Apple Pencil Not Writing (Try These 9 Fixes)

If you use an Apple Pencil to write on your iPad, you may occasionally run into issues with the pencil tip. Are you unable to write with your Apple Pencil at the moment?

If so, continue reading to find out all the potential solutions to this issue so that your Apple Pencil will begin working again!

Why Isn’t My Apple Pencil Writing in [currentyear]?

If your Apple Pencil isn’t writing, the first step to fix the issue would be to restart your iPad, since it could be a glitch or bug, and restarting often resolves those problems. Also, you can try to charge the Apple Pencil and iPad because a dead or low battery may be the problem in [currentyear].

Are you looking for more potential fixes for your Apple Pencil not writing? Well, I have even more solutions to share with you, so keep reading to find out more!

1. Restart Your iPad

As with most tech issues, restarting your device may solve the problem if you’ve noticed the Apple Pencil not writing, so restart your iPad to see if that’ll fix the issue.

Additionally, restarting the iPad will improve its performance of it and can resolve other bugs and glitches that could be hindering the Apple Pencil’s ability to write.

2. Charge Your Apple Pencil

If it’s been a while since you’ve charged your Apple Pencil or used it, then you’ll want to charge the Apple Pencil to see if that solves the issue.

Furthermore, if your Apple Pencil battery is drained completely, it could take 20 minutes for you to see the charging icon appear on the iPad, and then let it charge for about an hour.

3. Charge Your iPad

While your Apple Pencil should work with a low iPad battery, some situations may cause the Apple Pencil to not write on the iPad if the battery is low, so charge it to see if it works.

For example, if your iPad battery is at 15%, then you’ll want to charge it to around 40% or more and then try to write with the Apple Pencil to see if it begins working with a charged battery.

4. Make Sure Bluetooth Is Turned On

While you might think you’ve turned Bluetooth on, sometimes it can accidentally be turned off, which could cause your Apple Pencil to not write.

Therefore, make sure you’ve turned Bluetooth on so that your Apple Pencil can work on your iPad, and you can go into the “Control Center” to check if Bluetooth is on or off.

5. Toggle Bluetooth Off and Back On

If your Apple Pencil isn’t writing, toggle the Bluetooth off and back on, which can reset the connection if there was a disruption causing the Apple Pencil to not write.

Also, it’s easy to toggle Bluetooth off and back on by using the “Control Center” on the iPad and then turning off Bluetooth, waiting 30 seconds, and turning it back on.

6. Turn Off the Zoom Function

Having the Zoom function turned on can cause your Apple Pencil to not write, according to some users. So, turn off Zoom or check to make sure it’s off to see if that’ll fix the issue.

Further, it’s simple to check to see if Zoom was accidentally turned on and can be turned off quickly by following the steps below:

Open the “Settings” on your iPad
Select “Accessibility”
Click on “Zoom”
Tap next to the “Zoom” option to turn it off if it’s turned on, and the switch will be white when it’s off

7. Unpair and Pair Apple Pencil Again

If you’re having issues with the Apple Pencil not writing, then unpair and pair it again to see if that’ll fix the issue.

Furthermore, it’s simple to unpair the Apple Pencil from your iPad if you follow the steps mentioned below:

Go into the “Settings” on your iPad
Select “Bluetooth”
Look for the Apple Pencil
Select the (i) next to your Apple Pencil
Select “Forget This Device”
Confirm by selecting “Forget Device”
Repair the Apple Pencil to your iPad and try to write to see if it’ll work

8. Tighten the Apple Pencil Nib

If the nib of your Apple Pencil is loose, then it could interfere with the connection between the Apple Pencil and your iPad and cause the Apple Pencil to not write.

Therefore, make sure the Apple Pencil nib is tight, which you can do by twisting the nib clockwise, and it should tighten easily without much pressure being applied.

9. Replace Apple Pencil Nib

There could also be an issue with the nib, especially if it’s the original and you’ve used it a lot, so you also can try to replace it to see if that helps.

Also, any damage to the nib can cause the Apple Pencil to not write, so inspect it for damage to ensure that the nib is in good working condition.

To know more, you can also read our posts on Apple Pencil not connecting, Apple Pencil not charging, and whether the Apple Pencil is worth it.

Conclusion

If your Apple Pencil isn’t writing, you can first try to restart your iPad to see if that fixes the problem. If that doesn’t work, charge the Apple Pencil and iPad. In addition, you may want to tighten the Apple Pencil nib by turning it clockwise until it’s secure.

And, if you see damage to the nib or it looks worn, replace it which could resolve the issue.

However, you may need to take further action such as unpairing the Apple Pencil and pairing it again to your iPad or toggling Bluetooth off and back on to fix Apple Pencil not writing. a