Gen 1 Pencil No Longer Connecting to Gen 10 IPad

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Gen 1 Pencil No Longer Connecting to Gen 10 IPad

Hello!

Recently, my Gen 1 Apple Pencil stopped working and I’ve been trying to follow the usual steps of disconnecting then reconnecting it.

I’ve fully charged both devices, made sure the software for the IPad is up to date, and restarted it several times. However, no matter how many times I plug the Apple Pencil in, for some reason it does not show up as a pair-able device in the IPad Bluetooth settings.

iPad, iPadOS 18

Posted on Sep 25, 2025 6:26 AM

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Answer 1

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Tesserax

Level 10

157,878 points

Sep 25, 2025 7:36 AM in response to CarIonMey

Here’s what I’d suggest:

Make sure you’re using the official USB-C to Apple Pencil Adapter from Apple. Connect the Pencil to the adapter, then to your iPad’s USB-C charging cable.
Once plugged in, you should get a “Pair” prompt on the iPad’s screen — tap it to complete pairing.
If nothing happens, go to Settings > Bluetooth, toggle Bluetooth off and back on, then try again.
If the iPad still doesn’t recognize it, try another USB-C cable/charger to rule out a cable issue, and also check the Pencil tip — if it’s loose or damaged, it can cause erratic behavior.

If you’re using the correct adapter and it still refuses to pair, it could be a hardware issue with the Pencil’s connector (they’re prone to wear) or the adapter itself. In that case, I suggest visiting your local Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provicer to run a quick test with their demo hardware to confirm if it’s the Pencil or the iPad.

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