How to Check and Fix Apple Pencil Not Working Issue

Since Apple releases the Pencil, more and more iPad users purchase their new iPad with Apple Pencil together. We know that this stylus is useful and much better than other alternatives, but alas, there are times the Apple Pencil not working.

Why is my Apple Pencil not working and how to fix it becomes an often asked question. Now, we will talk about all the solutions and tips about how to resolve my Apple Pencil is not working problem.

Before You Start to Fix Apple Pencil Not working Issue

The first thing you need to do is check if there are software problems, like compatibility, power, and others.

1. Check If Your Apple Pencil Support Your iPad

Check your Apple Pencil compatibility is important as there are two models: 1st generation and 2nd generation. Here, we list the details about the two models:

The Apple Pencil (2nd generation) supports these iPad models:

• iPad mini (6th generation)
• iPad Air (4th generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) and later
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation) and later

The Apple Pencil (1st generation) supports these iPad models:

• iPad (9th generation)
• iPad (8th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad (7th generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad Air (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st or 2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 10.5-inch
• iPad Pro 9.7-inch

2. Check If Your Apple Pencil Needs Charging

It seems a little silly, but many people forget to check if there is still enough battery with their Apple Pencil.

For the Apple Pencil (2nd generation), you just need to attach it to the magnetic connector on the long side of your iPad, the Apple pencil will start to charge quickly. Usually, it will be charged to 100% in one hour.

For the Apple Pencil (1st generation), you need to plug your Apple Pencil into the Lightning connector on your iPad. besides, you can also use the Apple Pencil Charging Adapter and USB Power Adapter to charge the Pencil.

3. Check If There are Pencil Tip Problems

Two main problems may occur with your Apple Pencil, if you find that your Apple Pencil’s tip is loose, then you need to tighten it up to make it back to the previous status.

However, if you feel that it is difficult to touch and cannot work smoothly, it may be time to replace a new one. You can purchase the new Apple Pencil tip from Apple’s official site or other third-party Shopping platforms, like Amazon.

How to Fix Apple Pencil Connected But Not Working

There may be many different reasons when your Apple Pencil connected but not working, fixing it is not difficult, you can check the solutions we have listed below one by one. And try them until the issue is fixed.

1. Restart Your iPad, Then Try to Pair It Again

If your iPad shows that the Apple Penciled is connected but not working, there may be minor bugs, you need to restart your iPad to fix the issue.

• For the iPad that doesn’t have a Home button, you need to press the top button and either volume button together until you see the power off slider.
• For the iPad that has the Home button, you just need to press the top button to get the “slide to power off” message.

2. Turn Off and Then Turn On Bluetooth

The second solution to fix Apple Pencil 2 not working is to turn off and then turn off the Bluetooth on your iPad as the Apple Pencil is connected to the iPad via Bluetooth.

You can go to Settings > Bluetooth, then click on the toggle to turn off Bluetooth, then click on it again to enable Bluetooth. Now, try to use your Apple Pencil to check if you can use it normally.

3. Forget Your Apple Pencil, Then Try to Pair Again

As we are not sure why is my Apple Pencil not working, a common solution is to forget the Apple Pencil and then re-pair it to your iPad. This way is simple but usually works.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth > Apple Pencil, click on the Exclamation mark > Forget this Device. Then, you can search for the Apple Pencil and pair it with your iPad again.

4. Change to Use Another App to Check the Compatibility

Apple Pencil is good to use with Goodnotes, Notability, Procreate, and many other apps, but is not mean it supports any software. 

If you are using the Apple Pencil on the App that is not supported, of course, it will not work on it. You just need to try your Apple Pencil with another app that supports it to check if it is the Apple Pencil that has issues.

5. Contact Apple Support to Solve Apple Pencil Double Tap Not Working

The last solution is to contact Apple Support if you have checked everything and find that there may be software or hardware issue with your Apple Pencil.

You can call the official Apple support according to your location, or go to their support page to submit your question, the support will call back to your as soon as possible.

Faqs about Apple Pencil Not Working

Below are some of the people who also asked questions about the Apple Pencil not working issue, you can check and find the quick answer.

1. Why is my Apple Pencil suddenly not working?

The Apple Pencil may run out of power, you can check if it needs charging. If the tip is loose, you can try to tighten it up to solve the issue.

2. How do I know if my Apple Pencil is broken?

You can check if your Apple Pencil has enough power, if you can use it with every supports app if you can use it smoothly.

3. What is the lifespan of an Apple Pencil?

If you are careful with the Apple Pencil, it can be used for several years. However, the tip may need changing every year if you use it frequently.

Conclusion

We hope this article can help solve the Apple Pencil not working but connected and if there are any new methods, please don’t hesitate to tell us by commenting below.