Apple Pencil won’t pair to iPad mini 4

No Apple Pencil works with a 2015 iPad Mini 4.

The iPad Mini 4 does NOT have the necessary, extra screen hardware layer needed for an Apple Pencil to interact with an iPad's screen.

Sorry.

You will need to use a reliable, third party alternative stylus.

The ONLY third party, smart Bluetooth stylus that I can, honestly, recommend that actually works well with any iPad is the

Adonit Pixel

https://www.adonit.net/jot/pixel/

This smart, Bluetooth stylus works across a wide range of iDevices.

The Bluetooth connection is stable and its Bluetooth pressure sensing technology is very smooth, natural feeling and has consistent line drawing ability.

Plus it's a quality made, aluminum stylus with two programmable buttons.

I have been using this stylus for well over two years now and it is really good on my iPad Pro.

This stylus works wonderfully for me.

The Adonit Pixel works with iPads all the way back to the 2012, 1st gen iPad Mini and iPad 4th generation!

Has ON/OFF/app shortcut buttons.

Has a nice fine, textured pen tip AND a nice rubber grip.

Magnetically charges, has an auto 15 minute shutdown feature ( to preserve battery life ), charges in a hour, or so.

Has both a small USB charger that that plugs into any USB charging block OR you can purchase an optional charging dock.

I find it only lasts for anywhere between 9-12 hours, but Adonit claims up to 16 hours of continuous use on a single charge cycle.

Made of very high quality aluminum materials.

The Adonit Pixel ONLY works with over a dozen of the major/popular drawing/sketching/painting apps (the Pixel works with, but currently no longer “officially” supported with Procreate, but it still works and works pretty well in Procreate ), and over a half dozen of the popular note taking apps, a half dozen writing apps and about a half dozen PDF style/compatible apps.

You WILL have to perform some pairing and setup parameters in each of the Adonit Pixel compatible apps.

You just DO NOT simply turn on Bluetooth on an iDevice and turn on the Adonit stylus and start writing.

The Adonit Pixel stylus is NOT an Apple Pencil in this regard/respect.

You have to initially Bluetooth pair the Adonit Pixel, setup the hand/palm position and in many apps, set up the stylus screen pressure sensitivity for each and every compatible app!

Once you have, initially, done all of this, all Adonit Pixel compatible apps will remember these settings for future use!

Some Adonit Pixel users claimed their stylus doesn’t work, but it does work well IF you properly know how to set up the Adonit Pixel!

If interested, to make sure you get the latest installed stylus firmware, you must order the Adonit Pixel stylus directly from the Adonit website, when possible and available.

Here’s my “up to date”, comprehensive, but still incomplete, list of Adonit Pixel compatible apps for the iPad/iPad Pro.

Most apps listed support pressure sensing and palm rejection.

Compatible Adonit Pixel apps for drawing

Animation Desk

Amaziograph

Adobe Photoshop Sketch ( palm rejection ONLY, No pressure, no sensing/line variations )

ArtRage

Art Studio Pro ( fully supports the Adonit Pixel and is just as great as Procreate on the iPad )

AutoDesk SketchBook

Colored Pencil

Comic Draw

Concepts

Interactive SketchBook

Medibang Paint

ProCreate

(Adonit is supported as an unsupported stylus, but all stylus features still work, palm rejection IS improved using special, non-body electrical conducting, lycra-based material drawing glove )

Tayasui Sketches/Sketches Pro ( Full support for the Adonit Pixel )

Tayasui Sketches School

( this new, free version works with this stylus, but without any palm rejection or pressure sensing, so you need to use a special, non-body electrical conducting drawing glove with the Sketches School version to lay your hand/palm down on the iPad’s screen )

Vectornator

ZenBrush/Zen Brush 2

Compatible Adonit Pixel apps for Notes and Notes with drawing types of apps.

GoodNotes 4 or 5

Notability ( palm rejection noticeably improved using special, non-body electrical conducting, lycra-based material drawing glove )

Note Shelf 2

Notes Writer ( palm rejection improved using special, non-electrical conducting, lycra-based material drawing glove )

QuickNotes X Pro ( palm rejection ONLY. No pressure sensing for light/dark or thin/thick lines )

uPad

Zoom Notes

PDF Pen

This stylus works with other non-compatible apps, too, but without any palm rejection and/or pressure features.

You can use this stylus with other apps but will not be able to lay your palm on the screen, unless you use special, non-body electrical conducting, lycra-based material drawing glove that works by isolating your hand/palm and allow you to lay your hand/palm on the screen as you draw in these non-compatible Adonit stylus apps.

Something like this found on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Anti-fouling-Drawing-Tablet-Graphic-Right-Ha nd-Left-Hand/dp/B017R8M2JY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1543548123&sr=8-1-spons&k eywords=lycra+drawing+gloves&psc=1

Many more makers of these types of gloves found on Amazon and in different hand sizes, as well!

Good Luck to You!

An Apple Pencil requires a fifth generation iPad Mini (or newer) to pair.

Use Apple Pencil with your iPad or iPad Pro - Apple Support