How to Connect Apple Pencil to iPad
Pair any Apple Pencil with your iPad. Identify your model, check that your iPad supports it, plug in or attach the pencil to pair it, check the battery, and fix a pencil that will not pair.
You will end up with your Apple Pencil paired to your iPad, charging, and showing its battery level. There are four Apple Pencil models, and each one pairs in one of two ways. The 1st generation and Apple Pencil (USB-C) plug into the iPad. The 2nd generation and Apple Pencil Pro attach to a magnetic connector on the side of the iPad.
Step 1 identifies your pencil and step 2 checks that your iPad supports it. Steps 3 to 5 pair each model, and step 6 confirms the connection and shows the battery level. If the pencil will not pair, FAQ 1 below gives Apple's fix in order.
We checked every model list, label, and step against Apple's compatibility chart, its Apple Pencil tech specs pages, and the iPad User Guide for iPadOS 27 in October 2026.
An Apple Pencil (any model) A compatible iPad, updated to the latest version of iPadOS Bluetooth turned on in Settings > Bluetooth A USB-C charge cable (for Apple Pencil (USB-C), or for a 1st generation pencil on a USB-C iPad) Apple's USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter (only for a 1st generation pencil on iPad (10th generation) or iPad (A16))
Figure out which Apple Pencil you have
There are four Apple Pencil models, and the way you pair depends on the model. Check which one you have before you pair it. The 1st generation Apple Pencil has a cap on its end that pulls off to show a Lightning connector. At 175.7 mm (6.92 inches) from tip to cap, it is the longest model. The Apple Pencil (USB-C) has an end that slides open to show a USB-C port. At 155 mm (6.10 inches), it is the shortest model. The 2nd generation and Apple Pencil Pro have no cap and no port, and both are 166 mm (6.53 inches) long. Both pair and charge on the iPad's magnetic connector. To tell those two apart, use your iPad. The iPads that take a 2nd generation pencil and the iPads that take Apple Pencil Pro are two separate lists in step 2, and no iPad is on both.
Check that your iPad supports your pencil
Not every Apple Pencil works with every iPad. These are Apple's lists as of October 2026. The 1st generation works with iPad (6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th generation), iPad (10th generation), iPad (A16), iPad mini (5th generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 9.7-inch, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation). iPad (10th generation) and iPad (A16) have USB-C, so they need Apple's USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter. The 2nd generation works with iPad mini (6th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st to 4th generation), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd to 6th generation). Apple Pencil Pro works with iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad Air 11-inch and 13-inch (M2, M3, and M4), and iPad Pro 11-inch and 13-inch (M4 and M5). None of these iPads take the 2nd generation. Apple Pencil (USB-C) works with every iPad in the 2nd generation and Pro lists, plus iPad (10th generation) and iPad (A16). Apple adds iPads to these lists as new models ship, so check Apple's full compatibility chart if your iPad came out after October 2026. To find your iPad's name, go to Settings > General > About and look at Model Name.
Good to know: Update iPadOS before you pair. Apple Pencil Pro needs iPadOS 17.5 or later, Apple Pencil (USB-C) needs iPadOS 17.1.1 or later, and updating the iPad is the first item on Apple's own pairing checklist.
Connect a 1st generation Apple Pencil
Remove the cap from the end of the pencil to show the Lightning connector. Plug the pencil into the Lightning connector on your iPad. When the Pair button appears, tap it. On iPad (10th generation) or iPad (A16), plug the pencil into the USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter instead. Connect the other end of the adapter to the iPad with a USB-C charge cable, then tap Pair when it appears. The pencil charges while it is plugged in. Once it is paired, unplug it and start writing. The pencil does not stay paired for good. Apple's pairing page for the 1st generation says it stays paired until you restart the iPad, turn off Bluetooth, or pair it with another iPad. After any of those, plug it in and tap Pair again. If the button does not appear, FAQ 1 below has Apple's fix.
Connect a 2nd generation Apple Pencil or Apple Pencil Pro
Find the magnetic connector on your iPad. Apple puts it on the right side of iPads that take the 2nd generation, and on the long side of iPads that take Apple Pencil Pro. Turn on Bluetooth in Settings > Bluetooth first. Attach the pencil to the magnetic connector and center it there. The pencil pairs and starts charging. If a Pair button appears, tap it. If the pencil stops working after a restart, or after you turn Bluetooth off and on, attach it again. Attaching is what pairs these two models. If the pencil does not pair when you attach it, take the iPad out of its case or cover and attach it again. Apple names cases and covers as a cause for these two models.
Good to know: Attaching is also how the 2nd generation and Apple Pencil Pro charge, as long as Bluetooth is on. Store the pencil on the connector when you put it down so it keeps charging.
Connect an Apple Pencil (USB-C)
Slide open the end of the pencil to show the USB-C port. Connect it to a USB-C charge cable, such as the one that came with your iPad, and connect the other end of the cable to the iPad's USB-C connector. Tap Tap to Connect. Once it is paired, disconnect the cable. The pencil charges while it is plugged into the iPad, and it also charges from the same cable and a power adapter. Apple Pencil (USB-C) attaches magnetically to the side of the iPad for storage, but it does not pair or charge there. Apple's pairing page for Apple Pencil (USB-C) says it stays paired until you restart the iPad, turn off Bluetooth, or pair it with another iPad. After any of those, plug it in with the cable and tap Tap to Connect again.
Confirm the connection and check the battery level
Open Notes or a drawing app and draw a line. If nothing appears, go back to the step for your model, or see FAQ 1 below. To check the battery level, go to Settings > Apple Pencil. The same screen holds the other options for your pencil. Double tap works on the 2nd generation and Apple Pencil Pro, and squeeze works on Apple Pencil Pro only. You can also add the Batteries widget to your Home Screen. Touch and hold the Home Screen background until the apps jiggle, tap Edit at the top of the screen, then tap Add Widget. Search for Batteries, choose a size, and tap Add Widget.
If the pencil worked yesterday and does nothing today, check whether the iPad has restarted or Bluetooth was turned off. A 1st generation pencil or Apple Pencil (USB-C) needs to be plugged in and paired again after either one, as steps 3 and 5 explain. A 2nd generation pencil or Apple Pencil Pro pairs again when you attach it. If the pencil pairs but stops partway through a drawing, check its level in Settings > Apple Pencil and charge it the way its step describes. If it still will not pair, work through FAQ 1 below, which follows Apple's own order. For more Apple how-tos, see our Apple Device Tips series.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
Work through Apple's fix in this order. Update the iPad to the latest iPadOS and check that your pencil is on its list in step 2. Connect the pencil the way its step describes, keep it connected, and restart the iPad. On an iPad without a Home button, press and hold either volume button and the top button until the power off slider appears. On an iPad with a Home button, press and hold the top button. Drag the slider, wait 30 seconds, then press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears. Next, go to Settings > Bluetooth and make sure Bluetooth is on. If your pencil is listed under My Devices, tap the info button next to it, then tap Forget this Device. Connect the pencil again and tap Pair (Tap to Connect on Apple Pencil (USB-C)) when it appears after a few seconds. If the button does not appear, leave the pencil connected for 1 minute to charge, then connect it again. For a 2nd generation pencil or Apple Pencil Pro, also take the iPad out of its case or cover. If the button still does not appear, Apple says the pencil might need service. The full checklist is on Apple's pairing troubleshooting page.
Not as of October 2026. Apple announced in September 2026 that iPhone Duo will support Apple Pencil with USB-C later in 2026. iPhone Duo goes on sale on October 23, 2026, with the pencil support to follow. For every Apple Pencil model, Apple's compatibility chart lists iPads only.
Apple's tech specs pages give no battery life for any Apple Pencil. The pages for Apple Pencil Pro, the 2nd generation, Apple Pencil (USB-C), and the 1st generation list size, weight, connections, and compatibility, with no hours of use and no charging time. Check the level in Settings > Apple Pencil or with the Batteries widget from step 6, and charge the pencil the way its step describes.
Yes, with one iPad at a time. Apple's pairing pages for the 1st generation and Apple Pencil (USB-C) say the pencil stays paired until you pair it with another iPad, so pairing it with the second iPad ends the pairing with the first. A 2nd generation pencil or Apple Pencil Pro pairs with whichever iPad you attach it to. To switch back, pair the pencil with the first iPad again the way its step describes. Both iPads need to be on the pencil's list in step 2.
We could not find an Apple page on screen protectors. Pairing does not involve the screen, because it happens through the plug or the magnetic connector on the side of the iPad, so a protector does not stop a pencil from pairing. If the pencil is paired and strokes skip or do not appear, take the protector off and draw on the bare glass. If the problem goes away, the protector is the cause.
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