As an Apple Pencil user, I was curious about if the Apple Pencil needs Bluetooth. So, I did some testing to see if it would work without Bluetooth and what is different when Bluetooth is turned off.
The Apple Pencil works like a regular stylus when being used without Bluetooth turned on. However, the Apple Pencil must still be charged, palm rejection and pressure sensitivity will not work and the gestures will not work with the Apple Pencil when Bluetooth is not turned on.
In practice, the Apple Pencil works best when paired with the iPad’s Bluetooth and there are no benefits to using it without Bluetooth since the Apple Pencil must still be charged.
Key Takeaways:
- The Apple Pencil needs Bluetooth in order to take advantage of its features, such as pressure sensitivity and palm rejection.
- The Apple Pencil can be used without Bluetooth, but it will only work as a regular stylus.
- The Apple Pencil must still be charged when used without Bluetooth, and there is no benefit to using it without Bluetooth.
- The Apple Pencil 2 must also be charged and will lose 15% of its charge each day when not in use.
- It is important not to allow the Apple Pencil to run out of charge for too long.
Table of Contents
Does the Apple Pencil need Bluetooth?
The Apple Pencil is designed to work with Bluetooth. When it is not used with Bluetooth, many of the features that come with the Apple Pencil do not work.
Read more: can you use the Apple Pencil while charging?
You can use the Apple Pencil without Bluetooth as a regular stylus. However, the Apple Pencil must still be charged. Also, the gestures will not work, you will not get palm rejection, and the pressure sensitivity will not work.
Since the Apple Pencil must still be charged even to work without Bluetooth, there is no benefit to using it without Bluetooth since the Apple Pencil will still be using its battery.
Can you use the Apple Pencil without Bluetooth?
The Apple Pencil does work without Bluetooth. However, it only works as an ordinary stylus and you do not get to make use of the extra functionality that you get with the Apple Pencil.
Read more: Why does it take so long to charge my Apple Pencil?
Does the Apple Pencil 2 need Bluetooth?
The Apple Pencil 2 needs Bluetooth so that you can make use of all of its features, including the gestures, pressure sensitivity, and palm rejection. Without Bluetooth, the Apple Pencil 2 will still work as an active capacitive stylus but without any of its features and it still must be charged.
| Feature / Aspect | Apple Pencil with Bluetooth | Apple Pencil without Bluetooth |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure Sensitivity | Yes | No |
| Palm Rejection | Yes | No |
| Gestures | Yes | No |
| Battery Consumption | Normal | Lower |
| Charging Required | Yes | Yes |
| Experience | Optimal | Limited (basic stylus) |
| Compatibility with iPad Features | Full | Partial |
Can you turn Bluetooth off on the Apple Pencil?
If you want to save some battery, you might be wondering if it will be possible to turn off the Bluetooth on the Apple Pencil. It is not possible to turn off the Bluetooth on the Apple Pencil itself.
The Apple Pencil cannot be turned off and it is always using some power. However, when you stop using the Apple Pencil, it will go into a low power mode and stops being connected to the iPad’s Bluetooth. When you pick the pencil up again, the Bluetooth reengages and quickly reconnects to the iPad.
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.
How often you will need to charge the Apple Pencil will depend a lot on how often you use it. If you use the pencil for 30 minutes per day, you should expect to have to charge it about 1 time per week, if you do not keep it attached to the iPad.
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.
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%.
If you are worried about having the pencil connected all the time and that it might cause the pencil to lose charge quickly, this is not generally an issue. When the Apple Pencil is not in use, it does still use some charge.
However, it goes into a low power mode so it does not use up a lot of battery. In my experience, it will lose about 15% charge each day it is not in use.
As mentioned above, it is important not to allow your Apple Pencil to be at 0% charge for too long. In practice, it is easy to keep the Apple Pencil 2 charged since you can just leave it attached to the side of the iPad.
How do I connect my Apple Pencil?
To connect the Apple Pencil for the first time, you just need to attach it to the iPad. After that, the Apple Pencil will stay connected and you just need to keep it charged.
Is the Apple Pencil always connected?
When the Apple Pencil is not in use and it is not attached to the iPad, it goes into a low power mode where it is not connected to the iPad. As soon as you pick the pencil up, it quickly connects to the iPad.
Does the Apple Pencil need to be charged to work?
Yes, the Apple Pencil must be charged in order to work. In practice, this is not such an issue since the Apple Pencil can be charged very quickly and the Apple Pencil 2 can be kept attached to the side of the iPad.
