This divides each standard bar into four smaller segments, giving you 64 levels of brightness instead of 16.

In the same menu, set up a schedule for Night Shift. It won't change the brightness, but it will shift the color temperature to warmer tones, making the screen much easier on the eyes at night.

Use a free app like Karabiner-Elements to remap any key on your third-party keyboard to act as a Mac brightness shortcut. The MacBook Pro Touch Bar

Adjusting your Mac's keyboard brightness can be done quickly using dedicated function keys, Control Center, or specific system settings. Depending on your Mac model, the "shortcuts" vary slightly.

Note that the availability of these shortcuts and settings may vary depending on your Mac model and operating system version.

And for the ultimate power move? You can set (or a custom shortcut in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Brightness) to toggle the backlight completely on/off . No more sliding.