While charging your Apple Pencil works best with an iPad, sometimes that can be inconvenient. That’s why there are several other options available, and we’re here to cover all of them.

Read on as we answer questions like “Can you charge Apple Pencil with your iPhone?” and “How do I know if my Apple Pencil is charging?”.

Can You Charge Apple Pencil With iPhone?

Charging the Apple Pencil on iPhone devices is possible; however, this method does have some setbacks.

For instance, only the first generation of Pencils can be charged using an iPhone, as they have a Lightning adaptor under their caps. On the other side, the second generation of Apple Pencils uses wireless charging that requires the iPad, making it impossible to charge using Apple mobile phones. 

It should be noted that when charging your Apple Pencil with an iPhone, you won’t be able to see the battery status until you connect it to an iPad Pro port.

That being said, the iPhone will charge the Pencil faster, but as a result, the battery will also drain more quickly, causing it to deteriorate faster and be replaced sooner.  

Furthermore, you won’t be able to use the Apple Pencil while it is charging.

If you want to find out more about Optimized Battery Charging, read this article.

How to Charge Apple Pencil

How you charge your Apple Pencil depends solely on which generation you own. If you have a first-generation Apple Pencil, you can plug it into your iPad or iPhone to charge it. 

It’s important to mention that you won’t be able to charge the first-generation Pencil with any iPad, so be sure to check its compatibility. 

The process of charging the Apple Pencil is quite simple. All you need to do is remove the cap above the silver band and plug the Lightning connector into the iPhone or iPad.

You can even use the wall power outlet to charge your Pencil. Simply plug the Apple Pencil into the small Lightning adapter, plug the adapter into the Lightning charging cable, and connect the adapter to a power source.

The second-generation Apple Pencil charging process is even simpler. This generation of Apple Pencils uses wireless charging technology to further improve the user experience. All you need to do is turn on the Bluetooth and place the Pencil on the magnetic connector on the long top side of your iPad.

The charging process is quite easy, but can the Apple Pencil be used on an iPhone? Let’s see!

Can Apple Pencil Be Used on iPhone?

Unfortunately, iPhone devices still do not support Apple Pencils, even though smartphone screens keep getting bigger. This is a shame, considering that mobiles are used more to connect to the internet— phones take up 45.2% of internet traffic, while tablets only account for 5.8%.

While they can only be used on iPads, not all models are compatible with both the first and second-generation Apple Pencils. 

If you are curious about the differences between iPads and tablets, be sure to read this guide.

Since the older Apple Pencil works with a Lightning connector, you’ll only be able to charge it with iPad models that have a Lightning port. The first-generation Pencil is compatible with these iPad models:

  • iPad mini (5th generation);
  • iPad (6th generation and later);
  • iPad Air (3rd generation);
  • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation);
  • iPad Pro 10.5-inch;
  • iPad Pro 9.7-inch.

You can use the second-generation Apple Pencil with newer iPad models that support wireless charging:

  • iPad mini (6th generation);
  • iPad Air (4th generation and later);
  • iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later);
  • iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later).

Bottom Line 

While you can charge your first-generation Apple Pencil using an iPhone, it’s not always the handiest option, as it shortens the lifespan of your battery, and you can’t see the charge percentage. We advise you to stick to your tablet charging, but if you have no other choice and you need a battery boost, you can easily connect your Apple Pencil to an iPhone device!

How does the iPhone compare to Samsung? Find the answer here.

1. How do I know if my Apple Pencil is charging?

When you plug your first-generation Apple Pencil into the charging adapter, you’ll see the charge status appear on the screen. 

To check if your second-generation Pencil is charging, find the Apple Pencil section in your Settings and look for a battery icon. If it is green and has a lightning bolt on it, it means that it is charging. However, if it’s grey, you’ll have to try and connect it again. 

2. How do I know when my Apple Pencil is charged on my iPhone?

If you’re wondering how to check your Apple Pencil battery while it’s plugged into your iPhone device, you might be disappointed. Unfortunately, you can’t do that since Apple only allows for you to view battery power once it’s connected to an iPad. 

3. Can you charge Apple Pencil without an iPad?

The first-generation Apple Pencil can be charged with a USB power adapter that can be plugged into the Pencil’s Lightning adapter that connects to the Lightning charging cable. 

Unfortunately, you can’t do the same with the second-generation Apple Pencil since it only supports wireless charging. 

4. Can you charge Apple Pencil with an iPhone?

The first-generation Apple Pencil can easily be charged with an iPhone. All you have to do is remove the cap from the Pencil and plug the Lightning connector into the iPhone device.