Apple Pencil Not Working or Won't Pair With Your iPad? Pairing and Charging Fixes

Your Apple Pencil won’t connect, the Pair button never appears, or it stops writing on your iPad.

Why: Pairing depends on the Pencil having charge, on it being the right model for your iPad, on Bluetooth being on, and on nothing (like a case) blocking the magnetic connector. Charge first, confirm the model, then re-pair.

Fix 1: Charge it, then connect to bring up the Pair button

A flat Apple Pencil won’t pair. Charge it the right way for your generation:

• Apple Pencil Pro / Apple Pencil (2nd generation): Place it on the magnetic connector along the side of your iPad. It snaps into place and starts charging.
• Apple Pencil (1st generation) with iPad (6th–9th gen): Remove the cap and plug it into the Lightning connector on the iPad.
• Apple Pencil (1st generation) with iPad (10th gen): Use the USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter with a charging cable.

Keep it connected and wait about one minute for it to take some charge, then look for the Pair button to appear on screen and tap it.

Fix 2: Check Bluetooth, the model, and your iPadOS version

1. Go to Settings → Bluetooth and make sure Bluetooth is turned on. (If it’s off, the Pair button never appears.)
2. Confirm you have an Apple Pencil model that works with your specific iPad — generations are not interchangeable. The wrong model simply won’t pair.
3. Update your iPad: Settings → General → Software Update. An out-of-date iPadOS can block pairing.

Fix 3: Remove the case, restart, and forget the device

1. Take any case or cover off the iPad. For the Apple Pencil Pro and 2nd generation, a case can stop the magnetic connector from seating against the iPad.
2. With the Pencil connected, restart your iPad, then try to pair again.
3. If it’s listed but misbehaving, go to Settings → Bluetooth, find your Apple Pencil under My Devices, tap the info (i) button, choose Forget This Device, then reconnect the Pencil and tap Pair when it appears.

If the Pair button still never shows up after all of this, your Apple Pencil may need service — contact Apple Support.

FAQ

The Pair button never appears. Most often the Pencil is too low on charge or Bluetooth is off. Charge it for a full minute on the connector and confirm Settings → Bluetooth is on.

It pairs but won’t write or skips. Restart the iPad, make sure iPadOS is up to date, and check the Pencil tip is screwed on tight (1st gen) or undamaged. A 2nd-gen tip that’s loose causes skipping.

Why won’t my old Apple Pencil work on my new iPad? Each iPad supports a specific Apple Pencil generation. A 1st-gen Pencil won’t pair with an iPad that needs the 2nd gen or Pencil Pro, and vice versa.

Sources: Apple Support — If you can’t pair Apple Pencil with your iPad