How to find lost Apple Pencil

Use Find My to locate Apple Pencil Pro

To start, if you own an Apple Pencil Pro, you can simply locate the stylus using the Find My app - the tool used to find a lost iPhone. Launch the Find My app, go to the Devices tab , and select your Apple Pencil to see its location on a map.

You can press Find if you are nearby and want to know its exact location. An overlay will appear on the screen, showing a circle on the screen indicating the area where the pen is.

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iPad must be in portrait orientation to find Apple Pencil Pro near you. Also worth noting is that you can only pair one Apple Pencil with your iPad at a time.

Use your iPad's Bluetooth connection

If you own one of the older Apple Pencil models, unfortunately they don't support Find My integration. Therefore, to find the Apple Pencil - or at least estimate its location - it is necessary to rely on the iPad's Bluetooth connection.

To check if an Apple Pencil is nearby, go to Settings > Bluetooth > My Devices on iPad. If the Apple Pencil appears in the Connected state , it must definitely be within 9m range because that is the Bluetooth range.

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To narrow this down further, you can use a Bluetooth finder app like WunderFind. It displays the distance between iPad and Apple Pencil in percentage values. The closer the Apple Pencil is to the iPad's Bluetooth module, the higher the number displayed on the screen.

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By simply combining your iPad's Bluetooth settings menu and the WunderFind app, you can locate your Apple Pencil quite easily. However, if the iPad cannot establish a Bluetooth connection with the Apple Pencil, WunderFind cannot help.

Note : Bluetooth range is significantly reduced depending on the material between devices. For example, thick walls, floors, or even furniture can affect how well your Apple Pencil connects via Bluetooth.

Retrace your steps or move things around

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The final method is simply to retrace your steps by remembering exactly where you last held the Apple Pencil in your hand. Review recent files on iPad, such as signed documents, drawings, or notes, to find clues like timestamps or location details.

For those who bring an Apple Pencil to the office, check areas around your work station, such as under your desk, behind your monitor, or in desk drawers. You may also want to contact the lost and found department and ask colleagues in the office to see if anyone has seen it.

If Apple Pencil has been missing for a while, it may have gone into Sleep mode. When Apple Pencil is in Sleep mode, you cannot connect to it via Bluetooth, even if the device is charged. A quick tip to make finding your Apple Pencil easier is to try to wake it up.

By shaking your bag, flipping over a chair cushion, or rummaging through a desk drawer, you can influence an Apple Pencil lying somewhere and wake it up. If you suspect you've lost your Apple Pencil in your car, driving around can also activate it.

Samuel Daniel

Update 29 May 2024