How to Find My Apple Pencil: Complete Guide

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Everything you need to track down a missing Apple Pencil
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Apple Pencils are notoriously easy to lose. If you’ve misplaced your Pencil, don’t panic–there are several ways you can narrow down its location. If you have an Apple Pencil Pro, you can use Find My on your iPad to track it down. Otherwise, you’ll need to try a hack like checking if it’s in your iPad’s Bluetooth range or using a Bluetooth tracker app.

How to Track a Lost Apple Pencil

If you have an Apple Pencil Pro, you can track it in Find My. However, you must add your Pencil to Find My before this will work. For Pencils without Find My, check your iPad’s Bluetooth settings to see if the Pencil is close enough to connect. Or, use an app like Bluetooth Finder to narrow down your Pencil’s location.

Section 1 of 5:

Using Find My (Apple Pencil Pro Only)

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  1. If you have an Apple Pencil Pro–and if you’ve set it up in Find My–you can use the Find My app on your iPad to locate your Pencil. To get started, launch the Find My app from your Home Screen or App Library. The app icon looks like a green radar screen with a blue wedge at the top.
    • If you’ve never added your Apple Pencil Pro to Find My, this method may not work. For future reference, here’s how to do it: [1]
      • Open Find My and attach your Apple Pencil Pro to the side of your iPad.
      • Tap Devices in the box on the right side of the map, then tap + .
      • Select Add Apple Pencil from the menu that pops up.
      • Tap Add Pencil . Wait a moment for Find My to add your Apple Pencil to the device list.
    • Check out our article on how to enable Find My if you haven’t already set it up.
    • Note that this method will only work for the Apple Pencil Pro. If you have an Apple Pencil USB-C, First Generation, or Second Generation, you’ll need to use one of the other methods below.
  2. This will open a list of all your linked Apple devices.
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  3. It may say something like “Home,” or list another location where the Pencil was most recently detected.
  4. Unlike an AirTag, the Apple Pencil Pro won’t give you very precise tracking information. [2] However, it will give you general guidance–e.g., the display will tell you if you’re far away, nearby, or within reach of the Pencil. Once you’re within a certain range, your iPad will begin to make an alert sound.
    • If your iPad is in landscape orientation, you’ll need to rotate it to portrait mode to find your Apple Pencil in Find My.
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Section 2 of 5:

Using Bluetooth on Your iPad

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  1. Tap the app icon that looks like a pair of gears on a light grey background.
    • This method will tell you if your Apple Pencil is nearby, but it’s not very precise. Typically, you need to be within about 10 meters (30 feet) of your Apple Pencil in order for your iPad’s Bluetooth to detect it.
    • For this method to work, you’ll need to keep Bluetooth turned on. This will prevent the Pencil from going into power-saving mode and disconnecting.
  2. This should be in the first grouping of menu options under your name in Settings.
  3. If your Pencil is listed as "Connected," then you must be within 30 ft of it since that is the Bluetooth range. [3]
    • This range may be reduced in certain conditions–for example, if there are thick walls between you and your Pencil.
    • If a low battery warning for your Apple Pencil pops up on your screen, that’s another good indication that it’s nearby. You’ll only see these notifications if your Pencil is connected and within Bluetooth range.
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Section 3 of 5:

Using the Bluetooth Finder App

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  1. This app costs a few dollars, but it might be worth it to buy the app to find your expensive Apple Pencil. You can find the Bluetooth Finder app on the App Store .
    • Bluetooth Finder can only find your Pencil if it's charged and awake.
    • Buying this app could be worth it if you're consistently losing your Apple Pencil and you don’t have a model that’s compatible with Find My.
  2. It will show you a radar image and your estimated distance from the Pencil, within 2 feet (0.61 m). [4]
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Section 4 of 5:

Look Around

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  1. Even if you’re able to track your Apple Pencil using one of the methods above, you might need to do some old-fashioned searching to actually find it. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you find your Pencil:
    • Retrace your steps. Go back to where you remember last using the Apple Pencil so you can check the locations where you might've lost it.
    • Your Pencil may not be in your immediate sight, so check under and inside things, like under your pillow or inside your bag. If there's a Lost and Found, you should check that as well.
    • Remember that your Apple Pencil is magnetic. It might be sticking to something, like a metal table leg or part of your bed frame.
Section 5 of 5:

Tips to Avoid Losing Your Apple Pencil

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  1. Most of the methods for finding your Apple Pencil depend on it being charged, so make sure it always has a full charge before you use it. Charging your Pencil is as easy as plugging it in (1st gen or USB-C) or putting it on the iPad (2nd gen or Pro). [5]
  2. Apple offers free engraving on Apple Pencil (2nd gen and Pro), so that's an easy and free method of making the Pencil unmistakably yours. If you don't want to engrave it, or you already have your Pencil, there are stickers, wrappers, covers, and protective cases that you can get to personalize it.
    • This is especially useful to have if you work in a place with other people who also have their own Apple Pencils that they bring to work, or if others you live with also have Apple Pencils. [6]
    • Adding a colorful skin to your Apple Pencil can also make it easier to spot if you misplace it.
  3. Attach a GPS tracker . Many modern trackers are created in the form of stickers or keychains, so they don't interfere with using the Pencil to write or draw. Your GPS tracker will work even if your Pencil's battery is dead or if it's sleeping.
  4. Since the Apple Pencil 2, Pro, and USB-C are magnetic, it's really easy to simply put them back on your iPad. Since the Pencil charges when it's connected to your iPad, you're also keeping it fully charged and preventing yourself from misplacing it and losing it! [7]
    • Even if you have a first-generation Apple Pencil, many iPad cases come with a slot where you can insert the pencil to keep it close to the iPad when not in use.
    • If you have a USB-C Apple Pencil, it will attach magnetically to your iPad, but you still need to plug it in to charge it. [8]
  5. It's harder to lose something when you have a place where you always keep it. If you don't have a magnetic Apple Pencil that you can attach to your iPad, you can buy a pencil stand or case to keep it in when you aren’t using it. Always putting your Pencil in that pencil stand will prevent you from losing it in the future!
    • Many Apple Pencil stands double as chargers.
    • Alternatively, buy a case for your iPad that has a slot for the Apple Pencil.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/add-your-ipad-ipadb17e07b8/ipados
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/P_8P3jmhnrM?si=il7bkA6TIW4t31z3
      3. ↑ https://screenrant.com/apple-pencil-lost-tracking-options-explained/
      4. ↑ https://apps.apple.com/app/bluetooth-finder/id1259319285
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/pair-and-charge-apple-pencil-1st-generation-ipadc9c41abb/ipados
      6. ↑ https://www.apple.com/shop/engraving-and-gift-wrap
      7. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/pair-and-charge-apple-pencil-2nd-generation-ipad51ac5369/ipados
      8. ↑ https://www.apple.com/shop/select-apple-pencil

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