Apple Pencil Not Charging, How to Fix
So you attempted to charge your Apple Pencil, but your battery level does not pass a certain percent (e.g., 0, 3, 5, etc.), or you do not see any indication that your Pencil is charging. For example, you may notice that there is no progress even after plugging your Pencil into your iPad for a long time.
You may be unable to charge your Apple Pencil due to hardware or software-related problems. The fix could be very simple. In this article, I list several steps, and the steps I describe in this article are applicable to all Apple Pencil models. When charged fully, an Apple Pencil battery lasts about 12 hours.
How to charge
Apple currently has two Apple Pencil models: 2nd generation and 1st generation. How you charge your Apple Pencil differs based on the model. Both models’ designs are quite similar. Before going further, if you do not know which model you have, here is how you can identify your model:
- Apple Pencil (2nd generation): Has a flat side, as you can see below.
- Apple Pencil (1st generation): Has a completely round design with no flat surface, as you can see below.
How to charge Apple Pencil 2
- Get your compatible iPad. Compatible models: iPad mini (6th gen.), iPad Air (4th gen. and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen. and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st gen. and later). You may also want to read our article titled Which iPad Models Support Apple Pencil.
- Make sure that Bluetooth is on and the iPad is turned on.
- Then attach your Pencil’s flat side to the long side of your iPad. Attachment is magnetic.
How to charge Apple Pencil 1
- Remove the end cap to reveal the Lightning connector.
- Plug it into your iPad’s Lightning connector. If you have a 10th gen. iPad, you will need a USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter to charge the pencil with your iPad.
- Alternatively, you can also use the Apple Pencil Charging Adapter. This will enable you to insert your Apple Pencil into an ordinary Lightning cable.
How to fix Apple Pencil not charging
Try these steps in this order until your charging problem is gone:
- Restart your iPad and then try again.
- Ensure that your iPad is running the latest version of iPadOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if there is an update. If there is an update, update your device.
- If this is an Apple Pencil 1 and plugged into your iPad, ensure that the charging port is debris free. You may want to clean the charging port. For reference, please read our article iPad Says “Not Charging” When It Is Plugged In.
- Unpair and pair again by following these steps:
- On your iPad, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
- You will find your Pencil under My Devices.
- Tap the (i) info button next to it.
- Tap Forget this Device.
- Now restart your iPad.
- Now pair your Pencil again. You can consult this Apple documentation.
- This one is a user-submitted tip. If nothing works, you may try this. Some users reported success with this; you may skip this and directly contact Apple too if your device is still under warranty:
- Get a hair dryer and heat your Apple Pencil for about 15 minutes. Ensure that your Apple Pencil is not too close to the dryer.
- After 15 minutes, try charging it again.
Proper way of maintaining your Apple Pencil battery
Your Pencil battery may be bad or dead. If your battery is dead, it won’t hold or accept any charge. Lithium-ion batteries have a certain life span. This span may be increased or decreased depending on your usage. The Apple Pencil battery is especially unique. Apple Pencil is designed to constantly be in active or stand-by mode; thus, it needs to always have enough charge.
For example, if you leave your Pencil uncharged and unused for an extended period of time, this may damage your battery. Whether you use it or not, periodically charge your pencil to improve its health. Ensure that your Pencil always has some charge, like at least 15-20 percent or more charge.
If you are buying a used second-hand Apple Pencil, this can be an issue as the previous owner might not have kept it regularly charged as they may not use it hence the sale.
Still not charging?
If your issue continues, it is time to contact Apple Support. Apple will provide you with the best option for help. If your Pencil is still under warranty, Apple may replace your Pencil for free.
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Thank you for your advice with regards to getting my Apple pecil to connect with my Ipad, problem solved thank you.