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Does your Apple Pencil not work with your iPad, or does it randomly stop working while you’re using it? Since it uses a wireless connection and has its own battery, this could be caused by a number of things. But don’t worry—unless the hardware isn’t compatible, most disconnections and pairing problems with Apple Pencil can be fixed in just a few minutes. Apple Pencil is an add-on for the iPad that millions of people use to draw, write, take notes, sketch, and do other things. Most of the time, it works well with iPads, just like how almost all Apple accessories work with other devices in the Apple ecosystem.
But because of its wireless connection, internal battery, rare quirks, and some hardware limitations, users sometimes can’t pair the Apple Pencil with their iPads, or the connection between the Apple Pencil and iPad drops randomly, making it almost impossible to use. No matter what kind of problem you’re having with your Apple Pencil, we’re here to help you fix it. We mentioned below are the ways to fix Apple Pencil not connecting or pairing.
Ways to fix Apple Pencil not connecting or pairing
Check Bluetooth
Does your iPad have Bluetooth? It’s pretty easy to turn it off by accident. To check, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen. This will bring up the Control Center. Tap the Bluetooth icon if it looks like it’s not working. Then, here’s how to pair your Apple Pencil:
- 1st generation Apple Pencil – Remove the cap and insert it into the Lightning port on the iPad.
- 2nd generation Apple Pencil – Insert it into the magnetic connector on the right side of the iPad.
Check compatibility
First, let’s make sure there aren’t any problems with how well things work together. At the time of writing, the second-generation Apple Pencils only work with the following iPad models:
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)
At the time of writing, the first-generation Apple Pencils only work with the following iPad models:
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation)
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
- iPad Pro 9.7-inch
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
- iPad (7th generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
Charge Apple Pencil
There might not be any power left in your Apple Pencil. Try connecting it to your iPad for at least ten to fifteen minutes. Once it has charged enough, it should automatically connect.
If you’ve already paired your Apple Pencil, you can use the Today View’s Battery widget to see how much power it has left. Or, go to Settings and click on Apple Pencil.
Enable Scribble
iPadOS 14 comes with a feature called “Scribble” for the Apple Pencil that lets you write in any app’s text field. Then, Scribble will turn your handwriting into typed text on its own.
If you can’t use Scribble but can use the Apple Pencil elsewhere (for example, to navigate or in the Notes app), it’s likely that you have disabled the feature. Go to Settings > Apple Pencil to see if that’s the case. Then, flip the switch by Scribble.
Paired your Apple Pencil
Have you ever connected the Apple Pencil to your iPad? If you can’t pair it again or if it doesn’t work after you’ve connected it, try taking it off and pairing it again.
- Go to “Settings” > “Bluetooth” and tap the “Info” icon next to the Apple Pencil.
- Tap “Forget this device“.
- Plug or attach the Apple Pencil to the iPad and pair it; if the connection to the iPad is successful, you should see a notification for the Apple Pencil at the top of the screen.
About Apple Pencil
On September 9, 2015, the first iPad Pro and the first Apple Pencil were both announced. It uses Bluetooth to talk wirelessly, and the cap can be taken off to reveal a Lightning connector for charging. The Pencil works with the first and second-generation iPad Pro models, as well as all iPads released in 2018 or later with a Lightning port and the tenth-generation iPad.
The third-generation iPad Pro and the second-generation Apple Pencil were both announced on October 30, 2018. Instead of a Lightning connector, it has a magnetic connector on the side of the tablet for charging. It also has touch-sensitive areas that can be used to do things in apps that support it. It works with all iPads with a USB-C cable except for the iPad from the tenth generation.
The Apple Pencil is a stylus made by Apple that works with iPads made by Apple. It’s called a “Apple Pencil” because it looks like a regular pencil, but has a design that’s very Apple-like. There’s a small, replaceable plastic tip that connects to the iPad’s screen, a pencil-shaped body to hold on to, and a way to charge it. The first Apple Pencil had a Lightning connector, but the second-generation model charges through the iPad Pro using inductive charging.
The Apple Pencil can be used instead of a finger for precise tasks like writing and sketching, and it can also be used to move through the operating system. It’s great for drawing, making art, taking notes, and other similar tasks because it’s accurate, has palm rejection, and is sensitive to pressure and tilt. In a nutshell, the Apple Pencil is meant to work like a regular pencil, but instead of writing on paper, you write on the iPad’s screen. You can put your hand right on the iPad while you’re writing, which is something that other styluses couldn’t do for a long time.
Final Words
That’s it with our article on how to fix Apple Pencil not connecting or pairing. The first iPad Pro came with the Apple Pencil. Today, there are two different models of the Apple Pencil, called Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil 2, and every iPad, even the best ones on the market, can use one of them. So, the Apple Pencil has become a tool that many iPad users love to use, whether they want to draw, sketch, take notes, or tap on the screen more precisely. People don’t have the only feelings. Apple Pencil not connecting to iPad is an example of a situation in which the Pencil seems to be in a bad mood. No matter how hard you try, your Apple Pencil won’t connect to iPad, or if it does connect, it keeps breaking off.