Apple Pencil Not Connecting After iPadOS 13.5 Update

Here is a quote from AppleAreUS’s posting at the bottom of page 1 of this post.

In case you you didn't understand something. This is a pretty easy thing to try.

"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."

I charged my iPad to 100% then charged my pencil and it did connect but pencil stopped working then would work and then again stopped but when I checked the settings it was still showing it was connected. Is anyone having the same problem?Can anyone help me fix this issue please?

I’ve been waiting since over a month now, Apple fails to acknowledge this as an issue. They won’t be addressing your concerns at all, standard troubleshooting crap is all they can offer. We are all suffering professionally here, our work depends on the Apple Pencil and they don’t give a rats bum about the situation we are all in!..

I have had this issue as well. Buddy it’s a bug which I feel is Apples own strategic Wonder, they maybe aiming at bulk migration of iOS users to the latest iOS 14. This is the only thing that makes sense at this time

(In response to quickly charging the ipad, then unplugging + plugging in the pencil quickly)

Can confirm this just worked on a brand new iPad Air 3rd Generation that we just purchased and picked up from the Apple Store on 7/4/2020. Software version 13.5.1. Ridiculous that it took an hour plus of searching to find this answer. Thank you so much though!

Apple, please patch this or update the pairing instructions for the iPad Air Gen 3 +Apple Pencil 1.

Fixed it for me! I also conveyed they information to an Apple tech (not a senior one), along with the information that people with iPad Air 3 had been having the issue since 13.5 rolled out. She apparently didn't know about it. Let's hope it get's fixed in the next patch.

Much appreciated.

hello everyone! i just bought the ipad air 3 along with the apple pencil gen 1. i was having the same connectivity problems as everyone else. i tried methods found on other forums and articles such as resetting network settings and all that jazz. after a couple of hours of experiments, nothing worked.

then, i tried the trick mentioned by ApplesAreUs:

"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."

it worked instantly. made me gasp, followed by a "woah" lolol.

note: be as swift as you can when performing this method, but also be careful not to break anything.

i hope this helps anyone out there who was struggling with this puzzle!

peace and blessings.

Sorry to hear that, the update worked for me. If your pencil has lost all its charge, and hasn’t been used for some time there is a possibility it’s now not working and therefore useless.

if you bought from Apple, I’d suggest you try and get a replacement or a refund.

I was having trouble pairing my brand new Apple Pencil (first gen) with my iPad Air 3. I was going to go tomorrow to return it until I saw a comment on this page. It worked!!! Plus the iPad into a power cord really fast and then plus in the Apple Pencil.

I am also having intermittent problems with IPadOS 13.6.1 on an iPad Pro 12.9 and my Apple Pencil. Also lagging response on touch screen. The Apple Pencil will connect in bluetooth, but will not work. I have found turning off Zoom allows the Pencil to work again. There also seems to be an App causing the responsiveness problem. Maybe FB, but this never had a problem before the 13.6.1 update.

You saved my life with this hack. The pencil paired and is charging normally now. I freaked out so bad because first, both my iPad as well as the Pencil are brand new. Second, my nearest Apple Service Center seems to be closed due to the lockdown restrictions.

And guess what, I am on IpadOS 13.7. And this problem still exists. ****, I guess I trusted Apple too much.

Btw, do I have to pair it using the same method every time from now? Cuz it sems you really need to get the timing right. I tried like four times before using your jab method, but failed.

It is annoying if this continues into iOS 14 as well.

I’m having a similar problem also. iPad Pro first generation and Apple Pencil First generation both new will not pair properly. My pencil charges to 100% then I unplug it and it says 3% remaining and the status of the pencil flashes from connected to unconnected will in the lightning port. I have no idea why it is doing that. But, the problem I have with it, is that this is the second pencil I have purchased and tried using on this iPad Pro and both said and did the same exact thing. It’s definitely a pencil issue because my iPad has been working amazing for me until I tried to use my Apple Pencil. Has anyone else’s did that?

How long did you have the pencil before using it?

When it charges to 100% then drops to 3% sounds like a battery failure in the pencil. Which is caused by two main reasons.

Faulty out the box or been sat around a while not charged.

But if its done it on two pencils it may be a iPad problem, or two faulty pencils.

Your best to contact apple and see what they say

They are all new. Purchased the pencils in the last 2 weeks and the iPad maybe 2-3 months ago. The iPad works perfectly fine. I’ve had no problems with it. . And for them both to say it makes me think it’s a pencil battery issue. I’ve researched and it seems to be a common battery issue. Some YouTubers say gently heating the battery with a blow dryer or over the stove will reactivate the battery if it’s low. I’m going to try it and see if it works.

I wouldn't heat the battery of the pencil with a hairdryer, that's a bad idea.

Take the pencils/iPad back to apple, as it could be a fault with either the pencil or Ipad

Contact Apple here - Contact Support