Apple Pencil stop working after 18.0.1 update.

If your iPad and Pencil are not operating as expected, try a forced-restart of your iPad - as this will often clear an isolated or post update software issue:

Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

1. Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
3. Press and hold the top button.
4. When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.

Force restart iPad (models with the Home button)

Press and hold the top button and the Home button at the same time. When the Apple logo appears, release both buttons.

If the problem persists after performing the restart, it may be necessary to reset your iPad settings. While this reset will not cause any loss of data, as a precaution, it is always wise to ensure that you have a current iCloud or iTunes backup before performing the reset:

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

When you are happy to proceed, you can perform the reset from iPad settings:

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset All Settings

If the problem still doesn’t clear, the next step is to reset the iPad to factory settings:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support

Otherwise, you would be best advised to seek assistance directly from Apple Support. You can contact the Support Team using the Support link at top-right or bottom-left of this page. Alternatively and perhaps easier, you can initiate and manage your support cases using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed on your iPad, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044

You might also visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to assist with troubleshooting:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

I was having a very similar issue. Ever since the ios 18 update I noticed my pen would randomly stop writing on my ipad and I'd have to forget and reconnect the the pencil to fix. Then today, I went to do the same as usual and it connected but I couldn't write on anything, even after forgetting and reconnecting the device. The Apple 2nd gen pencil definitely was charging, definitely had charge, and was definitely connected to my ipad (i could tell all this from the battery management widget), but no touches were being recognized in anywhere.

Enough yapping, here's what I did to fix it:

1. Connect apple pencil magnetically to the ipad, ensure it's connected and recognized as charging
2. While still physically connected to the ipad, forget the pencil in bluetooth settings
3. Force restart the ipad (look up how to do this separately) with the pencil still physically attached
4. Once restarted remove the pencil from the magnetic holder and place it back
5. It should now reconnect, and hopefully function

• This solved my issue and I noticed that the connection animation that happens at the top of the ipad was distinctly faster than when I would connect and it wouldn't work

What I tried before that didn't work:

• I tried these exact steps without the pencil physically attached to the ipad during the force restart and it didn't work
• I tried just a normal bluetooth reset
• I tried letting the pencil fully die and reconnect

My system details are as follows:

• iPad air 4th gen
• ios 18.1.1
• Apple pencil 2nd gen
• All roughly 3 years old and I had never had issues like this before.

Bear919 wrote:

Updated iPad mini 6 yesterday to 18.3.1 and Pencil 2 no longer works.

If your iPad and Pencil are not operating as expected, begin with a forced-restart of your iPad - as this will often clear an isolated or post-update software issue:

Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

1. Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
3. Press and hold the top button.
4. When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.

If the problem persists after performing the restart, it may be necessary to reset your iPad settings. While this reset will not cause any loss of data, as a precaution, it is always wise to ensure that you have a current iCloud or iTunes backup before performing the reset:

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

When you are happy to proceed, you can perform the reset from iPad settings:

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset All Settings

If the problem still doesn’t clear, the next step is to reset the iPad to factory settings:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support

Otherwise, you would be best advised to seek assistance directly from Apple Support. You can contact the Support Team using the Support link at top-right or bottom-left of this page. Alternatively and perhaps easier, you can initiate and manage your support cases using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed on your iPad, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044

You might also visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to test and assess your iPad - and you can explore your available options:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

I managed to get my pencil reconnected. I started with restarting my ipad, then headed to settings > Bluetooth. Removed the pencil from the ipad (physically disconnected) then removed from my bluetooth list. I then connected the pencil (physically) and it popped up with the Charge %. working fine now

Seniora wrote:

Please can you look into this it is an update issue. Can i roll back to an earlier update if so how do i do that please. I have tried all the advice below and its not working on two pencils dont tell me the batteries have gone simultaneously on both, mine and my partners. Both pencils working before the update.

1) First, please understand the Apple Support Community is a user-to-user technical forum. Contributors here are all end-users, just like you. Other than the site Moderators, Apple neither monitor nor participate here. As such, if you hope to reach Apple through these forums, you will be disappointed.

2) Rolling back to an earlier version of iPadOS is not supported. All System Updates are digitally signed by Apple - and can only be installed whilst the digital signatures remain valid. After release of a new iOS/iPadOS version, the immediately preceding version continues to be digitally signed by Apple - however, usually within a few days, Apple will revoke the digital certificate with which the earlier version is signed.

3) You might be best advised to seek assistance directly from Apple Support. You can contact the Support Team using the Support link at top-right or bottom-left of this page.

Alternatively, you can initiate and manage your support cases from Apple devices using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044

You might also visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to offer assistance:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Similar issues happen to me after the last iPadOS upgrade to 18.0.1

iPad Pro and the pencil has been living in the case where it stays docked to the charger slot on my iPad. Never found it to have a drained battery until the last update. Now I routinely find it at red 0-10% charge. Pull it out and reseat it in the case and it suddenly starts charging.

Went from 0% a few minutes ago to 92% in under 20 minutes. Haven’t changed anything except the iPadOS update. Same case. Same iPad. Same pencil. Stopped holding charge while being stored in case.

Update. I bought a pencil 2 directly from Apple. Works fine. My guess is the deeply discounted “new” pencil 2 I bought through Amazon is defective or a counterfeit. Will return it.

Having the EXACT same issue with the exact same iPad and Pencil (5th/2nd). I spent an hour at the Genius bar today trying to diagnose the issue - we swapped out pencils for a new one, reset the iPad, and tried any and all troubleshooting steps. The only conclusion that we came to was that the iPad OS update to 18.x.x did something to the Pencil preventing it from functioning. The iPad recognizes the pencil, shows it is connected to the iPad, the Pencil charges via the iPad, and in the Bluetooth settings it indicates "Connected" but the iPad is unresponsive to the Pencil when attempting to use it for any functionality. It looks like, for some reason, the new 18.x.x iPadOS is allowing the 2nd gen Pencil to function. I received no resolution from Apple other than "wait for an update to the software" and now I have a useless Pencil.

I read on Reddit that the 18.x update disables counterfeit pencils. My pencil is brand new, but purchased at a steep discount on Black Friday through Amazon. So it certainly could be a fake. Is anyone experiencing this issue using a pencil purchased through Apple?

Hey @BrianWally, here's the scoop:

Problem resolved, although not entirely sure it was this issue.

This is what I did: Went to see Genius Bar at local Apple Store. I brought my iPad Mini 6 and Pencil 2nd generation, both of which worked together seamlessly up until this iOS update. At first glance it seemed like the nib of the pencil was damaged, although that was not the case prior to seeing them in the store. So since the iPad Mini is now version 7, and no longer supports the Pencil 2, and they had no Mini 6s in the store, even for testing (which I found a little bizarre, but ok), he told me the following:

• They don't support the pencil on screen protectors. This is utter nonsense. I have a tempered glass screen protector that I've had on the iPad since day 1, with no problems, ever. He wanted to remove the screen protector, and I objected.
• Of course the next option, per him, was to completely restore the iPad to factory settings, which I also refused to do. This was because the Pencil was charging to 100% on the device, and it was recognized with no problems in the bluetooth settings.

So I thought I was stuck. I actually did more troubleshooting than he did (although in all honesty he was very nice and tried very hard to be helpful).

FINALLY they found an iPad Mini 6. They tested my pencil on that iPad and, voila! It did not work on that one either, leading us both to believe the pencil had just "died". I am still not certain if it's the iOS 18.3.1 update that killed it or if it's a hardware failure, however since the pencil is over 2 years old at this point, I only could buy a new one. Luckily they do price match (up to a certain point) so at least I got it at the Amazon price, and it works perfectly.

In the end, I had to spend money on an older (and no longer supported)piece of technology, but I do use the Pencil and plan on keeping the Mini 6 for a little while longer. Plus, having the pencil adds to the resale value.

I hope this helps. I am still on the fence about why this happened coincidentally with the 18.3.1 update.

i have the same issue (6th gen iPad Pro) with the added advantage of having a backup 2nd gen pencil in case the first decides to stop working, which was in vain since neither work now. Both connect magnetically to the side and are identified by iPad (18.3.1) and pair up, which have been “forget device” and re-paired, but do not actually interface with the iPad. One of my pencils is still under warranty, so it’s being replaced - I didn’t check the forum before support assumed it was the pencil and I went through several hours chasing an OS problem masked by the accessory. Having two 2nd gen pencils that worked perfectly both stop working simultaneously tells me it’s a connectivity issue with the most recent update - it did not start immediately after the update, but within several hours and was potentially instigated by trying to use it in a creative app - brush strokes became intermittent and inconsistent until no longer registering over a period of about 5-10 minutes. .

My pencil is not working with the update in iOS 18. I have the 5th generation . My iPad is recognizing the pairing but it won’t connect . I don’t have the money to replace one . The Apple advisor suggested I wait for a new update . I use my pencil for everything .

arjunaakko wrote:

I've been experiencing same issue. I just bough a Second gen Apple pencil and its not working. It pairs to my ipad pro when I connect it magnetically to the side, but the very moment I remove it, it disconnects. Tried all troubleshooting steps and nothing is working.

The behaviour that you describe indicates that the Pencil will successfully pair when docked with the iPad. Loss of connection when the Pencil is un-docked would suggest failure of the Pencil's battery.

Be aware that if your Pencil has been set-aside for an extended period, unused and uncharged, the Pencil battery may have been damaged through deep discharge. In common with all Li-ion batteries, they must always have some level of charge.

The tiny internal Li-ion battery is susceptible to permanent/irreversible damage through being left discharged for long periods. Even some “new” pencils can exhibit signs of failure out-of-the-box if they are “old stock”. 

It is essential that if you have an Apple Pencil that you charge it regularly - whether used or not - so as to protect the battery from deep-discharge. Do not allow a pencil to remain in low-charge state for any period of time - as the internal battery will fail, rendering the Pencil useless. Setting aside an unused Pencil, for extended periods, is a recipe for premature death of the Pencil battery.

If the Pencil Battery has failed, the only remedy is to replace the Pencil. If the battery has failed and your pencil is within its one-year warranty, you should look to having it replaced by your retailer or at an Apple Store.

Gentle warming of the Pencil (such as placing on a hot water radiator), prior to attempting charging of the Pencil, can sometimes resurrect a dead Pencil battery.

I've done all of the suggestions (with the exception of vising an Apple Store) and nothing works. Surfing around various communities, this is not a localized situation as there are a ton of people with the same problem. It's only coincidence if it's a few like instances. I stop believing in coincidences when the numbers easily hit double digits and above.

It's a shame that we pay top dollar for something and they don't take these situations more seriously. The pencil is a very important tool for most that use the ipad, especially those of us who use it for work. Lots of people have been having this issue since the iOS 18 update and we were hoping the 18.1 would fix it.

Download the latest b-ta it will solve the issue