Surface Pen won’t write, open apps, or connect to Bluetooth

Sometimes you will find that your Surface Pen does not work on your Surface device. In today's post, we'll show you the general and specific troubleshooting steps you can take to help you if your Surface Pen does not write, open applications, or connect to Bluetooth. .

Surface Pen will not write, open applications, or connect to Bluetooth

General Troubleshooting for Surface Pen Problems

Here are some things to try first, in no particular order, if your Surface Pen does not work or connect to Bluetooth.

1. Test your pen ink, writing or erasing OneNote, Sticky Notes or Fresh Paint. If your pen works in one of these applications, the application you want to use may not work with the stylus.
2. Open apps and use your Surface to the touch. If you can not use your finger on your surface, refer to this guide – The touch screen does not work. Once the contact works, try your pen again.
3. Check the battery level of your pen. If you have paired your pen, you can check it in your settings. Go to Start> Settings> Devices> Bluetooth and other devices, then find your pen to see the battery level. If the battery is low or not powered, you may need to change or recharge your battery.
4. Check the settings of your pen. To check the cursor settings, handwriting and the top button, select Start> Settings> Devices> Pen and Ink Windows. To check the pen pressure settings, open the Surface application and select the Pen tab to adjust it.
5. Associate the surface with the pen manually. Check the LED light on your pen. If you are unsure of the meaning of the diode of your pen, refer to the
6. Update your firmware and Surface drivers
7. Run the Surface Diagnostics Toolbox.

Specific troubleshooting for surface stylus issues

If you are having problems with the Surface Pen, as listed below, you can try the recommended associated troubleshooting.

1) How do I know which Surface pen I have?
If you are unsure about your surface, refer to the Microsoft Guide.

2) Your surface pen will not be inking.
If your pen does not use ink, do the following:

• Test the functionality of the LED light. If the light does not come on, it is a power problem.
• Run Windows updates or the Surface diagnostic kit.
• Restart your Surface, even if it has already restarted during Windows updates.
• Replace the battery.

3) Your Surface Pen will not be paired with your Surface device.

Do the following:

• On your pen, press and hold the top button until the light flashes to activate the Bluetooth pairing mode.
• On your PC, select beginning > Settings > features > Bluetooth and other devices.
• Make sure Bluetooth is enabled, then select Add Bluetooth or another device > Bluetooth. Choose Surface Pen from the device list. Follow the other instructions if they appear, then select Finished.

Microsoft Classroom Pen does not support the Bluetooth feature or the pen cap.

If your pen is not listed in the device list, the LED can help you identify the problem (see the table below). Press and hold the button on the top of your pen for 5 to 7 seconds.

4) The light on your Surface Pen flashes red or does not illuminate..

Here are the things you need to know:

• If your pen light is blinking red, you may need to change the battery.
• If your pen light does not come on and you can still write to your Surface, the light may be off.
• If your pen light does not come on and you have replaced the battery, you may need to replace your pen.

To request a replacement surface pen, follow these steps:

• Head of Appliance Service and Repair page on Microsoft.com. Sign in with your Microsoft account and select a surface or register a new device.
• Once you have selected a registered device, you will see replacement offers based on the status of your warranty and your eligibility for an exchange.

5) Clicking the upper surface stylus button does not open the assigned shortcut.

If the assigned pen shortcut does not open when you click the top button, the pen may not be associated with your Surface or its battery may be low.

To find out if the pen is paired and to find out the battery level, select Start> Settings> Devices> Bluetooth and other devices. If your pen is paired, select Start> Settings> Devices> Pen and Ink Windows to confirm the top button shortcut assignment.

If the battery level is low or not listed, you may need to replace the battery.

You may need to connect the pen to your Surface after changing the batteries. If the assigned pen shortcut still does not open when you click the top button or if the light does not light up, contact Microsoft Technical Support.

6) Clicking or double-clicking the upper button of the surface pen does not do what I want.

Make sure Bluetooth is enabled and your pen is connected to your Surface. See section 3) above.

You can change the shortcuts of your pen so that the buttons do what you want. Do the following:

• Select Start> Settings> Devices> Pen and Ink Windows.
• Under Pen shortcuts, select the applications that you want to open.

7) The surface stylus buttons do not work or the writing is irregular and inaccurate.

Try pairing your pen with your Surface device again.

8) The tip of the pen is broken, lost or worn.
See this guide to learn how to replace the Surface Pen tip.

I hope you find this guide useful!