Apple Pencil Not Connecting And Pairing? Here's What To Do!

Part I: How to Connect Apple Pencil to The iPad

Getting started with your Apple Pencil and iPad can be a seamless experience, but did you know that pairing and connecting the two devices is a crucial step? If you're having trouble using your Apple Pencil because it won't connect to your iPad, it's likely because the pairing process hasn't been completed. Unlike other styluses, the Apple Pencil requires a one-time pairing process to establish a secure and reliable connection with your iPad. This simple step ensures that your Apple Pencil is recognized by your iPad and allows you to unlock its full range of features and capabilities.

Ensuring compatibility between your Apple Pencil and iPad is crucial for a seamless and hassle-free experience. With two generations of Apple Pencil available, it's essential to know which model is compatible with your iPad. The first-generation Apple Pencil is designed to work with older iPad models, such as the iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 1st generation), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), and iPad (6th generation), while the second-generation Apple Pencil is compatible with newer models, including the iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 3rd generation), iPad Pro (11-inch), and iPad Air (4th generation). Using an Apple Pencil with an incompatible iPad model can lead to connectivity issues, so if your Apple Pencil is not connecting to your iPad, check the compatibility of your devices to resolve the problem.

So, firstly, we look at which Pencil is compatible with which iPad models, and then we take a look at how to pair an Apple Pencil with an iPad.

1.1 iPad Compatibility With Apple Pencil

There are two Apple Pencil models, first generation and second generation. Both look different, have slightly different features, and pair differently.

iPads compatible with Apple Pencil Gen 1:

-iPad mini (5th generation)

-iPad (6th generation and later)

-iPad Air (3rd generation)

-iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation)

-iPad Pro 10.5-inch

-iPad Pro 9.7-inch.

iPads compatible with Apple Pencil Gen 2:

-iPad mini (6th generation)

-iPad Air (4th generation and later)

-iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)

-iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later).

1.2 How To Pair Apple Pencil With iPad

With compatibility resolved, let’s get pairing! Apple Pencil requires a different method for pairing depending on the Pencil generation. Here is how to pair your Apple Pencil to your iPad.

For Apple Pencil (1st Gen):

Step 1: Remove the cap and connect the Pencil to the Lightning port on your iPad.

Step 2: A Bluetooth pairing request will pop up. Tap Pair to pair your Apple Pencil to the iPad.

For Apple Pencil (2nd Gen):

Pairing the Apple Pencil (2nd Gen) is as easy as bringing the Pencil close to the long edge of the iPad. The magnetic connectors attach the Pencil to the iPad and the Pencil gets paired automatically. While in this position, the iPad also charges the Pencil.

Part II: Apple Pencil Not Connecting? Here’s What to Do

Didn’t work? Is Apple Pencil not connecting to iPad still? Oops. We now need to delve a little deeper and try some fixes to connect Apple Pencil to iPad properly and reliably. Here are common fixes that help people connect Apple Pencil to iPad reliably.

Fix 1: Restart The iPad And Try Again

Restarting your iPad is a simple yet effective way to breathe new life into your device and resolve connectivity issues with your Apple Pencil. If you're experiencing lag, slow performance, or difficulties pairing your Apple Pencil, it may be due to residual code from apps lingering in your iPad's memory. While the iPad is designed to manage memory efficiently, a restart can help clear out these memory hogs and refresh the system. By restarting your iPad, you can eliminate temporary software glitches, refresh the operating system, and get your device running smoothly again.

To restart the iPad, go to Settings > General > Shut Down and when the slider appears, drag to shut down the iPad. After a few seconds, use the Power button to restart the iPad. If, however, this feels too much tapping, here is the old-fashioned way:

iPad With Home Button

Step 1: Press the Top button and hold till the slider screen shows.

Step 2: Drag the slider to shut down the iPad.

Step 3: Press the Top button and restart the iPad.

iPad Without Home Button

Step 1: Press and hold any volume key on the iPad together with the Top button until the slider screen shows.

Step 2: Drag the slider and shut down the iPad.

Step 3: Press the Top button and restart the iPad.

Fix 2: Toggle Bluetooth Functionality

Your Apple Pencil connects to the iPad via Bluetooth. If you find your Apple Pencil not connecting to iPad, it could be because Bluetooth is Off or just stuck somehow, and you might need to toggle it.

Step 1: Go to Settings > Bluetooth.

Step 2: Toggle Bluetooth Off.

Step 3: Toggle Bluetooth back On.

Fix 3: Unpair And Re-pair Apple Pencil

More often than we care to admit, unpairing a Bluetooth device and re-pairing it is all it takes to get issues fixed. So, if your Apple Pencil is not connecting to iPad, it could be a pairing issue, and a way out is to unpair and re-pair the Pencil.

Step 1: Go to Settings > Bluetooth.

Step 2: Under My Devices, tap the info icon across your Apple Pencil.

Step 3: Tap Forget This Device and confirm once again.

Your Apple Pencil will be unpaired from the iPad. To pair the Pencil to the iPad again, visit Part I and check how to connect Apple Pencil to iPad.

Fix 4: Reset All Settings

Resetting all settings on the iPad is helpful to restore all settings on your iPad to their factory default. This means that it should technically remove any and all conflicts occurring anywhere that might be causing the "Apple Pencil not connecting" problem.

Resetting all settings will not delete device data. It will only reset the settings. Here is how to reset all settings on the iPad:

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad.

Step 2: Tap Reset.

Step 3: Tap Reset All Settings to reset all settings on the iPad.

Fix 5: Fix Apple Pencil Not Connecting Issue With Wondershare Dr.Fone

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Now, you have tried nearly everything, even resetting all settings, and still have a problem with Apple Pencil not connecting to the iPad. There was an option to erase all settings and content but I did not try that, because I did not want to lose my data. Is there a way to repair iPadOS to fix Apple Pencil not connecting issue without deleting iPad data? Yes, there is!

Introducing Dr.Fone by Wondershare, an app that features a module-based interface designed to make every difficult task easy for you. Want to unlock your iPhone because of the lost passcode? Want to transfer data from an old iPhone or Android to a new iPhone or Android? Want to take and restore backups easily? You can do all that with Dr.Fone by Wondershare.

Now, let’s talk about the System Repair module in Dr.Fone. If you have system issues or need to restore/ repair/ reinstall iOS or iPadOS easily without data loss, this System Repair module is the one to use. It provides a safe way (Standard Repair) to repair common iOS and iPadOS issues without deleting user data and offers a more thorough Advanced Repair as well to repair stubborn issues and provide a deep repair to completely reinstall system software on your devices, but Advanced Repair wipes away user data.

Here is how to use Dr.Fone System Repair to fix Apple Pencil not connecting issue:

Step 1: Install Dr.Fone on your computer.

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Step 2: Connect your iPad to your Windows or Mac computer using the data cable and launch Dr.Fone.

Step 3: Choose the "System Repair" module" > "iPhone"> iOS Repair and select "Standard Repair" to reinstall/ repair iPadOS without deleting data.

Pro Tip: In case you need to do a more thorough repair and reinstall iPadOS completely using Advanced Repair, we recommend using Wondershare Dr.Fone to back up your data in a few clicks. That way, when your device's operating system is repaired, you will be able to restore your data back in just a few clicks.

Step 4: Next, your device will enter recovery mode. Make sure you have tapped "Trust" on your mobile device. After that,  click "Enter Recovery Mode". And then you will see the firmware version, choose one to download:

Step 5: Firmware will be verified with Apple after the download is complete, and Dr.Fone will prompt you to fix your iPad now:

Step 7: Click "Repair Now".

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Conclusion

Apple Pencil not connecting is a baffling issue since this is something that should just work. There is no ‘rocket science to it’ as they say, it is just a stylus tool using Bluetooth technology to connect! Why won’t Apple Pencil connect to iPad? Well, there could be some reasons, ranging from something with the Pencil to something with the iPad itself. We cannot do much about the Pencil, but we can about the iPad, including repairing iPadOS without data loss. The above solutions should help you with pairing Apple Pencil to iPad properly.

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