Q&A for How to Make a Stylus

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  • Question
    Can I make a stylus using cotton?
    Community Answer
    It should be possible if you roughly follow the instructions for the sponge method. Just remember that, if you have a capacitive screen, your fingers will need to be close to the screen when you use your stylus.
  • Question
    Can you use duct tape instead of aluminum foil?
    Community Answer
    No. Duct tape is an insulator and would not let the energy from your finger transfer to the screen. The material needs to conduct energy.
  • Question
    Will the chopstick work for the Nook?
    Community Answer
    The Nook has a resistive touch screen which only needs pressure to register contact, so yes, a chopstick will work.
  • Question
    How does the foil work on the screen?
    Community Answer
    Your fingers are an electrical conductor, much like aluminum foil, so when you're touching the aluminum foil, the phone registers it like a finger.
  • Question
    Will the chopstick stylus work for a Nintendo 3DS?
    Community Answer
    Yes, because the 3DS uses a pressure sensor rather than an electric conductor like your typical smartphone.
  • Question
    Why doesn't a pen work as a stylus? Its tip is a conductor, right?
    Community Answer
    Capacitive touch screens work by applying a small current through the screen; it then detects when there is a voltage drop and where it is by the proximity of that voltage drop to the sensors. The pen is conductive, but it doesn't hold enough charge to create that voltage drop.
  • Question
    I made the tinfoil stylus but it doesn't work very well. How can I fix it?
    Community Answer
    Make sure that the tip of your foil is flat, and also make sure that you are touching the foil itself.
  • Question
    How do you remove the stylus from a Note 5?
    Community Answer
    You should push down until you hear a click. The stylus should then pop out and you can remove it. Do the same thing when you put it back it. Make sure it clicks so it stays in.
  • Question
    Which one would work on a touch screen computer?
    Community Answer
    The aluminium foil one works great with a touch screen computer, I use it all the time.
  • Question
    Will the aluminum foil stylus work on an LG smartphone?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it will work because it will still have the same type of screen.
  • Question
    Will the aluminum foil work with an iPad?
    Community Answer
    Yes, as long as you follow the instructions carefully.
  • Question
    What one should I use on a Samsung tab?
    Community Answer
    The aluminum foil one should work best on a Samsung Tab because it is a capacitive screen. I use the foil all the time.
  • Question
    Which is best for a Huawei tablet?
    Milosz Maslyk
    Community Answer
    The aluminium foil method or the sponge method as tablets use Capacitive Screens, so those two are the only ones that will work on those types of screens.
  • Question
    Will the sponge one work on an iPhone/iPad with a plastic mechanical pencil?
    Community Answer
    It should work as it is the same concept, a plastic cylinder with the sponge conducting the energy of your finger.
  • Question
    My phone is called Honor, what type of stylus should I use?
    Community Answer
    The aluminium foil one should work, because like most smartphones, it has a capacitive screen.
  • Question
    Would electrical tape work instead of the foil?
    Community Answer
    No, it won't, as it is an insulator and not a conductor. The foil conducts the electric impulses from your finger to the screen. Foil is pretty easy to get, too.
  • Question
    Which is best for an iPod?
    Community Answer
    The sponge/pen method will work quite well, as the iPod has a capacitive screen.
  • Question
    Does the chopstick one let me do drawings on the iPad?
    Community Answer
    Nope. The iPad uses a capacitive touch screen, and thus it would need an electrical conductor to work. Try using any of the other methods posted here.
  • Question
    Which stylus would you recommend for drawing on a touch screen computer?
    Community Answer
    The aluminium foil stylus because it has the same type of screen as a smartphone.
  • Question
    Will the aluminum foil one work with a screen protector?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it will. It doesn't change the way that the touchscreen works.
  • Question
    Is there any way to not use water? Using water makes my screen rough.
    Community Answer
    Just try to use one of the other methods such as the foil or sandpaper method.
  • Question
    Does this work on an iPad Air?
    Just Pocky Hates Gacha
    Community Answer
    This will work for iPad Air, just follow the Capacitive stylus guides.
  • Question
    Does it work on a touchscreen laptop?
    silverwolf362
    Community Answer
    Yes, it does. For example, I'm using it for my Acer Chromebook (CB715-1W) right now. Aside from that, this (the aluminum foil method at least) should work on any capacitive touchscreen.
  • Question
    I have one more idea, take a hollow pen, 2. Take an earbud, cut it in half, (use cotton side) insert the earbud's stick in the pen's tip area, wrap foil around the ear bud's cotton and pen, cheers
    silverwolf362
    Community Answer
    Yes, that would work, and that is the same method I used. It's also the easiest. Just don't forget to add water to the end of the Q-tip (the cotton side).
  • Question
    Can l use other types of pens?
    silverwolf362
    Community Answer
    If you follow the instructions correctly, you can use a mechanical pencil, plastic pen, or literally anything of this shape and size with space for the cotton bud.
  • Question
    I tried each capacative method 4x each. None of the attempts worked. I tried to change the way I was doing what I did. Are there any other ways to do these successfully? How could this be improved?
    silverwolf362
    Community Answer
    Remove the inside of a pen, cut a Q-tip at an angle, insert it into the hollowed-out pen (or a mechanical pencil), and wrap the pen (or whatever you're using) in aluminum foil (make sure that the foil is touching the Q-tip and that you are touching the foil at all times; this is the only way for current to travel.) Lastly, apply a drop of water to the end of the Q-tip. The water is essential, as it conducts the electrical current (which comes from your hand and travels down the aluminum foil, which, like water, is a conductor) to the screen, and the cotton is there so that you don't scratch the screen.
  • Question
    Which one would work the best for Huawei?
    Giorgio Lelmi
    Community Answer
    Method 3 works the best for Huawei because it has a capacitive touchscreen.
  • Question
    Can I use a pencil only?
    Community Answer
    Styluses make no marks on the surface, yet pencils will make marks. So no, it shouldn't be used unless you cover up the tip while writing with it. Make sure the pencil tip is a little blunt to not create a sharp tip that may scratch the screen.
  • Question
    Is it possible to use the aluminum foil pen without touching the aluminum with my hands?
    Bhoimus
    Top Answerer
    Considering the same setup shown, no, it is not possible to use the stylus without touching the aluminum foil with your hands. This is to disrupt the electrostatic field and make contact with the screen!
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