How to Find Lost Apple Pencil [2024 Guide]

An Apple Pencil is one of the best iPad accessories you can own, especially if you’re a digital artist or a designer. Besides, casual users can scribble and take notes using this stylish stylus. While the Bluetooth-enabled design offers a more convenient user experience, it also makes it easier for a user to lose the Pencil. Well, it’s a universal problem with Apple Pencil owners. Unlike other Apple devices, it isn’t easy to find a lost Apple Pencil. Also, things can get worse if your stylus has run out of battery. That said, you need not freak out as there are some ways to track your missing Apple Pencil. In this article, we’ll tell you what to do if you lose your Apple Pencil and how to avoid losing your beloved stylus.

While Find My lets you track most Apple devices, it doesn’t support Apple Pencil yet. I know this isn’t fair, but that’s how it is, at least for now. Until Apple adds this capability, there are some ways to find a lost Apple Pencil. Let’s check them out.

Method 1: Using your iPad

You can track a lost Apple Pencil using your iPad’s Bluetooth connectivity. This will give you an idea of whether your stylus is nearby or not. Before you start your search, you have to make sure that you haven’t turned off Bluetooth on your iPad. If you have done so, the Apple Pencil may disconnect and enter power-saving mode.

Here’s how to track a lost Apple Pencil:

• On your iPad, launch the Settings app and head to the Bluetooth section.
• If your Apple Pencil appears to be Connected, it’s evident that your stylus is within 30 feet of the range. In this case, you must carefully look around that area. Don’t forget to check behind the cushions, under the couch, or the drawer of your bedside table.

• If the Pencil says Not Connected, it’s outside the Bluetooth range. In this case, you can try walking around the area where you remember using your Apple Pencil the last time. It could be your workstation, couch, or living room.

Bear in mind that the Bluetooth range might reduce depending on the obstacles between your devices. For example, the number of floors or thick walls can impact how well your Apple Pencil connects. That said, this is one of the best ways to track an Apple Pencil if it’s lost in your room, around the office desk, or anywhere nearby.

Method 2: Try a Bluetooth tracker app

Another way to track your Apple Pencil’s location is by using a Bluetooth tracker app. One such popular app is Wunderfind. If you haven’t disabled Bluetooth on your iPad, you can use this app to find a lost Apple Pencil. Also, bear in mind that the method only works when your Pencil is charged and awake. Here’s how to use this app:

• Download the Wunderfind app from the App Store.
• Now, open the app and you’ll see a list of devices previously paired with your iPad.
• Next, move around until you see that the Apple Pencil is Connected.
• The app will show you a radar that estimates how far you approximately are from the Apple Pencil. Move around to locate your stylus more easily.

You can use the free version of this app to track your lost Apple Pencil. There’s also a Pro version that comes with a Map for more precise location tracking.

Method 3: Retrace Your Steps

Unfortunately, you can’t use Apple’s Find My network to track a lost Apple Pencil. Therefore, you’ll have to go through the old-school method to retrace your steps. So, go back and remember your day and try to recall where you last used your Apple Pencil. Maybe you only used your stylus in the office, so you can carefully check it around your desk. Make sure to check behind the monitor, under the table, and in the drawer.

Or maybe you’ve used your iPad and Apple Pencil in a coffee shop. In that case, you could look around the table you were working on or ask the manager if he has found a stylus.

We know this isn’t a great method, especially if you’ve used your Apple Pnecil in several places. That said, if you have no idea what to do, this can be a good start.

Method 4: Wake your Apple Pencil

The last hack to find a lost Apple Pencil is to wake it up. If your stylus has been missing for a while now, it might have fallen asleep. When this happens, you can’t connect to your Apple Pencil, even if it has a charge. In such a case, you wake up your Apple Pencil to know its location.

As you retrace your steps, you can move your stuff around. For example, shake your laptop bag or purse, flip couch cushions, or reshuffle the pens and papers in your drawer. If you think the Pencil could be in your car, you can drive around to activate the stylus. We are saying this because motion can help wake the Apple Pencil. As a result, the stylus may show up in your list of connected devices. Once it comes in the range, you can use other methods to find your lost Apple Pencil.

Tips to Avoid Losing Your Apple Pencil

Once you’ve found your Apple Pencil, you will definitely want to keep it safe so you don’t lose it again. If you haven’t lost your Apple Pencil, great, but you would still want to protect it to chuck away all those annoyances.

We’ve penned down some simple tips and tricks to avoid losing your Apple Pencil. Here you go:

1. Maintain a charge

One of the best ways to avoid losing your Apple Pencil is to keep it charged. We’ve already seen above that you can only track your Apple Pencil if it has a charge. Unfortunately, your Pencil may run out of charge if you haven’t used it in a while. To avoid this, make sure that you charge your Apple Pencil at regular intervals. If you’ve got an Apple Pencil 2, you just need to keep the stylus on the iPad’s magnetic charging point.

For the first-generation Apple Pencil, you need to remove the cap and plug the stylus into the Lightning port of the iPad. If you’ve got an Apple Pencil USB-C model, slide open the end of your stylus and connect a USB-C charge cable. The other end of the cable goes to your iPad or to a power adapter.

It’s worth mentioning that if your Pencil remains out of charge for several weeks, the battery may fail. As a result, your Apple Pencil won’t work. In such a case, you must contact Apple. If your stylus is under a warranty, you may get a free replacement. Bear in mind that Apple doesn’t repair or replace these batteries.

2. Personalise your Apple Pencil

If you work in an office where many people use an Apple Pencil, it can be quite difficult to figure out which one is yours. In such cases, you might want to consider some sort of personalization so your stylus doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

One way to do so is to engrave your Apple Pencil for free at the time of purchase. If you ever lose your engraved Apple Pencil in a co-working space or a cafe, there are comparatively fewer chances that someone would steal it as it would offer a lower resale value.

The other way to personalize your Apple Pencil is to decorate it with stickers or cases. Whichever option you prefer, you can never go wrong with personalizing your stylus.

3. Keep it attached to your iPad

If you own an Apple Pencil 2, you can let it stay attached to your iPad to minimize the risk of losing your beloved stylus. In addition to safety, your Pencil will also charge while connected. So, it’s a win-win situation. Knowing this, there’s no point in leaving your Apple Pencil anywhere else, but only on your iPad.

For the Apple Pencil 1 or USB-C model, you can get yourself an iPad case with a dedicated slot to stow your stylus. This way, you can easily move around with your stylus without having to worry about losing it.

4. Attach an AirTag

Today, GPS trackers have become a lot more common. You can attach a smart tracker to your valuable items like keys, luggage, and even your Apple Pencil. This will prevent your stylus from being lost or stolen. If you prefer only official Apple accessories, get yourself an AirTag.

The best part of using an AirTag is that you can use Find My to track your lost Apple Pencil. Also, this smart tracker is lightweight so it won’t ruin your writing experience. Not to forget, attaching a Bluetooth tracker will allow you to track the location even if your Apple Pencil runs out of charge or falls asleep.

If you’re someone like me who often loses tiny gadgets, it’s a great idea to get yourself a pair of AirTags. Of course, you can also go for AirTag alternatives that are equally good.

5. Use a stand or case

The best way to avoid losing tiny gadgets is to give them a dedicated storage space. While you’re organizing your workstation, it’s a nice idea to allot a special space for your Apple Pencil so you don’t lose it, at least not that easily. You can go for Apple Pencil cases, pencil stands, or charging stations to store your Apple Pencil. When you do this, you’ll always know where you find your stylus when you need it the most.

If you share your stylus with other team members in the office or your sibling at home, you should decide on a safe storage spot. This way, no one freaks out where the Apple Pencil is gone.

That was all on how to find a lost Apple Pencil. We hope this article helped to track your Apple Pencil’s location. Since it can get quite difficult to find the stylus, we strongly recommend you take all the preventive measures to avoid losing the pencil. In case of any doubts, do reach out to us in the comments below.