Apple Pencil no longer working after recent software update

Reading through this thread, there are a number of different problems being described - but all are super frustrating. But I think there is one issue which is the main problem.

I bought a replacement 2nd gen pencil, which worked fine until an iPadOS software update bricked it. My older pencil continued to work. My first assumption was this was a software bug in the update. I am now certain this is not the case.

I got a full refund from Apple, because the pencil was new.

What I think is happening (to some of us) is that the new OS attempts to upgrade the firmware in the pencil over Bluetooth. In most cases this happens without incident. But in a tiny percentage of instances, the update fails and the pencil loses its ability to communicate over Bluetooth entirely. This renders the pencil totally broken with no means to reset or reinstall the update.

This will result in:

• The pencil wont work or connect.
• No battery state is reported for the pencil when it is snapped to the iPad.
• Forgetting and re-pairing will time out

If this has happened to you there is no remedy other than returning it to Apple. If the pencil is out of warranty, I would point out that a working pencil was broken by a software update. You might get a sympathetic response.

Have you tried to do a force restart of you iPad? I would try in this order:

Forget the device

Force Restart

Pair the pencil again and then see if this helps

To do a force restart Press and Release the Volume Up button, then Press and Release the Volume Down button, then press and HOLD the Lock/Siri button till you see the Apple Logo on the screen. Ignore the slider to “Turn off device” and continue to hold the button. Once you see the Apple Logo after the device has turned off and back on, release the Lock/Siri button and let the iPad continue to boot up.

This support page may be helpful with pairing and use of the Pencil with your iPad:

Connect Apple Pencil with your iPad - Apple Support

If you continue to experience difficulties, here is one of the better troubleshooting guides:

https://appletoolbox.com/apple-pencil-not-working-heres-our-troubleshooting-guide/

Be aware that if your Pencil has been set-aside for an extended period, unused and uncharged, the Pencil battery may have been damaged through deep discharge. In common with all Li-ion batteries, they must always have some level of charge.

The tiny internal Li-ion battery is susceptible to permanent/irreversible damage through being left discharged for long periods. Even some “new” pencils can exhibit signs of failure out-of-the-box if they are “old stock”. 

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. Setting aside an unused Pencil, for extended periods, is a recipe for premature death of the Pencil battery.

If the Pencil Battery has failed, the only remedy is to replace the Pencil. If the battery has failed and your pencil is within its one-year warranty, you should look to having it replaced by your retailer or at an Apple Store.

Gentle warming of the Pencil (such as placing on a hot water radiator), prior to attempting charging of the Pencil, can sometimes resurrect a dead Pencil battery.

If you are unable to resolve the issue yourself, you might be well advised to visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to test and assess your iPad and Pencil:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

It’s not the iPad that tells the pencil when to charge. It’s the battery in the pencil telling the iPad when it needs charged. That being said, if you suspect that, you can always use the adapter that came with the pencil and charge it with a charger if it’s the lightning version. If it’s Gen 2 then it has to be charged by the iPad, but again, if the battery in the pencil has failed, the battery is going to refuse to take a charge. You will need to schedule something for the Genius Bar to take a look at it and they can diagnose it. However if there is no Apple Care+ then unfortunately you’ll need to replace the pencil by paying full price for a new one. Batteries are consumable items and will fail, properly maintaining them will give you the most use out of them. Unfortunately what is going to happen when the battery fails is the pencil will connect when connected to the iPad because it’s getting power from the iPad, it will show 100% most likely because the pencil is going to refuse charge so the iPad will show it full because the battery has failed and the pencil reports are broken. Once removed from the iPad, it looses power and will then “disconnect” and won’t work and act like it’s not paired because it has no power

I have a 2020 iPad Pro - and have always had a second gen Apple Pencil. It has always worked swimmingly.

Last week, the tip of the pencil became wobbly - probably as a result of dropping it. My fault. I bought a new pencil and it connected and worked fine.

Then on Sunday 21st January I installed iPadOS 17.3 (21D50)

The pencil stopped working. When snapped to the outside of the case - the "Apple Pencil" notification appears - but with no charge state. The pencil is not connecting via bluetooth. No gestures are recognised.

I tried all the things which are normally suggested. Rebooting. Resetting the network settings. Forgetting the pencil and so on. There is no issue with pencil charge state. Nothing works.

I then tried using my old pencil (the one with the broken tip) - this works fine. Connects instantly - works as it should (apart from the wobbly end).

So something odd is happening here. Perhaps later model Apple Pencils have had some minor firmware change. And this new build of iPad OS has omitted to include compatibility with newer pencils?

I am certain this is an OS issue. I would report to Apple's bug reporting system, but no one appears to look at those things.

I am having this issue, and just came up with another possible explanation.

All the people reporting on this thread notice the failure after a software update (but all not the same version of iPadOS)

This is my theory: the iPad OS update includes a firmware update for the pencil - which occurs over bluetooth. For most people, this works fine. For a handful of people, the firmware update fails to complete and leaves the pencil in a bricked state.

I followed this strange advice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8k4G1HUkd8

And also selected “Forget This Device” for my Apple Pencil on Bluetooth and paired my pencil again and everything works now, so I’m not sure which helped.

This is what’s happening to me! It shows the pencil attached but will not work when I try and use it. I have restart/rebooted and reset but nothing works. Initially after disconnecting from my Bluetooth, iPad acted like it would connect again to my pencil and now won’t show the pencil on the list, just shows the pencil when I attach it to the side then the pencil disappears and I cant select pair or anything! Super frustrating and I’m feeling like I might leave apple.

I am having the same issues! I have tried everything and my pencil won't connect to my iPad mini or my wife's iPad pro. I was just using my pencil last week for notes and no nothing! Hopefully, Apple gets this figured out.

I’m having a kinda similar problem

it started after iPad os 17 where my ‏Apple Pencil disconnects randomly for a second then it reconnects on its own while I’m writing.i am sure that it’s not a physical problem (not from the tip of the screen protector) because whenever that happens the Apple Pencil does not appear on the widget

I tried every solution in the book such as resetting my network settings or force restart and I even erased everything on my iPad and I tried a new Apple Pencil and the problem is still there so it’s probably an iPad issue

this problem does not happen with other Bluetooth devices such as AirPods.

I have an iPad Air 5

2nd gen Apple Pencil

Please release an update that fixes this problem

Reintall the entire OS. That is what Apple Geniuses will recommend. It doesn't require to be a genius to figure that out. You are the ones who have to go through the painful process. Why would Apple use their staff time to fix bugs in their code?

This worked on Monday. Now it doesn’t work. iPad OS 17.0.3 seems to have rendered my Apple Pencil into being a magnetized paperweight.

I had the same issue as everyone in this thread (iPad wouldn’t recognize the pencil after updating to 17.2 OS). This hard reset fixed it, hopefully it stays that way.

I am also having the same problems and have been for about a month now. I have tried all of the things listed to reconnect it including changing the tip. The first time I changed the tip it worked for about three days I thought I had solved the issue but then stopped working again. Exact same situation shows it’s connected but doesn’t work. I went and bought more new tips which did nothing at all.

i installed the iOS 17 on my iPad 10th generation and after 2 days my Apple Pencil 1 started lagging, so I forgot the device and now I can’t pair it anymore. I tried all that Apple recommends and watched YouTube videos too. What should I do now? I live in a country where there is no Apple Store how can I fix it. I’ve tried resetting my iPad, charging the pencil but nothing seems to work