How to Find a Lost Apple Pencil
Imagine getting an idea for your next digital drawing only to lose the idea as you search for your Apple Pencil. Before you worry about forgetting your next great idea, ask yourself, "How can I find my Apple Pencil?"
You can try many different things to narrow down its location. Here are a few steps to find a lost Apple Pencil and keep from losing it in the future.
Find Your Compatible iPad
The first step to "find my Apple Pencil" is to find your compatible iPad. If you've connected it to multiple tablets, you'll need to find the last iPad you used with the pencil.
When you connect the pencil to an iPad, that will override previous connections. Of course, many people will only use one tablet with the Apple Pencil, but you may share the pencil with another iPad user in your home, so double-check to be sure.
After you find the iPad, you may locate the Apple Pencil if you keep the two together. In that case, you don't have to keep searching for the accessory.
Ask Friends or Family
If you share your Apple Pencil with a friend or family member, ask them about the location. Your relative may have taken the stylus without you knowing, and you could find it.
They may know exactly where it is or at least have an idea of where it went. If they don't know where the Apple Pencil is, they can help you look for it with the same steps you'd follow alone.
You can also ask for help from friends if you don't share your Apple Pencil. Someone may have seen you use it and leave it somewhere, or they might simply help you search for it from scratch.
Retrace Your Steps
Unfortunately, you can't connect your Apple Pencil to the Find My app on your iPad. That means you may need to go old-school and not rely on technology to find your stylus.
Go back through your day or week and consider where you used your lost Apple Pencil. Maybe you only ever use it in your office, so you know to check in and around your desk.
Or perhaps you took your iPad and Apple Pencil to do some work at a coffee shop. You could look around where you sat and ask the cashier if anyone has turned in a stylus.
Sadly, this may not be the most effective option, especially if you've used the device in lots of places. However, it's still a good place to start.
Use Your Bluetooth Connection
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Take a look at your compatible iPad and make sure the Bluetooth connection is still on. If so, you don't want to turn it off because that can make finding the Apple Pencil more difficult.
As long as the Bluetooth connection is there, you can use your iPad to find your stylus. Open your Settings app and go to the Bluetooth screen.
You should see "Apple Pencil" in your list of devices, and you can see if it's still connected or not. If it is connected, that means you're close to finding it.
Look around the area to see if you can locate the Apple Pencil, and you may just luck out.
Try a Special App
If you want even more data on your Apple Pencil's location, you can try an app like Wunderfind. The app uses your Bluetooth connection, but it can get more specific.
You can see a list of all of the devices you've previously paired with your iPad. Then, it will show you a radar that estimates how far away the Apple Pencil is.
Move around the area and watch the distance change to help locate the Apple Pencil more easily. For the app to work, your stylus needs to have a charge and be awake.
Wake the Apple Pencil
Another option for how to "find my Apple Pencil" is to wake it up. As surprising as it sounds, you can wake the stylus without knowing exactly where it is.
As you retrace your steps and use Bluetooth, you can move stuff around. Shake your backpack, purse, or laptop bag, or shuffle the papers and pens in your desk drawer.
Drive your car around the block if you think your stylus may be in there. Motion can help wake the Apple Pencil, which may make it show up in your list of connected devices on Bluetooth.
Then, you can use other methods to further narrow down the location of your gadget.
How to Keep Your Apple Pencil Safe
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Once you find your Apple Pencil, you'll want to keep it safe to avoid a similar problem in the future. Even if you haven't lost an Apple Pencil, it makes sense to want to protect it.
Fortunately, you can do a few different things to mitigate the risk of losing your stylus. Try the following methods to protect your investment.
Maintain a Charge
One of the best things you can do is keep from running your Apple Pencil out of battery. Unfortunately, the stylus may run out of battery after a while of not using it.
However, you can avoid this by keeping the Apple Pencil charging at all times. If you have the Apple Pencil 2, keep the stylus on the tablet's magnet.
With the first generation, you may not want to keep it in the lightning port all of the time. But do so whenever it makes sense so that you don't end up with 0% when you've lost it.
Consider an Engraving
If you can't locate an Apple Pencil, you may decide to replace it with a new one. However, you may want to have Apple engrave it with your name at the time of purchase.
When you buy it, the company will engrave the accessory for free. That may not help you find it, but it can help others who do find it return it to you.
It might also help deter thieves since engravings can reduce the value of the Apple Pencil. Sadly, this is only an option for new styluses that you buy from Apple.
Keep It in a Case
Maybe you already have an Apple Pencil, or you want the option of selling it later. If you don't engrave your stylus, you can buy an Apple Pencil case to help make it stand out.
Some cases are in brighter colors, so you might be able to locate the stylus more easily. The right case can also bulk up the pencil and make it easier to find at the bottom of your bag or in a drawer somewhere.
A good case can also protect the pencil if you drop it, and it can make it feel like a pen. Then, it can be more enjoyable to use, so you might be more likely to keep the stylus safe.
Buy the Right iPad Case
Another type of case to look at is one for your iPad that you use with the Apple Pencil. Some cases have a slot that holds your Apple Pencil, so you can keep the two together at all times.
If you have an Apple Pencil 2, a good iPad case will still let you connect to the magnet on the side. Then, you can charge the stylus and maintain the Bluetooth connection.
When you have a case that makes it easy to store your Apple Pencil, it can be much harder to lose it. That doesn't mean losing the stylus isn't possible, but it may not be as common.
Find a Storage Spot
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Perhaps you don't want a case that has a slot for your Apple Pencil, or you share the stylus with someone. In that case, you should find a safe spot to store the Apple Pencil.
Maybe you use the Apple Pencil to notate digital sheet music, so you keep it on your music stand. Or perhaps you mainly use it for digital art with your Mac, so you keep the stylus on your desk.
Do whatever you feel works for you to help find the Apple Pencil when you need it. And if you share it, create a schedule so that neither of you freaks out when the Apple Pencil isn't in its spot.
Use a GPS Tracker
Another option is to use a GPS tracker, like the Air Tag to help locate an Apple Pencil. That can be a bit bulky, and it's not that easy to attach to your stylus, but it can work.
You might also try a GPS tracking sticker that you can attach to your pencil. The sticker is thin and can still let you write with the stylus without interfering.
But if you do happen to lose the Apple Pencil, your GPS tracker can come in handy. You won't need Bluetooth or for the stylus to have a charge for the tracker to work.
"Find My Apple Pencil" Made Easy
Have you ever wondered, "how can I find my Apple Pencil?" Luckily, you can try a few different methods, from retracing your steps to using a special tracking app.
However, it's also good to think about ways to keep your stylus safe so you won't have to worry about tracking it in the future.
If you want an easy way to make your Apple Pencil stand out, check out our selection of Apple Pencil cases.
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