Apple Pencil Not Connecting After iPadOS 13.5 Update

I had the exact same issue on two iPad Airs with the 1.Gen Pencil. After updating to 13.5 the Pencil wont charge. I unpaired them in the bluetooth settings and after that i wasn't able to connect them again. Both pencils and iPads won't connect in any configuration. I plugged the pencil in, and nothing happend. I fully charged the pencil and it still won't work.

But I found the solution. I charged the Ipad and the Pencil both to 100%. Then it worked! On both iPads with both Pencils.

Yep, I can confirm the issue is iOS 13.5. The only way to pair your 1st Gen Apple Pencil to your iPad Air 3 is to quickly connect and then disconnect power to your iPad then plug the Pencil into the Lighting port. This will fix the issue and will pair successfully.

It’s like the quick jab of power to the iPad ‘wakes’ some part of the software into action. I can confirm I’ve tried this on 2 different iPad Airs with same result.

Come on Apple, please fix this issue on next iOS update.

Hello,

You will need to call Apple for diagnosis.

Contact AppleCare

1. I left the pencil untouched overnight and manage to pair in the following morning.
2. but the pencil details is not shown up under “setting>general>about“.
3. i unpair and forget the device, and it won’t pair again.
4. suppose I need to leave it and try again the next day.

This worked for me too. I had upgraded from 13.5 to 13.5.1 and could not pair Pencil 1 at all. Inserting Pencil into Lightning port did nothing, was as if the Pencil was dead. But this post saved me:

• insert power cable
• remove power cable
• insert Pencil 1
• Pairing dialog appears
• Pair and go!

I'm having this problem on both my iPad Pro 1st generation and iPad Mini 5 with two separate Apple Pencils. Neither of them will connect to either iPads (and the iPad Mini and one of the pencils are brand new!). Have tried charging to 100% and charging/unplugging but nothing seems to work. Even when one pencil "connects" on Bluetooth it isn't actually able to write. Pretty sure this must be an iOS 13.5 issue. Anybody else continuing to have this problem and/or found a workaround?

Same problem here as well, I even went ahead and bought me a brand new Apple Pencil first generation, but guess what?, same problem, will apple refund me? NO!..

it’s ios 13.4 and 13.5 that has some bug in it, which apple fails to acknowledge.

Contacting apple support is of no use either, they provide you with no solution what so ever on this matter.

I am having the same issue. Spent ages on to Apple support last night. Told me to restore iPad which I did but still to 13.5 and guess what, the same issue. I really hope there is a fix soon as I really need my Apple Pencil to be working as I am teaching from home at the minute and really need it to annotate and present work for and from my students.

We are all suffering buddy, what to do. These giants dictate the terms, they have the so called policies.

Worst part of it all is that they are not acknowledging it as their problem. Which leaves the customer more in a state of ambiguity and panic.

This appears to be a bug affecting some users. Another contributor, ApplesAreUs, reports having found a workaround solution.

“... can confirm the issue is iOS 13.5. The only way to pair your 1st Gen Apple Pencil to your iPad Air 3 is to quickly connect and then disconnect power to your iPad then plug the Pencil into the Lighting port. This will fix the issue and will pair successfully”

It’s like the quick jab of power to the iPad ‘wakes’ some part of the software into action. I can confirm I’ve tried this on 2 different iPad Airs with same result.

This discussion details the workaround:

this solution worked for me

To everyone confirming my method works, thanks for the feedback - it's a pleasure to be able to offer something back to the community. It'a a real concern however that Apple didn't fix the issue in iOS 13.5.1. Do they actually read these threads?

Yes. I did this with the iPad:

.. can confirm the issue is iOS 13.5. The only way to pair your 1st Gen Apple Pencil to your iPad Air 3 is to quickly connect and then disconnect power to your iPad then plug the Pencil into the Lighting port. This will fix the issue and will pair successfully”

This did not work with the iPhone 1.

I followed this instruction in another reply and it worked.

The only way to pair your 1st Gen Apple Pencil to your iPad Air 3 is to quickly connect and then disconnect power to your iPad then plug the Pencil into the Lighting port. This will fix the issue and will pair successfully.

It’s like the quick jab of power to the iPad ‘wakes’ some part of the software into action. I can confirm I’ve tried this on 2 different iPad Airs with same result.

We spend all this money on Apple tech, thinking it’s idiot proof and they go and screw it up.

Im in the same boat, brand new iPad Air 3, brand new pencil and they won’t bloody talk to one another.

Come on Apple, get your arse in gear or you’ll be loosing a lot of loyal customers.

I have, but maybe I’m not doing it right though, I’ve charged my iPad Air up to 100% the pencil connects, then it says “not connected” and in the setting/general/about the pencil is off and on light a set of Christmas tree lights.

£89 for something that doesn’t/won’t work, no wonder Apple is so bloody wealthy.