Glow, pulse, or rest.
One switch, one slider. Softer in a dark room. Keeps glowing with the lid closed.
For MacBook Pro XDR
Your lid, lit.
A quiet glow while you work. A blink when Claude is done.
Lidlit
GLOW
Flash
Schedule
Try it. Tap a mode or drag the slider.
Know at a glance.
Claude, ChatGPT, email and chat. Each gets its own rhythm.
Or say it in Morse.
Type a message. The lid spells it out.
Questions
What is Lidlit?
A free menu bar app for macOS that controls the glowing Apple logo on the lid of a MacBook Pro XDR. It can glow steadily, pulse, follow your screen, blink when Claude, ChatGPT, email or chat needs you, and spell messages in Morse code.
How do I turn off the glowing Apple logo on my MacBook Pro?
Install Lidlit and flip the switch at the top of its menu. The logo stays dark, with the lid open or closed. Reset hands the light back to macOS, which ties it to the screen brightness.
Can I keep the Apple logo lit, or make it brighter?
Yes. Glow keeps it lit at the brightness you pick, independent of the screen, up to full brightness. It can keep glowing with the lid closed, and you can still adjust it there.
How much CPU does it use?
None you can measure: 0.0 % at rest. While pulsing, macOS does the fading itself (about 2 % in its own brightness service).
Does it drain the battery?
Lidlit itself barely does anything. The light uses a little power, like any LED, and less at lower brightness. Turn it off any time.
Does it work with the lid closed?
Yes. With the lid closed, the laptop button on the lid preview keeps it glowing, and the slider, Pulse and alerts all still work there. Alerts can also flash on their own while the rest stays dark.
Which Macs?
MacBook Pro XDR with a lit logo, macOS 14 or later.
Can it change color?
No. The logo has a single white light, so signals use rhythm instead.
Does it read my email or messages?
No. It only sees the unread count on an app's Dock icon, and only for apps you turn on. None of it leaves your Mac.
Can I undo it?
Yes. Reset hands the light back to macOS, and quitting leaves it as it is.
Is it on the Mac App Store?
No. The App Store doesn't allow apps that drive the logo light, so Lidlit is a direct download from this site, or with Homebrew: brew install --cask lafsen/tap/lidlit.
Is it free?
Yes, and it stays free. If you'd like to chip in anyway, you can donate.
Is it safe to install?
Yes. Lidlit is signed with an Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it opens like any other Mac app. The only thing it ever contacts is lidlit.app, about once a day, to see if there is a new version (sending only its version number). You can switch that off in Settings.
