A new Mac app called Backglow lets users customize the glowing Apple logo on the latest MacBook Pro, including adjusting its brightness, making it pulse to music, and turning it off completely. Developed by designer Juan Buis, the app adds controls that Apple currently does not offer through macOS System Settings.
Apple recently brought back the illuminated logo with its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring PROLED XDR displays. Unlike older MacBooks, which relied on display backlighting, the new models use a dedicated light source to illuminate the logo.
Backglow Adds Brightness Controls and Lighting Effects
According to the developer’s official website, Backglow runs from the macOS menu bar and allows users to control the logo’s brightness independently of their screen.
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The free version includes several customization options:
- Brightness Control: Manually adjust the logo’s brightness without affecting the display.
- Steady Mode: Keep the logo illuminated at a selected brightness level.
- Breathe Mode: Make the light gently fade in and out, similar to older MacBook sleep indicators.
- Turn Logo Off: Disable the illuminated logo with one click, without using Terminal.
The paid Backglow Pro version introduces two additional modes. Music mode synchronizes the logo’s brightness with audio playing on the Mac, while Agents mode connects to Claude Code and makes the logo pulse during coding tasks or blink when user attention is required.
Backglow Pro costs $9 for a limited introductory period before increasing to $15, with a one-time purchase required for each Mac.
Apple Offers Limited Control Over the Glowing Logo
According to Apple’s support documentation, the illuminated logo automatically adjusts its brightness based on the display brightness and surrounding lighting conditions.
Apple currently provides no dedicated brightness slider, although users can disable the glowing Apple logo using Terminal.
Backglow simplifies these adjustments and introduces additional lighting effects, although the logo uses a white LED and cannot display different colors.
The app supports only the new MacBook Pro models with PROLED XDR displays, which began shipping on November 6. Users can download Backglow for free from its official website.
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