Apple Pencil not working? Here’s our troubleshooting guide

For all its intelligence and innovative technology, when your Apple Pencil is not working, you’re better off with a regular pencil.

Apple Pencil lets you draw pictures, markup documents, and take notes on your iPad or iPad Pro. With Apple Pencil 2 you can even double tap to change tools. It’s the best stylus or smart pen available, but it isn’t flawless.

Sometimes Apple Pencil stops charging at 25% or lower. Other times it doesn’t charge at all. Many users can’t pair Apple Pencil to their iPad and some were even told:

This accessory or cable is not certified.

What’s going on!?

If your Apple Pencil isn’t working, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together this troubleshooting guide to show you how to fix it. Or if it can’t be fixed, we’ll tell you how to get a replacement.

Alright, let’s get started!

Quick Tips

Try these quick tips if your Apple Pencil isn’t working, or keep reading for the full guide.

1. Check your Apple Pencil is compatible with your iPad.
2. Pair your Apple Pencil and iPad.
3. Charge your Apple Pencil for 15 minutes.
4. Restart your iPad or iPad Pro.
5. Forget Apple Pencil on Bluetooth and connect it again.
6. Update your iPad or iPad Pro to the latest software.
7. Tighten or replace the tip on your Apple Pencil.
8. Contact Apple Support for more help or a replacement.

Related:

• Best tips for your new Apple Pencil
• The new Apple Pencil 2, here’s what you should know
• Seeing “this accessory is not supported by this device” on your iPad or iPhone?

Step 1: Check your Apple Pencil is compatible with your iPad.

Did you know there are two generations of Apple Pencil? And they’re each compatible with different models of iPad and iPad Pro.

Which Apple Pencil do I have?

Apple released the first-generation Apple Pencil in 2015 alongside the iPad Pro. It’s completely cylindrical with a removable cap on one end that reveals a lightning connector. 

The second-generation Apple Pencil — or Apple Pencil 2 — came out in 2018 with the 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It’s flat on one edge without a lightning connector and magnetizes to the edge of your iPad.

Which iPad do I have?

The naming structure for iPads has always been confused. But never more so than now with such a range of different models available.

To find out exactly which iPad you have, go to Settings > General > About and look for the Model Name. If that doesn’t help, check out this detailed page on Apple’s website.

Which iPad does my Apple Pencil work with?

Apple Pencil only works with some iPads. And depending on which Apple Pencil you have, the iPads it works with are different.

The first-generation Apple Pencil works with:

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

The second-generation Apple Pencil works with:

• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch

If your iPad model isn’t on these lists — it doesn’t work with any Apple Pencil.

Step 2: Pair your Apple Pencil and iPad

Although it’s pretty intuitive, you still may need to pair your Apple Pencil with your iPad.

You’ve probably already done this once. But you need to pair Apple Pencil again whenever you restart your iPad, turn on Airplane Mode, or pair with a different Apple Pencil.

How do I pair a first-generation Apple Pencil?

Remove the cap on the end of your Apple Pencil and plug its lightning connector into the port on your iPad. Ensure the Apple Pencil goes all the way in — if it doesn’t, carefully clear any lint out of your iPad’s lightning port using an antistatic brush. 

You should see a Pair button appear on the iPad screen, tap it.

How do I pair a second-generation Apple Pencil?

Magnetize the Apple Pencil to the edge of your iPad Pro. Ensure the Apple Pencil is centered on the right side of your iPad Pro — the side with the volume buttons.

You should see a Connect button appear on the iPad Pro screen, tap it.

Step 3: Charge your Apple Pencil for 15 minutes

Charge your first- or second-generation Apple Pencil for at least 15 minutes. 

Although Apple Pencil usually needs only 15 seconds of charge for 30 minutes of use, if the battery is completely dead it needs much longer to turn on.

How do I charge a first-generation Apple Pencil?

Remove the cap on the end of your Apple Pencil and plug its lightning connector into the port on your iPad. Ensure the Apple Pencil goes all the way in — if it doesn’t, carefully clear any lint out of your iPad’s lightning port using an antistatic brush.

Or use the lightning adapter that came with your Apple Pencil to charge it using a USB power adapter and a lightning cable.

How do I charge a second-generation Apple Pencil?

On your iPad Pro, go to Settings > Bluetooth and make sure Bluetooth is turned on. 

Then magnetize the Apple Pencil to the edge of your iPad Pro. Ensure the Apple Pencil in centered on the right side of your iPad Pro — the side with the volume buttons.

How do I see how much charge my Apple Pencil has?

Check how much charge your Apple Pencil has from the Today View on your iPad.

From the home screen, swipe from left to right to access the Today View. Or from within an app, pull down from the top of the screen to access Notification Center and then swipe from left to right.

If you don’t see your Apple Pencil charge level in the Today View, tap Edit at the bottom of the page. This shows you a list of available widgets, you need to add the Batteries widget.

Step 4: Restart your iPad or iPad Pro

You should always restart your device when something isn’t working properly. This tried and tested troubleshooting technique has stood the test of time because it works.

Restart your iPad or iPad Pro by holding the Sleep/Wake button and either volume button until it prompts you to slide to power off. 

Allow 30 seconds for your iPad to power off completely before pressing the Sleep/Wake or Power button to turn it on again.

If a normal restart doesn’t help, follow Apple’s guide to force restart your device.

Step 5: Forget Apple Pencil on Bluetooth and connect it again

You can essentially reset your Apple Pencil by removing it from your iPad’s Bluetooth devices, restarting your iPad, and then pairing the Apple Pencil again.

How do I remove Apple Pencil from my iPad’s Bluetooth?

1. On your iPad or iPad Pro, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
2. Find your Apple Pencil under My Devices and tap the blue i button.
3. Tap Forget This Device.

When your iPad has forgotten the Apple Pencil, follow the previous steps to restart your iPad and then pair your Apple Pencil again. If you still don’t see an option to pair, charge your Apple Pencil for longer.

Step 6: Update your iPad or iPad Pro to the latest software

Back when the first Apple Pencil was released, iOS 9.2 struggled to recognize how much charge it had. Similar issues arose when iOS 11.2 came out and many users got the message:

This accessory or cable is not certified.

These software problems aren’t too common. But when they do crop up, all you can do is wait for the next update.

If your Apple Pencil is not working as expected, check your iPad or iPad Pro is updated to the latest software. 

Go to Settings > General > Software Update to look for new updates or connect your iPad to a computer running iTunes. Download and install any updates that are available.

Step 7: Tighten or replace the tip on your Apple Pencil

When your Apple Pencil stops working consistently, it could be because the tip is loose. This can lead to intermittent lines or skipping when you draw.

Try to tighten the tip of your Apple Pencil by twisting it clockwise. 

If you have a first-generation Apple Pencil, replace the tip with the spare one that came with it. Do this by unscrewing the original tip in an anticlockwise direction — but make sure you don’t lose it — then screw the replacement tip in.

You can buy a pack of four replacement tips from Apple if you need a new one.

Step 8: Contact Apple Support for more help or a replacement

At this point, it looks like there’s a hardware problem with your Apple Pencil. Sometimes the battery has completely died and can’t hold a charge anymore, other times your Apple Pencil may simply be faulty.

Either way, you’re probably looking for a replacement. 

If it’s under a year old — without any damage — Apple should offer a free replacement under their warranty.

Otherwise, you can get an out-of-warranty battery service or replacement from Apple for the following costs:

• Battery Service: $29
• First-generation Apple Pencil replacement: $79
• Second-generation Apple Pencil replacement: $109

If your Apple Pencil is covered by AppleCare+, you only need to pay the $29 excess.

Contact Apple Support through their website to arrange a repair or replacement of your Apple Pencil. Click the iPad button and search for ‘Help with Apple Pencil’. Then choose to start a phone call or chat session with Apple Support.

Tell us how it goes in the comments below or find out how to make the most of your Apple Pencil using our guide.

Dan Helyer( Senior Writer )

Dan is a freelance writer based in South West England.

He spent two years supervising repairs as a Genius Admin for Apple Retail and uses that knowledge to keep our troubleshooting guides up to date.

Long before that, Dan turned to Apple products from a musical background. Having owned iPods for years, he bought a MacBook to learn sound recording and production. It was using those skills that he gained a first-class Bachelor of Science in Sound Technology.