As an Apple Pencil user, I want the battery to last as long as possible and I was wondering if it drains when not in use. So, I did some testing and I will share what I found out.
The Apple Pencil battery loses power when not in use. It is common for the Apple Pencil to lose 15% charge per day without use. The Apple Pencil cannot be turned off. It is very important that you do not allow the Apple Pencil battery to be at 0% charge for too long.
In practice, it is not such an issue that the Apple Pencil 2 loses charge when not in use because of how it can be easily stored. It is also not an issue when it comes to using the Apple Pencil because of how it can be charged very quickly.
| Key Takeaways: |
|---|
| The Apple Pencil battery drains when not in use. |
| The battery loses about 15% of charge per day without use. |
| Avoid letting the battery be at 0% charge for too long. |
| Allowing the battery to be completely depleted can damage it. |
| Leaving the Apple Pencil connected all the time is safe. |
| Keeping it fully charged should not degrade the battery. |
Table of Contents
Does the Apple Pencil lose charge when not in use?
The Apple Pencil goes into a low power mode when it is not in use. This means that it will use a lot less battery when not in use, but it does still use battery.
Read more: Why did my Apple Pencil battery stop working?
This means that it will be necessary for you to occasionally charge the pencil even when you don’t need it or to just leave it attached to the side of the iPad.
How long does the Apple Pencil battery keep its charge when not in use?
In my experience, the Apple Pencil 2 keeps its charge for around 1-2 weeks, if you leave it unused after being fully charged. Users also report in forums that their Apple Pencil 2’s lose about 15% of charge each day without use.
Read more: How long can you wear AirPods for?
Something very important to be aware of is that it is important not to allow the battery to be at 0% charge for too long.
The reason for this is that many users have reported their Apple Pencil batteries dying when left at 0% for more than a few days.
In practice, this should be very easy with the Apple Pencil 2 because you can just leave it attached to the iPad, so it will rarely be able to get close to 0% unless your iPad goes to 0%.
Can an Apple Pencil battery die?
It is possible for an Apple Pencil’s battery to die. The most common reason for this is when someone allows their Apple Pencil’s battery to be at 0% for more than a few days.
When this happens, it often results in the battery dying because it cannot maintain itself.
What happens if an Apple Pencil’s battery is at 0% for too long?
Something very important to be aware of is that it is important not to allow the battery to be at 0% charge for too long.
The reason for this is that many users have reported their Apple Pencil batteries dying when left at 0% for more than a few days.
In practice, this should be very easy with the Apple Pencil 2 because you can just leave it attached to the iPad, so it will rarely be able to get close to 0% unless your iPad goes to 0%.
Should I always have my Apple Pencil connected?
You can leave the Apple Pencil connected all the time if you want to. For most people, this is actually the best way to use the Apple Pencil 2 because it is convenient and avoids you having to worry about the Apple Pencil being without power for too long.
Will the battery degrade if always fully charged?
Many users worry about the battery losing its capacity over time because you can never save power by turning the pencil off.
However, a brand new Apple Pencil is meant to last for 12 hours of regular use with a single charge. Even if your pencil loses 50% of its capacity, you can still expect it to last for about 6 hours.
Most people don’t need to use the pencil for more than a few hours at a time, so the deterioration of the battery should not be a major concern.
The bigger risk is that you leave your Apple Pencil uncharged for too long and it results in the battery dying.
Pros
- The Apple Pencil battery will not degrade significantly over time if kept fully charged.
- The Apple Pencil can be easily stored and is very convenient to keep connected to the iPad.
- It can be charged very quickly.
Cons
- The Apple Pencil battery drains when not in use, losing about 15% of charge per day without use.
- It is important not to allow the battery to be at 0% charge for too long, as this can result in the battery dying.
