Apple Pencil is a great accessory for your iPad, allowing you to perform various actions using the stylus.
It lets you take handwritten notes, draw, sketch, and paint on the screen conveniently. You can control the entirety of the device using the stylus.
Ever since its introduction in 2015, iPad users have found a way of doing things on the device more efficiently, and the fact that it’s wireless makes things even cooler.
However, because it’s an electronic product, it requires charging. Depending upon which version of the Apple Pencil you have, the charging methods differ, and you need to use it the right way in order to charge it.
In this post, you’ll learn exactly how to charge an Apple Pencil, whether it’s the 1st or 2nd generation.
Let’s dive straight into it.
How to charge Apple Pencil 1st Gen
Starting with the original product that came out first, charging Apple Pencil 1st generation is very easy. There are two different ways to do it, so depending upon your comfort, you can use the one that feels right for you.
The first method is to simply remove the cap above the silver band of the Apple Pencil, which will reveal the lightning connector, and then plug it into the iPad like you would when plugging in a charger.
In the second method, which is an alternative, you can use the small lightning USB adapter that comes included with the product.
This way, you can insert the Apple Pencil on one end of the adapter and a charging cable on the other end, and then plug it into a socket to start charging.
How to charge Apple Pencil 2nd Gen
In the 2nd generation of the Apple Pencil, Apple made the whole process much more convenient. It now supports wireless charging, so you can just place the Apple Pencil on the magnetic connector on the long side of your iPad (situated on the right).
You need to ensure the Bluetooth on your iPad is turned on, or it won’t work.
What is the usual charging time for each of the two generations?
Just like most electronic devices, you do not need to wait for the Apple Pencil to get to 100% before using it.
In fact, just a few minutes of charging will give you a good amount of power, but generally, it can take anywhere around 15-30 minutes for it to be fully charged.
To check the battery status of the Apple Pencil, you can install the “Batteries” widget, after which you can swipe from left to right from your home screen or lock screen to get information about the battery percentage.
The widget should automatically get installed when you connect the Apple Pencil to your iPad, but if it’s not, then you can install it by tapping and holding on an empty area on the screen until the apps start to jiggle, and then tapping the “+” icon to choose the “Batteries” widget.
You can customize the widget’s appearance and even drag it to be placed anywhere you want.
What you need to check when your Apple Pencil is not charging
If your Apple Pencil is not charging for some reason, you must ensure your iPad is well charged, and the Bluetooth is turned on. Also, keep in mind the wireless charging of the 2nd Gen supports the following models of the iPad:
- iPad Air (4th generation)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd and 4th generation)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st and 2nd generation)
If your iPad doesn’t fall in the above category, then the magnetic charging would not work, so you have to do it the traditional way.
Grab the Apple Pencil if you haven’t already
As expressed enough in this post, the stylus from Apple is a fantastic product, and irrespective of whether you go for the Apple Pencil 1st generation or the Apple Pencil 2nd generation, it’s going to make things so much easier for you.
Both of them are available on Amazon, so go ahead and grab one of them if you haven’t already.
Conclusion
I hope this post cleared any doubts you had about charging the Apple Pencil and its battery life, as sometimes it can be confusing because of the different methods for each generation.
You may also look at some of these iPad stands.
