Will Apple Pencil scratch the iPad screen?

As an iPad owner, I was frustrated to hear that the Apple Pencil might scratch my device’s screen. So, I decided to look into it and find out if it is true or not. I did some research and testing, and here I am to share with you my findings and other solutions I discovered.

The Apple Pencil tip is not as hard as the iPad’s screen, so the Apple Pencil will not scratch the screen. However, it is possible to scratch the screen if there is debris on the screen or pencil.

In practice, it is rare for the iPad’s screen to be scratched by using the Apple Pencil. I have used the Apple Pencil extensively and have never scratched the screen.

However, when it does happen to people, it is because of having a foreign object on the screen and there are things you can do to avoid allowing this to happen.

Key Takeaways
The Apple Pencil will not scratch the iPad’s screen if both are free of debris.
Using a plastic or glass screen protector can add an extra layer of protection.
The best type of screen protector for the Apple Pencil depends on individual needs and use case.

Table of Contents

Will Apple Pencil scratch the iPad screen?

The Apple Pencil is designed so that it will not scratch the screen.

If you want to be able to draw on the iPad screen and want to avoid scratching the screen, the Apple Pencil would be the most recommended since it was designed by Apple themselves and they would not design a pencil that would scratch the screen.

However, if there is debris on the pencil tip or the screen, it will be possible to damage the screen by dragging the debris across the screen.

You can easily avoid letting this happen by regularly cleaning the iPad screen or by using a glass or plastic screen protector.

As mentioned above, I have personally used the Apple Pencil extensively and have never scratched the screen with it.

How can I protect the iPad screen from Apple Pencil damage?

In order to ensure that you do not damage the iPad screen, it would help to make sure that the screen is clean, the tip of the pencil is clean, to replace the pencil tips when they are worn out and to use a screen protector.

If you do decide to use a screen protector, be aware that the plastic ones can give a different drawing experience to the glass ones.

The plastic ones will be more similar to drawing on paper, but will wear out the pencil tip faster due to increased friction.

The glass ones will give a smoother drawing experience and will not wear the tip out as fast, but won’t be as good for precise drawings.

Can Apple Pencil damage the iPad screen?

As mentioned above, it is not likely that you will scratch the screen of the iPad by using the Apple Pencil. It is also not likely that you will damage the screen by using the Apple Pencil.

In order to damage the screen, you would need to be pressing down very hard and it is not likely that you will be pressing down that hard.

I am not aware of anyone damaging their iPad’s screen just by using the Apple Pencil.

Do I need a screen protector for the Apple Pencil?

It is not necessary to use a screen protector to protect the iPad from the Apple Pencil because the Pencil is designed not to damage the screen. However, you can still use a screen protector if you want some extra protection.

What type of screen protector works best with Apple Pencil?

Neither the plastic nor tempered glass screen protectors are better in and of themselves. The one which will be better for you will depend a lot on your specific needs.

When deciding on whether you should get a plastic or glass screen protector to use with the Apple Pencil, it would help to consider your particular use case and the type of experience you are looking for.

If you are planning on doing lots of drawing with the Apple Pencil and want to be able to have as much precision as possible, the plastic-style screen protectors will likely be the best option for you because of the increased friction.

Also, if you really want the drawing experience to be more similar to drawing on paper, it would also be better to get one of the plastic-style screen protectors because they allow for the most paper-like experience.

There are also screen protectors which are specifically designed to give you the most paper-like experience and it would be worth considering getting one of them specifically, if you are looking for a paper-like experience with the Apple Pencil.

If you are not going to be doing a lot of drawing and are just looking to do things such as take notes, you could get either of the types of screen protectors.

However, if you are looking for a smoother experience and want to be able to draw as fast as possible, a glass screen protector would be better because there will be less friction. At first, it will seem unusual to draw on a glass screen. However, in my experience, you will quickly get used to it and it will feel normal before you know it.

As mentioned above, the Apple Pencil will not scratch the iPad’s screen unless there is debris on the pencil or the screen.

With that being the case, if you are specifically thinking of getting a tempered glass screen protector to protect the screen from the pencil, it may not be necessary for you and you could just make sure to regularly wipe the screen down instead.

Pros and Cons

Pros

The Apple Pencil is designed so that it will not scratch the screen.
It is easy to avoid scratching the screen by cleaning the screen or using a screen protector.

The type of screen protector that works best with the Apple Pencil depends on your particular needs and use case.
It is not likely that you will damage the iPad’s screen by using the Apple Pencil.

Cons

It is possible to damage the screen by using the Apple Pencil if there is debris on the pencil or the screen.

The plastic screen protectors can give a different drawing experience to the glass ones.