If the logo doesn’t change right away, close and reopen the lid or restart your Mac.
How to Turn the Glowing Logo Back On
Changed your mind? Run the same command with true instead of false:
sudo defaults write com.apple.CoreBrightness LEBacklightMode -bool trueOr delete the setting entirely to put your Mac back to Apple’s default:
sudo defaults delete com.apple.CoreBrightness LEBacklightModeHow to Check if the Logo Is Turned Off
To see what it’s set to right now:
sudo defaults read com.apple.CoreBrightness LEBacklightModeYou’ll get 0 if the logo is off and 1 if it’s on. If you’ve never changed it, you’ll see an error saying the key doesn’t exist. That just means your Mac is using the default, which is on.
How it Works
defaults is the built-in macOS tool for reading and changing settings. This command flips a setting called LEBacklightMode in com.apple.CoreBrightness, which is the part of macOS that handles display features like Night Shift and True Tone.
The reason you need sudo is that CoreBrightness keeps its settings in the system’s root account instead of your own. So the change should apply to everyone who uses the Mac, not just you.
It only changes one preference, so it’s easy to undo with the commands above. Running it on an older Mac won’t hurt anything either. It just won’t do anything you can see.
Don’t Want to Use Terminal?
If you only want the logo less noticeable, you might not need the command at all. According to a hands-on video from UrAvgConsumer, the logo’s brightness follows your screen brightness. Turn your display down and the logo dims with it. It won’t turn the logo off, but it’s an easy fix at night.
Which MacBooks Have the Glowing Logo?
Only the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display (M5 Pro and M5 Max). They go on sale November 6, 2026 starting at $2,899.
Don’t confuse it with the cheaper 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 that Apple announced a day earlier for $1,999. Apple doesn’t list a glowing logo for that one.
Should You Turn It Off?
For most people, probably not. People missed the glowing logo for a decade, and it’s one of the more fun things Apple has brought back in a while.
But it’s nice to have the option. If you work somewhere dark or just don’t want your laptop drawing attention, one command turns it off, and swapping false for true brings it right back. If Apple adds a real toggle in a future macOS update, I’ll update this post. And if you spend a lot of time in Terminal, here are the Claude Code commands I actually use.
Hope this helps someone out there!