qmk/qmk_firmware

[Feature Request] Ability to make keyboard LEDs light up when the `FLOW_TAP_TERM` has passed

Open

#25982 opened on Jan 30, 2026

View on GitHub
 (1 comment) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)C (20,368 stars) (43,867 forks)batch import
enhancementhelp wanted

Description

Feature Request Type

  • Core functionality
  • Add-on hardware support (eg. audio, RGB, OLED screen, etc.)
  • Alteration (enhancement/optimization) of existing feature(s)
  • New behavior

Description

I defined FLOW_TAP_TERM as 200, which makes it so that if I tapped a key 200 ms prior, any key press of a tap-hold key is treated as a tap. It would be very useful if there was a feature that allows you to light up the keyboard’s LEDs/RGB immediately when flow tap is no longer active, so that I know exactly when I can use tap-hold keys again. This would be especially useful when switching between fast typing and using keyboard shortcuts, for example in a text editor. I don’t know if this is currently possible by defining a function in keymap.c, but based on the tap-hold documentation I don’t think it is.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
c
Domain
backend
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
3-5 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
basic C programmingQMK firmware familiarityunderstanding of tap holdknowledge of QMK LED API
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Examine the QMK source code for tap hold logic, particularly in `quantum/action tapping.c` and `quantum/process keycode/process tap hold.c`. Determine where `FLOW TAP TERM` is evaluated. Investigate the existing LED/RGB API in `quantum/rgb matrix.c` and `quantum/led matrix.c` to understand how to trigger lighting changes. Propose a new configuration option or callback that toggles LED state when the tap term expires. Review the same issue thread for any maintainer comments or suggestions; currently only the author's request is visible.