Apple Pen 1 Charging Time

Your Pencil will optimally charge at its fastest rate when connected directly to your iPad. From “flat”, full charge will usually take 10-20 minutes. A few seconds charging from the iPad will provide about 15 minutes of active use.

When charging from a Power Adapter, using the adapter supplied with the Pencil, charging of the Pencil will take much longer. This method of charging, whilst viable, appears to be intended to “float charge” the Pencil, over longer periods, to maintain its charge. Whilst not having explicitly measured charging times from a Power Adapter, the charging time from a low charge state is much longer - possibly up to a few hours.

As a side-note, it is essential that if you have an Apple Pencil that you charge it regularly - whether used or not - so as to protect the battery from deep-discharge. Do not allow a pencil to remain in low-charge state for any period of time - as the internal battery will fail, rendering the Pencil useless.

If the Pencil Battery fails, the only remedy is to replace the Pencil.

I hope this information proves to be helpful to you.

You’re very welcome.

At first sight, the extended charging time when connected to a Power Adapter doesn’t seem to make much sense - and often causes questions to be asked. The described behaviour is entirely normal.

It is not necessary, nor is it advisable, to fully discharge a Pencil prior to recharge. It is necessary to keep the Pencil with usable charge at all times. If allowed to remain in a discharged state for any length of time, the tiny internal battery can suffer irreversible damage; the best strategy is to keep the Pencil at full charge when unused.