15 Best Apple Pencil Tips and Tricks Users Should Know

Apple Pencil is a new device that was introduced in November 2015 as an accessory for the iPad Pro. The pencil allows users to write, draw, and interact with apps in a more intuitive way. Apple has marketed the pencil as a tool for artists and professionals, but it can be used by anyone who wants to achieve precision when drawing or writing on their iPad. In this blog post, we will discuss its great precision and control, how it compares to other styluses on the market, and with the right tips and tricks, you can get the most out of it. Here are 15 of our favorites.

1. Connect Apple Pencil to iPad

New to Apple Pencil and struggling on how to connect apple pencil to ipad?

Here are the steps to connect 1st Generation Apple Pencil to iPad-

• Remove the cap of the Apple Pencil.
• Insert the connector in your iPad’s Lightning Port.

Steps to connect 2nd Generation Apple Pencil-

• Attach the Apple Pencil to the magnetic connector present on the side of the iPad.
• Make sure your Bluetooth is turned on your iPad.

For both types of pencil, you can turn on the bluetooth and connect the pencil on receiving the pair message on your device.

2. Use Quick Notes Features With iPad Locked

A very helpful Apple Pencil Tip is to take notes with iPad Locked. This trick is very helpful when you want to keep your iPad unlocked in public places. So for activating the Quick Notes feature, simply take your Apple Pencil and tap it once on the locked iPad screen. A blank note will be displayed in front of you where you can write or even draw anything. These will be stored in the Notes App from where you can access it later.

If this feature does not work this way, then follow the given steps-

• Go to Settings > Notes.
• You can turn on Lock Screen and Control Center here.

Here you can also set whether you want to create a new note every time on accessing Quick Note feature or want to resume from the last note.

3. Use Apple Pencil for Scribble

Scribble feature in Apple Pencil makes it a powerful tool. It opens up various tricks for document editing and adds powerful functionality to Apple Pencil. You can use scribble features for doing various activities such as text deletion, word insertion, separate words and more.

Steps to use Scribble-

• Go to Settings of iPad.
• Search Apple Pencil and click on it.
• Toggle between Enable or Disable Scribble.

4. Apple Pencil Scribble Gestures

Apple Pencil is powered with various Scribble gestures. Bunch of such helpful Scribble gestures can make document editing extremely easy. Here is the list of few gestures that you can use-

• Delete Text: Scratch or cut out the text that you want to delete
• Select Text: Draw a circle over the text you want to select
• Insert text: Touch and hold the Apple pencil tip on the place where you want to add a word. This adds an extra space between the words. Now you can simply scribble the text between the spaces that you want to insert
• Join Words: Touch and hold the Apple pencil tip on the place where you want to add a word. This adds an extra space between the words. Now you can simply scribble the text between the spaces that you want to insert
• Separate Words: Conversely, if two words accidentally get joined together with scribbling then you can simply draw a line in the middle of the word from where you want to make it separate.

5. Apple Pencil Tips for Shading

For artists, Apple Pencils have some really impressive features for shading of the Artwork. To access this, use various Apple pencil tips and tricks such as apply pressure for darker or bolder lines, tilt the pencil for shading. Use an Apple Pencil just like you are using a real pencil for making your artwork. Apple pencil understands all such gestures that will make your work quite easy and impressive.

6. Damaged Tip? - Replace the Apple Pencil Tip Easily

If in any case you lose the Apple Pencil tips or if it gets damaged due to some reason, then there is no need to panic as you can easily replace it. One extra tip is given inside the box or if that has also been used then you can buy a completely new tip from the Apple Store. Using a damaged tip not only hampers your experience but also affects the screen and leads to its damage as well. For changing, simply unscrew the damaged tip and screw the new one.

7. Take Screenshot With Apple Pencil

Another very useful Apple Pencil Tip is to click a screenshot. Screenshots help to capture any part of your screen and edit it immediately.

For taking a screenshot, swipe up the pencil from the bottom left corner of the screen. The system will automatically capture the real time screenshot. You can also change this quick action, discussed further in this article.

Additional functionality you can perform on the screenshot-

• Markup the area of the screenshot or crop it with provided tools.
• Highlight noticeable elements with various colors.
• Erase objects or make it into a pixel eraser for more accuracy.
• For scrolling screenshot, click on Full Page Option.

8. Customize Apple Pencil Quick Gestures

You might want to change the quick gestures on the basis of your accessibility needs. By default left corner swipe is for Screenshot and right corner swipe is for Quick Note. As a user, you may want to toggle these commands. For this, Go to Settings > Apple Pencil. Under the Pencil Gestures section, change the left and right corner swipe actions as per your requirements. In the new iPadOS 15 update, this action can be turned off entirely.

9. Convert Handwriting To Text With Apple Pencil

Next very helpful tip for essay writers, bloggers, poets, students and more, is to convert handwriting into text.

Steps to do so-

• Open Notes.
• Click on the Pencil icon.
• Choose the Handwriting Tool.
• Now start writing with your Apple Pencil. The hand-written text will automatically convert to text and add above the text bar.

This makes note taking tasks an easy and interesting one. You can also convert already handwritten notes into text and paste them across different platforms.

• For this, choose the selection tool from the toolkit.
• Circle the notes that you want to convert.
• Click them to select Copy as Text.
• Now you can paste this text across any platform.

10. Copy/Paste Between Devices

Apple Pencil owners will be pleased to know that they can copy and paste text across different devices such as iPad and iPhone without using an additional app.

Copy the text from iPad and then long press on your iPhone, paste option will be displayed on it. Just click on Paste and it’s done. Note that you need to have the same Apple account signed in for making the copy and paste across different devices happen.

11. Enable Palm Writing Posture and Palm Rejection

Apple Pencil has a palm rejection feature which is automatically enabled and configured.This will not leave any stray marks on the screen while you are drawing or taking notes with comfortable writing posture. Some third party apps such as GoodNotes5 even work with palm rejection settings. They even adjust palm rejection sensitivity and adjust to your writing posture.

12. Draw Straight Lines and Perfect Shapes

Drawing perfect shapes without getting wavy lines is a real struggle. But with Apple Pencil’s cool features it is not that difficult. All you need to do is, draw any shape of your choice without worrying about its perfection. You will see that your iPad has turned these shapes into perfect ones.

For straight lines, make sure to choose the Ruler available at the bottom right corner of the toolkit. Place the ruler at the desired angle and draw the line. Now you will never have jagged or wavy lines.

13. Sign Official Documents with Apple Pencil

Apple Pencil allows you to sign any document that you want to. For this,

• Open any PDF document on your iPad.
• Click on Pencil Icon.
• Tap on the Plus Sign button at the bottom right corner of the screen.
• Choose your Signature. You can add or remove signatures here or even resize them

14. Customize Apple Pencil’s Double Tap Feature

You must have observed that whenever you double tap with Apple Pencil it occurs an action such as opening the color wheel or switching between erasers. Note that you can customize this action. However, the options for customizing are limited so far but still you can choose one as per your preference.

Steps to customize Double Tap Feature-

• Open the settings on your iPad.
• Click on Apple Pencil.
• Now select from the options what double tap feature should do.

15. Trace Your Drawings with Apple Pencil

Things work differently with the Apple Pencil. This feature is amazing for artists who want to get a digital version of their drawings. You can actually trace the actual drawing on your iPad without scanning. Steps-

• Stick the paper on the Apple iPad Screen with Tape so that it keeps on holding the same place.
• Start tracing the lines on the paper and you will see that the same lines will start drawing on the iPad. It works just like the real tracing process works. However this trick won’t work on thick pieces of paper.

Note: The piece of paper should be thin enough for the Apple Pencil to draw strokes on the iPad.

Apple Pencil Compatibility List

Apple Pencil (1st generation)

Apple Pencil 1st Generation is compatible with-

• iPad (8th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad (7th generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad Air (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st or 2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 10.5-inch
• iPad Pro 9.7-inch

Apple Pencil (2nd generation)

Apple Pencil 2nd Generation is compatible with-

• iPad Air (4th generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation)

Final Thoughts

The Apple pencil is a great tool for artists and professionals. With these 15 tips, you can get the most out of your pen. Whether you are an artist or just looking to be more productive, we hope that this article has helped you learn something new about the Apple pencil. Be sure to check out our online store for all of your technology needs. We carry a wide range of Apple products, including the Apple pencil, and offer great deals. And as always, don’t forget to stay connected with us here at Techmonk Labs for more interesting content like this. If you have any questions or suggestions on other tips we could include in a future post, feel free to let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long do Apple Pencil tips last?

The life of Apple Pencil Tip depends upon your usage. If you use it frequently like 3-4 hours a day then it can last upto 4-5 months approximately. But if you use it rarely then it can last a way longer than expected. It is easy to get Apple Pencil Tips from Techmonk at quite an affordable price.

How To Charge Apple Pencil ?

There are several methods to charge the Apple Pencil. A lightning adaptor is given in the box that can be used to make a quick connection between the power outlet and Apple pencil. Here are the ways to charge it-

For 1st Generation Apple Pencil- Simply remove the cap and insert it into the iPad's Lightning port. The charging speed of Pencil is good so you don’t have to wait for long to start your work again.

For 2nd Generation Apple Pencil- Charging 2nd Gen Apple pencil is extremely easy and fast. Just connect the pencil with the magnetic connector present at the side of the iPad. A pop up will appear on the screen and charging will be started.

How To Check The Battery Of An Apple Pencil?

Pull up the battery widget on the iPad in order to check the battery of the Apple Pencil. It is present in the Today View of the iPad by swiping all the way to the left of the screen.

Users can also check the battery by detaching and attaching the Apple Pencil with the device.