Rechargeable devices need frequent plugging into a power source to keep them working. The Apple Pencil doesn’t come with AAA batteries, meaning you must juice it as you would your iPad or iPhone. Therefore, a primary concern from users is whether there is a way to shut it down to preserve its power and reduce drastic discharging.
So, do I need to turn off the Apple Pencil? The Apple Pencil doesn’t have an on or off button; therefore, there is no way to power it down. It is a design flaw because it doesn’t allow manual or automatic shutting; therefore, it always stays on, gradually draining the battery. The only thing to do is reduce discharging by turning off Bluetooth or keeping it out of the iPad range. These serve as forms of sleep mode, although the pen will still lose charge and can reach 0% unless recharged.
The Apple Pencil is a magnificent design, but it would be a game-changer if there were a way to turn it off when not in use. The Apple Pencil’s tiny battery can run the device for hours and serve the user for years with the best care and maintenance.
Therefore, you may be keen on all possible methods to manage the gadget’s battery life and, in turn, extend its lifespan. Most new users’ first question is whether the pen has buttons to turn on or off manually.
Apple’s most coveted Pencil by professionals doesn’t have a power on and off button. Therefore, it stays active and ready to start working at any time, provided that it links to your iPad. Since there is no way to shut it down, it keeps consuming power even at rest, requiring you to always power it whether you are using it or not. If you let it deplete all the charge and sit like that for days or weeks, the iDevice’s battery may fail, compromising the whole system.
The Apple Pencil manufacturer didn’t include any buttons on the drawing pen; therefore, it consumes power even when inactive. The depletion rate may seem insignificant, but you may notice its impact after a few days. If left in the state longer, it will siphon all its available charges, which will be faster if you leave it paired to the iPad because enabling Bluetooth accelerates power depletion.
Possibly, the manufacturer didn’t see the necessity of the on and off buttons because the pen can last long under proper care and maintenance, only losing power slowly when not in use. Therefore, there will be no harm in leaving it on and actively pairing it with an iPad within range. Besides, if the pen could turn off, many users would not know when to charge it or not. The tiny battery will only function with minimum charge.
Thus, it would be tasking to know when your pen is off due to low battery shutdown. This confusion can lead to bricking, as the pen will fail to charge after staying flat for a long time. Otherwise, you can always keep it powered and save its battery without the on and off button. Although there are no buttons, there are simple tricks you can deploy to ensure that the pen doesn’t drain drastically.
First, disconnecting the Bluetooth link may significantly slow down discharging. Go to the iPad’s settings,
- choose Bluetooth,
- click the info button next to the Apple Pencil icon, and a new window opens,
- allowing you to tap “Forget”.
Once you unpair the two, you will notice that the pen retains its battery better and will lose very little power. Additionally, it would help to avoid placing the two gadgets within Bluetooth range, especially when you are not using the Apple Pencil.
Do I Need To Turn Off the Apple Pencil?
Most electronic gadgets maintain their battery percentages when on sleep mode or shut down. The Apple Pen is one of the most volatile accessories due to its tiny lithium-ion battery, and it would be handy if it were allowed to turn off when not operational. It would spare you the daily charging by serving you longer.
Turning the Apple Pencil off is impossible as you do with other gadgets. This leads to being unable to stop battery drain when not using the Apple Pencil. The pen’s design flaw doesn’t let it shut down manually or automatically, meaning it always stays active.
The best you can do is reduce the rate of battery draining by unpairing it from your iPad or not using it for a while. Still, the battery will drain steadily, forcing you to plug it into the charging system again. Also, remember that it is unhealthy for the pen to deeply discharge and stay flat for a long time due to the risk of damage.
There is a need to turn off any device when you don’t need it to help preserve the battery capacity; unfortunately, the Apple Pencil doesn’t have the feature yet. There is no way for it to stop working, and it will slowly lose charge even when not in use. It would be a welcome design by owners who activate the pen a few times a day. However, it would help if you always found a way to charge it to keep it safe.
Since you cannot stop battery drain, the only option is to reduce the discharge rate. Many users find it easier to disconnect the pen from the iPad. When you have finished using it, you can navigate to the settings,
- select Bluetooth,
- click the “i” icon on the left and
- choose “Forget Device”.
Afterward, if you want to use it again, you can take off the cap, plug it into the charging port, and wait for a few seconds before the notification appears asking for pairing.
This system reconnects your pen and iPad faster, and you will notice very little charge loss between uses days after the last pairing. Both batteries in the two-generation models are tiny, given the product’s design, and, understandably, there will be issues with holding charge. Immediately after pairing, the pen will start losing capacity whether you are using it or not. Therefore, the only form of sleep for the pen is to turn off the Bluetooth connection.
Detaching the two implies that you must insert the Pencil into the iPad’s port to reactivate the previous link. Many users find this method tedious and would instead leave their devices connected.
Some opt to keep it away from the Bluetooth range to avoid faster battery drain from the pairing. Luckily, the pen loses more charge when it is working than when at rest as long as the battery’s performance is intact.
Does the Apple Pencil Always Stay On or Does It Automatically Disconnect and Turn off?
A rechargeable device obligates you to frequently plug it for power, mainly if you regularly use it. A design to help reduce power usage in such gadgets is automatic sleep mode or manual switching off when not in use. The concern is whether the Apple Pencil also boasts of these capabilities.
Unfortunately, the Pencil doesn’t have a manual shut down feature since it doesn’t have on or off buttons. Secondly, its design cannot let it automatically sleep or disconnect when inactive for a long time. It will always stay on straight-out-the-box, ready for use. It explains why it will permanently lose charge even when you have not used it for a long time. If your pen automatically disconnects, it may have an underlying battery or Bluetooth connectivity issues.
Users’ main complaint about the Apple Pencil is how there is no way to manually or automatically shut them down. The hope was that the second generation would incorporate the feature to save power, but fans may have to wait longer for a new design.
Unlike other smartpen versions, your pen will always be active whether you are using it or not. Besides, the discharge will be faster the more you use it, although it will drain slowly when at rest.
Once you buy the pen, you must constantly maintain its charge; otherwise, it falls flat and fails to accept charging. If it gets to 0% and you don’t plug it after months or weeks, the chances are high that it will fail to charge the next time you plug it.
Not charging implies that it won’t work, and what’s worse is that there is no way to replace the battery unless you buy a new pen. Therefore, it is best to continuously monitor the percentage and charge it when it reaches low power mode.
One way to switch the pen to a sleep mode and reduce its power loss is by unpairing it from the iPad. You can turn off the Bluetooth to maintain the pen’s battery capacity since it will not keep draining while establishing the link. Since the pairing and unpairing process may be a hassle for many users, others prefer keeping the pen far from the tablet to keep it out of range.
Despite these methods being effective, remember that they don’t guarantee that your battery will stop discharging. The rate will decrease, but it will still lose power since it is always on. Otherwise, if your Apple Pencil keeps disconnecting from the iPad, there may be Bluetooth or battery issues. Maybe you haven’t turned Bluetooth on, or there are connection issues. There are also high chances that the Pencil’s battery has died or the device’s tip is broken or loose.
How To Save Power in the Apple Pencil
Now that it is clear that the Apple Pencil doesn’t have an on/ off button, a follow-up question from new users is how else they can conserve their device’s power. The lithium-ion in-built battery is too tiny to hold charge for long, and there must be a way to maintain the pen’s battery capacity to serve you longer.
Essentially, cutting off the Bluetooth link on the iPad helps you minimize power consumption in the Apple Pencil. Alternatively, if you want to avoid constant pairing and unpairing, you can stop carrying the pen around with your tablet or keep the two away from each other.
The pen can detect motion and assume that you are using it on the iPad. Also, since the Pencil drains power, whether active or not, you can plug it in as often as possible to stay powered and never go below the low battery mark.
First-time users are often concerned that the Pencil doesn’t have a power on and off mode. Luckily, this doesn’t interfere with its capabilities, and you can still find ways to help keep its charge. One of the ways is by unpairing the pen from your iPad. You can turn off the Bluetooth or “Forget” the pen from the devices’ list if the iPad runs other Bluetooth devices like a keyboard.
If the Apple Pencil is a solely linked gadget, it would be enough to switch off Bluetooth. You may want it to remain connected to the iPad for ease of use when you need it. You can avoid moving it around in such instances because the accelerometer will sense motion and assume it is interacting with the iPad. The more you activate it, even without using it, the faster the battery consumption.
Therefore, it may be helpful to let it settle if you are running errands. Finally, remember that the Apple Pencil has a tiny battery that doesn’t hold a massive charge, and it loses an energy percentage whether in active use or at rest. Therefore, ideally, you can maintain the power by frequently charging it. Depending on how often or intensively you use the gadget, you are likely to power it twice a day or more.
Ultimately, it is advisable to charge it when it has less than 10% charge. It is okay to leave the Apple Pencil charging through the magnetic connector on the iPad or with an adapter. There are no risks of overcharging or battery damage, and many users find it easier to leave the pen powering as often as possible to keep it ready for use.
Wrap Up
Unlike other smartpens, the Apple Pencil doesn’t come with replaceable batteries. Instead, it would help if you recharged it by plugging it into your iPad or through an adapter. The pen’s sleek design has no room for an on or off button, meaning that you cannot shut it down. Therefore, it loses power whether it is working or not, hence the need for constant charging.
If you want to preserve the battery, one workaround is to turn off Bluetooth or unpair the pen from the iPad. Alternatively, you can keep the Pencil away from the tablet to avoid depletion due to its motion-sensing features. Remember that the device will still discharge even when you are not using it, and you can plug it in as much as possible because there is no risk of battery damage or overcharging.
