In this troubleshooting guide, we outline effective solutions to fix lag, glitches, and unresponsiveness when writing, sketching, or coloring on your iPad with your Apple Pencil.
The tips below apply to Apple Pencil 1st generation, Apple Pencil 2nd generation, Apple Pencil (USB-C), and Apple Pencil Pro being used on a compatible iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini inside any writing or sketching app, like Notes, Markup, Procreate, Notability, and Photoshop.
1. Charge your Apple Pencil
Before moving forward, make sure your Apple Pencil is charged:
- Apple Pencil 1st generation: Remove the top cap and insert it into your iPad’s Lightning connector or USB-C to Lightning Apple Pencil adapter for iPad 10th generation.
- Apple Pencil 2nd generation or Apple Pencil Pro: Stick it to the correct magnetic side of your compatible iPad.
- Apple Pencil with USB-C: Pull the top part to reveal the USB-C port. Connect one end of the USB-C cable that came with your iPad to this port and the other end to your iPad’s USB-C connector or a power adapter.
After you follow the above steps, you’ll see a confirmation on the iPad screen showing the battery percentage.
2. Tighten the Apple Pencil tip
Your Apple Pencil’s nib may have loosened over time. Gently rotate the tip to screw it tight.
3. Clean your iPad screen
Apple Pencil may have difficulty working properly if the iPad screen is covered with smudges. So, clean the entire surface with a soft, dry cloth until your stylus glides smoothly over the glass display.
4. Restart your iPad
Your Apple Pencil may be lagging due to a temporary software glitch. You can fix this by turning off your iPad and turning it back on.
5. Forget and re-pair your Apple Pencil to your iPad
If the above solutions don’t bring any improvement, follow these steps to unpair and reconnect your Apple Pencil to give it a fresh start:
- Ensure your Apple Pencil is not attached to the iPad’s edge or plugged into the charging port.
- Open iPad Settings and tap Bluetooth.
- Tap the info icon ⓘ next to the connected Apple Pencil.
- Tap Forget This Device > Forget Device.
- Restart your iPad.
- Now, pair it again by sticking your Apple Pencil 2nd generation or Apple Pencil Pro to your iPad’s magnetic connector or plugging the Apple Pencil 1st generation or Apple Pencil USB-C model into the Lightning/USB-C port on your iPad. Once that’s done, you’ll see the word Connected next to your Apple Pencil’s name in iPad Settings > Bluetooth.
6. Make sure your iPad isn’t too hot
Touch your iPad screen and its backside. If it appears excessively hot, turn off the device or place it in a cooler room with an AC or fan. Once the iPad returns to normal temperature, your Apple Pencil should not lag when writing or drawing.
7. Update your iPad
If your iPad is on an older version of iPadOS, head to the Settings app > General > Software Update and install the latest update.
Note: If you’re using iPadOS beta, you may have to wait for a newer version or downgrade to the stable non-beta version of iPadOS.
8. Turn off the Zoom accessibility feature
On rare occasions, the screen Zoom feature may conflict with palm rejection when you’re writing or sketching with your Apple Pencil. If you frequently have this issue, go to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom and make sure the switch for Zoom is turned off.
9. Remove gloves while writing or sketching for better palm rejection
Your iPad’s software does a good job of rejecting the palm when you write with your Apple Pencil. However, if you’re wearing gloves, it may not work very well, so consider removing them. Plus, palm rejection may not work with all apps, especially those that have not been optimized or updated in a long time.
10. Force quit the app
Some app features might not work with Apple Pencil in certain situations. For example, I once could swipe up and down in the X (Twitter) app using Apple Pencil, but tapping a tweet didn’t work. If you encounter something similar, try using your finger to see if the element is tappable. In my case, the tweet wasn’t tappable even with my finger. I force quit the X app, reopened it, and everything returned to normal.
11. Check the app’s Apple Pencil settings
Some apps offer options to turn on or off Apple Pencil tools and features. So, if something isn’t working right when you try to use Apple Pencil inside a particular app, explore its settings to look for relevant options and adjust them.
12. Update the app
It’s also possible that the specific app you are using has an internal bug that is causing Apple Pencil to lag. To fix this, head over to the App Store and update the app.
13. Clear app cache
Open the app and go to its settings. If you find an option to clear the app cache, tap it to remove the built-up cache. Then, restart your iPad.
14. Use a different charger or power plug if you use your iPad while charging
Have you noticed that your iPad screen and Apple Pencil operate differently when charging with a specific adapter, cable, or plug? This can be especially true if you’re charging on a train, airplane, with a portable power bank, or with a worn-out or faulty adapter/cable.
To take care of this:
- Unplug your iPad from charging.
- Use a different power socket.
- If you’re on the go, charge it using your MacBook instead of a USB-C outlet in a public place.
- Switch to another adapter and cable, hopefully, one by Apple or something that’s MFi-certified.
15. You may feel a lag on purpose
I’ve also noticed that some app elements or buttons may seem unresponsive or feel slow on purpose. For example, in the Pigment app, it takes several strokes with the Apple Pencil to fill in color.
This is intentional, designed to mimic the experience of coloring with real pencils on paper. It ensures that the process doesn’t feel like simply filling colors in Microsoft Paint, requiring multiple strokes to appropriately color an area or make the shade darker.
16. Apple Pencil does not work for some actions
Apple Pencil works in most places, such as the Home Screen, inside Settings, and apps. It even lets you open Control Center or Notification Center. However, it does not support swiping up to go Home. Similarly, it may not work in other places and apps.
17. Are you using a screen protector on your iPad?
I’ve tried hard glass screen protectors as well as thin plastic screen guards on my iPad, and Apple Pencil works great with them. However, this can’t be true for all screen protectors, as the thickness and quality of glass or material may differ. So, if nothing above has worked for you, try removing the after-market screen protection from your iPad and see how it goes.
18. Replace the Apple Pencil tip
Take a closer look at the Apple Pencil tip. If it’s worn out, you will have to buy a replacement from Apple.
Apple provides an extra tip in the box with Apple Pencil 1st generation, but not with any other model. So, you’ll have to buy one separately, and it comes in a pack of four for $19.
Tip (pun intended): You can use the same tip for all Apple Pencil models.
19. Get a new Apple Pencil
As a final resort, if you still face lagging and poor performance while using your Apple Pencil, consider taking it (along with your iPad) to an Apple Store. Get it inspected, and if there is a major issue, you may have to buy a new stylus.
More Apple Pencil tips: