Out of the box, people who haven’t read the instructions may have a hard time figuring out how to connect their Apple Pencil to iPad Pro. It’s a Bluetooth device, so you have to go into the Bluetooth settings, right? Unfortunately, this doesn’t work. Instead, we’ll show you how to pair the Apple Pencil with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro or the smaller 9.7-inch iPad Pro, released half a year after the larger iPad Pro. We also show the user how to charge using the iPad Pro or iPad Pro charging cable.
Pairing Apple Pencil with iPad Pro
Pairing or connecting apple pencil with iPad Pro simple. First, turn on Bluetooth in Settings on iPad Pro Blue using the steps below.
Tap Pair when appears after connecting Apple Pencil to iPad Pro
Then pull the cap over the Apple Pencil on the end with the aluminum tape around it. Be sure to place it in a safe place. This thing will disappear for many users if they are not careful. The cover covers the Apple Pencil’s Lightning connector. Plug the connector into the iPad Pro’s Lightning connector. A button pops up on the iPad Pro screen. It reads “Bluetooth Pairing Request” and asks the user if they want to pair with the iPad. Tap and this will pair the Pen with the iPad.
To check the pairing process, open the Settings app and tap on it. You will see the Apple Pencil listed under the Bluetooth On/Off switch.
You’ll have to plug the Pen back into the iPad Pro each time you turn off Bluetooth. It reconnects instantly, so plug it back in and it’ll pair in seconds. Leave it plugged in to charge the battery, which takes us to charging the Pen.
How to Charge the Apple Pencil
Apple Pencil includes a built-in rechargeable battery. It usually comes out of the box with enough strength to use it for a while. After the battery is discharged and the Pen starts behaving erratically, you need to charge it. Thanks to its fast charging feature, it does not take long to charge when it dies. Apple offers users two ways to charge it.
First, connect the Apple Pencil to the iPad Pro’s Lightning port as if you were pairing the Apple Pencil. Leave it plugged in for a while to make sure you have enough juice to use uninterrupted for as long as you plan. Apple promises that a 15-second charge will give you half an hour of use. Let it sit for a few minutes for hours of use. It charged my Apple Pencil from around 75% to 100% in just a few minutes, thanks to the fast charging feature we get when connected to the iPad Pro’s Lightning port. It will go from dead to 100% in less than 10 minutes.
Open Notifications on iPad Pro to see the Apple Pencil battery level.
To see how much battery power Apple Pencil has, plug it into the Lightning port on iPad and swipe down from the top of iPad Pro’s screen to see the Today screen in iOS Notifications. Tap the tab as seen in the screenshot above. This section shows the battery power level of the iPad and the battery power level of the Pen as a percentage.
The second way to charge involves using the small Lightning-to-Lightning adapter included in the Apple Pencil retail box (see the white object near the tip in the image below). There’s another little thing to lose, so keep it in a safe place like it’s plugged into a Lightning sync/charge cable.
Use the small adapter to attach the Apple Pencil to a Lightning to USB cable.
Plug the adapter into the Apple Pencil’s Lightning connector. Plug the other end of the adapter into a Lightning cable. Plug the USB connector of the Lightning cable into a USB port on a computer, AC adapter, battery backup device, or USB car charger. Unless these support fast charging, the Pen takes much longer to charge to 100%.
Charge Apple Pencil with the Moxiware Pen Charging Dock
A third way to charge the Apple Pencil comes from Moxiware, which makes some really cool accessories for Apple products. They Pen Charging Dock ($29.95) looks like a simple Pencil holder, but includes a user-supplied Apple Lightning cable and the aforementioned charging adapter. The Dock provides instructions for its installation.
After installing the Pen Charging Cradle, the user can slide the Apple Pencil into the slot and insert the Pen cap into a hole on the top of the slot. This holds and charges the Apple Pencil.
Bonus Tip: Replace Apple Pencil Tip
The Apple Pencil Tip unscrews so you can replace it with the extra tip that comes in the box.
The pen tip is screwed in so that the user can change it. A replacement nib comes with the Apple Pencil. It will likely wear out over time, so keep this tip in a safe place where you won’t lose it. I recommend leaving both the nib and the charging adapter in the box the pen came in. Put the box in a safe place or carry it in your computer bag. Hopefully someone will come up with a creative solution for carrying the adapter, extra nib and Pen attached to the iPad Pro.
