Have you ever been in a situation when your Apple pencil just stops working or loses accuracy? Has your Apple pencil stopped connecting to your iPad or iPhone? Has the rubber tip fallen off or been lost? You follow the troubleshooting steps and then find that there is no obvious solution to the problem. If your Apple Pencil isn’t working, this article is for you.
Apple is an innovative company that prides itself on making products that work. The Apple Pencil is Apple’s highest-quality stylus — it’s pressure-sensitive, it has a magnetic connection to the iPad Pro, and it supports palm rejection. Apple Pencil is one of the best drawing and writing devices on the market today. It is incredibly precise and responsive, and you can use it with a wide range of apps to create professional-looking artwork and designs.
However, the Apple Pencil is also notoriously finicky. It has a tendency to get stuck, or refuse to connect with your iPad or iPhone. And sometimes it just stops working altogether, leaving you frustrated and wondering what went wrong.
Despite the high quality of their products, there are moments when Apple products stop working or responding. The Apple Pencil (1st and 2nd generation) is not only pricey but it is one of the best styluses on the market. That’s why it can get worrisome when this accessory develops an issue.
If your Apple Pencil disappears from the Notification Center’s battery menu, refuses to turn on, or stops responding in apps, we have given you a guide on how to fix it. The good news is that most problems with Apple Pencil can be fixed quickly and easily.
Hopefully, if you find our advice useful, you can use the simple tips and fixes we recommended to troubleshoot your Apple Pencil and get it working again.
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5 Ways To Fix An Apple Pencil That Is Not Working
The Apple Pencil is a great tool for artists, but sometimes it can go wrong. If your Apple Pencil isn’t working or you find that it’s not charging correctly, there are a few things you can do to fix the issue.
1. Recharge your Apple Pencil
Before you begin troubleshooting, make sure that your iPhone or iPad is fully charged. If one of these devices is running low on battery power, it may not be able to communicate with the Apple Pencil.
Therefore, the best way to start is by checking the charge of your Apple Pencil. If it’s not charged, the device won’t work at all until it’s plugged in. So, if your device isn’t working, check the charging port on the bottom of the pencil for any debris or dirt that may be preventing a proper connection.
Then make sure that your charging cable is securely connected to both ends and try charging again. Check the battery and ensure that your Apple Pencil has enough battery. If it doesn’t, charge it. It sounds too hard to believe but if your Apple Pencil isn’t working, the batteries may be dead and it might just need to be charged.
Now, check whether your charger is working properly. You might have an old charger that’s not working anymore, so try using a different one instead. If you have multiple chargers and none of them charge your Apple Pencil, then it’s time to get a new one or take it in for service at an Apple Store or authorized repair shop.
To check the level or state of your Apple Pencil’s battery, pull down Notification Center and search for your Apple Pencil under ‘Batteries’.
If you haven’t used your Apple Pencil in a while or you have completely run out of battery, it could take up to 20 minutes for your stylus pen to properly charge and show in the Notification Center. If you did not see your stylus after twenty minutes, don’t fret; just give it more time to get charged.
If after charging your Apple Pencil for more than 1 hour and it fails to appear in the Notification Center, try charging it with a different iPad or charging source. If that doesn’t work, then consider trying out other possible solutions, or check out our next steps below for more help.
2. Tighten the nib
The nib of the Apple Pencil usually comes off. This is because over the course of time, it tends to wear down and you will have to swap in the replacement in the box. Moreover, this means that it could come loose and you will need to tighten it properly to get it working again.
Don’t worry about this, it doesn’t require much effort, so at no point in time should you exert too much pressure. All you have to do is to ensure that it is on and properly tightened.
3. Reboot the device
Most times, the issue may not be from the stylus itself but from the iPad. In that case, you can try rebooting the iPad to get it up and running again. Now, it’s time to check the Bluetooth settings to know if the stylus is connected. Reconnect it if it is not connected.
4. Reset and Re-pair your Apple Pencil to your iPad
Another way to fix your Apple Pencil is to re-pair it with your iPad. Unpair the Apple Pencil and re-pair it to your iPad to shake off any issue.
If the Apple Pencil fails to respond after a charge, reset the connection to your iPad and pair it again. An Apple Pencil will never work on an iPad that it is not properly paired with. Therefore, it is pertinent to ensure that both the iPad and the Apple Pencil are compatible with each other.
Below are the steps involved in this process:
Firstly, ensure that your Bluetooth is turned on. Otherwise, your Apple Pencil will not connect to your iPad.
- Step 1: Unpair the Apple Pencil from your iPad. Go to your iPad’s Settings app and tap Bluetooth in the left sidebar.
- Step 2: Go to My Devices and check for your Apple Pencil. If you see your stylus, click the ‘i’ icon to the right of its name. Start the pairing process if you can’t find your stylus.
- Step 3: Tap on ‘Forget This Device’.
At this point, it is time to pair the Apple Pencil to your iPad again. Here’s what you need to do:
- To pair a 1st Generation Apple Pencil, you must plug the stylus into the charging port of your iPad. Then tap ‘Pair’ when it shows up on the screen.
- If you want to connect a 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, latch it onto the magnetic connector on the side of your iPad. Now tap ‘Pair’ when it shows up on the screen.
If you were able to pair the stylus successfully, you should be able to use it on your iPad. Remember we mentioned that it is pertinent for you to ensure that your stylus and iPad are compatible with each other. This is because not all Apple Pencils work with all iPad models. Therefore, you need to ensure that they are both compatible, otherwise, they will not work together.
The Apple Pencil (1st Generation) works with the following iPads:
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generations, released in 2015 and 2017 respectively).
- iPad Pro 9.7-inch (released in 2016).
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch (released in 2017).
- iPad (6th generation, released in 2018).
- iPad (7th generation, released in 2019).
- iPad Air (3rd generation, released in 2019).
- iPad mini (5th generation, released in 2019).
- iPad (8th generation, released in 2020).
The Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) works with the following iPads:
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations; released in 2018, 2020, and 2021 respectively).
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, and 5th generations; released in 2018, 2020, and 2021 respectively).
- iPad Air (4th generation, released in 2020).
If you are unsure which iPad you have, check this guide to know your iPad’s model number.
5. Update your software
If your Apple stops working for no reason at all, then it means your device may be running an older version. One of the things you can do to fix it is to check for software updates. So, always make sure that you have the latest iOS version by going to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPad.
If there’s a problem with your stylus, you will see an update available. After you’ve updated the device software, try using the Apple Pencil again to see if it is working. If it doesn’t work, try unplugging it and reconnecting it to your device. Also, you will also need to be sure that no other Bluetooth device such as an earbud or wireless speaker isn’t connected to the same Wi-FI network as your iPad.
If this method doesn’t work for you, then the next method becomes the last option for you.
6. Contact Apple
If everything else fails, then there might be an issue with your stylus’s internet hardware. Something must have happened to make it defective and unresponsive. At this juncture, you should seek professional help and take the stylus to an expert for further troubleshooting. We recommend you take your stylus to an Apple Store to help you solve the problem.
Conclusion
If your Apple pencil is not charging, or won’t keep a charge, we are here to help. There are a few things you can try to fix it. As long as your pencil hasn’t suffered any physical damage, we think you can achieve a fix with just these steps. The steps in this article will help you diagnose and fix the issue.
