How to fix Apple Pencil not charging

The Apple Pencil is an advanced stylus designed for use with the iPad and iPhone. It was first introduced in 2015 for the iPad Pro and has since been made compatible with other iPad models as well as iPhone. Widely used for drawing, sketching, taking notes, and interacting with apps, the Apple Pencil really changes how you look at your tablet. However, any type of malfunction can happen at any time. If your Pencil is not charging the way it should, try using the methods mentioned below.

1st-gen and 2nd-gen Apple Pencil

Before looking at the possible reasons why your Apple Pencil won’t charge, it’s necessary to learn about how the two versions of Apple Pencil charge respectively. The 1st-gen Pencil is charged via the Lightning socket on the top of it, while the 2nd-gen Pencil is charged by magnetically attaching it to the side of your iPad.

How to fix Apple Pencil not charging

1. Toggle Bluetooth

The Apple Pencil and the iPad work together via Bluetooth, so the easiest way to fix your Apple Pencil not charging is toggle the feature on and off.

• Go to Control Center, then tap Bluetooth to toggle it off.
• Wait 30 seconds, and tap the Bluetooth icon again to toggle it on.

2. Restart your iPad

Sometimes the reason can simply be that you haven’t restarted your device in quite some time. Restart your iPad and see if the Apple Pencil now starts charging.

• Press and hold the Top and the Volume Up or Volume Down buttons at the same time.
• Release both buttons when the Slide to Power Off slider appears.
• Slide the Power icon from left to right to turn your iPad off.
• Wait for 60 seconds.
• Press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears.

3. Check for updates

Make sure your iPad or iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. In many cases, updating the iOS solves the charging problem immediately.

• Go to Settings>General>Software Update.
• If an update is available, tap the Download and Install button.

4. Leave the Apple Pencil charging

The battery contained in the Apple Pencil is the same as that on all of our devices, but it is pretty small. If the Apple Pencil is left without a charge for too long, the battery can end up depleted, and it will take longer to fully charge. Generally speaking, it takes no more than 30 minutes, so just give a couple of hours more to see if this is the issue that’s bugging you.

5. Clean the Pencil and the iPad

If you are using the 1st-gen Apple Pencil, it is essential to keep both the iPad charging port and the Pencil charging socket clean. Dust, dirt, skin, and various other kinds of dreck can stuck up there and cause charging problems.

To clean the iPad charging port, get a Q tip and a can of compressed air, and start cleaning. When it comes to the Pencil, giving it a thorough wipe with an anti-static cloth will usually do the trick.

6. Re-pair your Apple Pencil

This method is similar to toggling on/off Bluetooth. Just unpair the Apple Pencil in the iPad Bluetooth settings, then pair it again. Sometimes, a fresh connection like this is all it takes to give the Pencil a good kick in the right direction.

• Go to Settings>Bluetooth.
• Tap Forget This Device to unpair the device.
• Bring the Pencil close to the iPad until a message pop up. Follow the on-screen pairing prompts.

7. Go to the Apple Store

If all of the above methods don’t solve the problem, you’ll want to head over to Apple’s support. Apple will help to see if there’re any issues you may have overlooked or determine any hardware issue with the Pencil battery itself.

Recommendation:

Belkin Apple Pencil Case + Pencil Stand for iPad

elago Classic Pencil Case Compatible with Apple Pencil 2nd Generation