3 Best Ways to Check Apple Pencil Battery Level on iPad

Apple Pencil offers exceptional battery life. You can keep writing for 12 hours straight without ever having to worry about recharging. But if that is no longer the case (this happens when an Apple Pencil ages), it is best to keep an eye on the battery level of your Apple Pencil. This also goes for the 1st generation Apple Pencil which requires a rather cumbersome charging procedure.

So how can you check the battery level on the Apple Pencil? There are three ways to do this. The first method is to use the Battery widget built into iPadOS and applies to both first and second generation Apple Pencils. If you are using an Apple Pencil 2, there are also a few other methods you can use to easily check the charge level. Let’s check them out.

1. Use the Battery widget

The Battery Widget relays real-time charge levels for a number of devices such as AirPods and Apple Pencil. Start by going to Today view: swipe right from the first page of the Home screen to view it. If the Battery widget is enabled, you should immediately see the charge level on your Apple Pencil.

If you don’t see it, here’s how to activate it. The procedure is slightly different in iPadOS 14 and later.

iPadOS 14 and later

Step 1: Display the day view. Then, long press on a vacant area of ​​the home screen to start shaking it. Then tap the plus icon in the upper left corner of the screen.

2nd step: Scroll through the widget gallery, then tap Battery.

Step 3: Choose a widget size (small, medium or large). Smaller and medium widgets use less space in Today view, but the larger Battery widget clearly relays device names. Once you’ve made a decision, tap Add Widget.

And that’s all. You should see the Battery widget in Today view, along with your Apple Pencil’s current charge level. You can also drag the widget anywhere in Today view. I recommend dragging it to the top of the list so that you can see it clearly whenever you want.

Also, don’t forget to stack the Battery widget with other widgets of similar size. This helps reduce the amount of in-game screen in Today view.

iPadOS 13 and earlier

Step 1: Go to day view. Then scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap on the Edit icon.

2nd step: Find the battery list under the More widgets section, and then tap the plus icon next to Battery.

Step 3: Tap Done.

You should then see the Battery widget in the Today view. You can also drag the widget to the top of the screen if you want.

2. Install the iPad (Apple Pencil 2 only)

If you’re using a 2nd generation Apple Pencil, checking the current charge level is as easy as snapping it onto the magnetic connector on the right side of your iPad Pro (3rd and 4th generation) or iPad Air (4th generation).

As soon as you snap it on, look towards the top of the screen – you should see the current Apple Pencil charge level blinking for a few seconds. If you missed it, just remove the stylus and put it back.

This also charges the Apple Pencil. And as you can see my Apple Pencil 2 almost always has a full charge because I clip it to my iPad whenever I’m not using it.

If the Apple Pencil is out of charge, you may not see this indicator. In this case, leave it attached for about a minute. Then remove and reattach. Check out this troubleshooting guide if you can’t connect Apple Pencil to your iPad Pro or iPad Air.

3. Go to the Settings app (Apple Pencil 2 only)

Another very easy way to check the charge level on the Apple Pencil 2 is to go to the Settings app. Once you’re there, choose Apple Pencil on the right side of the screen and you should see the current charge level towards the top of the screen.

Don’t miss a note

If you’re using an Apple Pencil 2, you’ll rarely need to research the current charge level. It stays magnetically attached to your iPad and also charges automatically when not in use. That said, keep in mind that you can keep writing for thirty minutes or more by briefly charging your first or second generation Apple Pencil for just 15 seconds.