Charging an Apple pencil requires the most suitable and convenient method for it. However, these methods may not be accessible in some situations.
Therefore, you may have to try other alternatives, which include using your iPhone. However, you may be uncertain and worried about trying this.
Hence, it will be best if you read this article to the end to know if it is possible to charge your Apple pencil with your iPhone.
Yes, you can charge your Apple pencil with your iPhone. However, this only works for first-generation Apple pencils because of its lightning connector. Also, you can’t view the pencil’s charge status while you charge it on an iPhone. Lastly, the charging process drains your iPhone battery, and you need to charge it soon.
In this article, I will explain the conditions for charging your Apple pencil with an iPhone, how to check its charge status, and charge the pencil without an adapter.
By the end, you’ll also know the other ways to charge your Apple pencil.
Can You Charge an Apple Pencil With an iPhone?
You can charge an Apple pencil with an iPhone, but you must consider some conditions. First, it depends on the Apple pencil generation you want to charge.
You can only charge a first-generation Apple pencil with an iPhone, but you can’t charge a second-generation one this way.
The reason is due to the design of the first-generation pencil, which has a lightning adapter beneath the pencil’s cap.
You can remove the cap to access the lightning adapter and plug the pencil directly into the iPhone’s lightning charger port. It charges fast and efficiently once you plug it in.
On the other hand, the second-generation apple pencil doesn’t have a lightning adapter, so you can’t plug it into an iPhone.
If you own a second-generation Apple pencil, you must stick to its standard charging method.
In addition, you can’t check the Apple pencil’s battery status while you charge it with an iPhone.
You can’t open the battery widget on the iPhone to monitor the battery status.
You would have to unplug the Apple pencil from the iPhone and connect it to an iPad to view the battery status.
Lastly, consider the iPhone’s battery before using it to charge an Apple pencil. The battery will drain faster when you charge the pencil on it.
The iPhone battery is smaller and less powerful than the iPad’s battery. Thus, it can’t cope with the pencil’s power consumption while charging.
Although an iPhone will charge your Apple pencil quickly, you need to consider its battery health before using this method.
How Do I Know When My Apple Pencil is Charged on My iPhone?
You can’t know when your Apple pencil charges fully on your iPhone. The iPhone doesn’t have the appropriate tools to view the pencil’s battery status.
However, you can unplug the pencil from your iPhone and connect it to an iPad to view its charge status. The iPad has a battery widget to access the Apple pencil.
Then, it gives you information about the charge level. You must carry out this process whenever you need to know your pencil’s battery level.
Here are the steps to view your Apple pencil charge status.
- Unplug the pencil from your iPhone.
- Then, connect it to an iPad.
- The iPad will load the battery widget automatically on its screen.
- Next, swipe left on the screen to access the ‘Today View.’
- Swipe up on the screen
- The battery widget will come up on the iPad’s screen.
- It will display the pencil’s current charge percentage.
You can install it manually if your iPad doesn’t load the widget automatically.
Once you install it, it automatically loads whenever you want to view your Apple pencil’s charge level.
You can use the following steps to install the battery widget manually.
- Locate an empty spot on the iPad’s Home screen.
- Press and hold your finger or stylus down on the spot for a few seconds.
- The iPad will enter ‘Jiggle mode’ so you can add the battery widget.
- Choose the ‘+’ icon on the upper left corner of the iPad’s screen.
- The screen should display a widgets pop-up once you press the icon.
- Then, select the ‘Batteries’ option from the pop-up.
- Select the size you want for the widget.
- Then, click on ‘Add widget.’
- The battery widget would install, and you can now access it to view your Apple pencil’s charge status.
How to Charge an Apple Pencil Without an Adapter?
You can insert an Apple pencil directly into an iPad’s lightning port.
This method doesn’t require an adapter or cable, and it only works for first-generation pencils.
The first-generation Apple pencil can also charge through other Apple products with identical ports. Although, it charges slower than when you use an iPad.
To charge the Apple pencil without an adapter:
- First, remove the cap on top of the pencil.
- You will see its lightning connector.
- Then, please insert it into its compatible iPad charging port.
- You will hear a slight sound to indicate the pencil is now charging.
On the other hand, the second-generation Apple pencil doesn’t need an adapter or lightning port to charge. It charges wirelessly through induction.
Therefore, the second-generation Apple pencil can only charge near the iPad Pro. It can attach to the side of the iPad magnetically.
Also, when the iPad is in landscape mode, the pencil can stay on top of the device where it will charge.
A pop-up will appear on the screen to indicate the pencil is charging. You can view its current battery percentage from the pop-up.
Is There Another Way to Charge the Apple Pencil?
There are other ways to charge an Apple pencil. However, only first-generation Apple pencils have this ability.
The first-generation Apple pencil has a lightning adapter that enables you to use a wall charging block to charge it in an outlet.
In addition, you can charge the Apple pencil with a Mac. You only need to connect its lightning adapter to a cable plugged into the Mac.
Although this method is a good alternative, there are some disadvantages to using your Mac to charge your Apple pencil.
Here are the pros and cons of using a Mac to charge an Apple pencil.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It charges the pencil fairly fast. | You can’t view the pencil’s charge status on the Mac. |
| It is a convenient alternative. | It only works for the updated first-generation Apple pencil. |
| It doesn’t drain much battery. | A USB-C port Mac needs a USB-2 adapter to charge the pencil. |
| You will be unable to see the battery percentage on your Mac. |
Furthermore, you can use various iPad models to charge the first-generation Apple pencils.
You only need to connect the pencil’s lightning connector to the iPad’s lightning port.
On the other hand, there are no other alternatives to charge the second-generation Apple pencil. It only charges on an iPad Pro.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, you can charge an Apple pencil on an iPhone, but it will:
- Only work for first-generation models
- Need an iPad to check its charged status.
- Drain the iPhone’s battery.
These will enable the pencil to charge effectively. But, if you have no other charging alternative, you can use the iPhone while considering these factors.