Now that nearly every one of Apple’s iPads supports the use of an Apple Pencil, new Apple Pencil owners are sure to have a few questions about the device. I know I did. The Apple Pencil comes at a hefty price for a writing utensil, but there is a reason for it.

While researching Apple Pencil questions, bookmark our Apple Pencil category and save these popular topics for further reading: Fake Apple Pencils, Apple Pencil Double Tap Not Working and Do Apple Pencils Break Easily? 

Apple designed the Apple Pencil to provide the best intuitive onscreen inking features. Using the Apple Pencil is as easy as picking it up and touching the screen. 

To charge the device, I let it use its magnetic connection to attach to my iPad. 

By the time I need it, It’s always ready to go.

I have grown so accustomed to using that Apple Pencil that stylii on my smart devices is a personal requirement for my tech purchases.

Since the technology landscape changes so much from year to year, I have begun making my tech purchases with longevity in mind.

Can An Apple Pencil Battery Die?

The Apple Pencil battery won’t keep charging forever. It may be a few years before it begins to be unable to hold a charge, but it will most likely fail within 5 years. Like any other lithium battery, it will become unusable.

When the battery finally loses its last bit of juice, you will have to purchase a new Apple Pencil. 

The lithium battery used in the Apple Pencil is a custom design made to enable the pencil shape which is not user-serviceable. 

Do Apple Pencil Batteries Go Bad Over Time?

As much as I wish there were batteries that could live forever, all batteries eventually lose their ability to recharge. 

Even the Apple Pencil’s batteries will go bad over time.

Luckily for Apple users, the Apple Pencil will keep charging and working for around five years. 

I should say that the five-year estimate is based on best charging practices and proper device care. 

Even though the Apple Pencil is an intuitive design that many adapt to and pick up as second nature, proper battery care practice is less common.

Tucked away inside the Apple Pencil is a Lithium-Ion power cell.

This cell is solely responsible for making the Apple Pencil work. 

The physical size of the battery and wireless charging aspect determines the overall lifetime of the battery.

Once a battery has been recharged a certain number of times known as cycles, it will begin to fail to charge. 

Apple has kept the size and cycle information about the Apple Pencil’s battery a secret.

If you want to get the most life you can get out of your Apple Pencil, then here’s a few tips:

• Keep the Apple Pencil charged or at least never let the battery stay drained. The longer the battery has zero charges, the less likely the battery will be to receive a full charge. This will lead to loss of maximum battery life.
• Don’t overcharge the Apple Pencil. Apple has designed the wireless charger to detect the Apple Pencil Battery and regulate when it does and doesn’t send a charge to the Pencil. If you decide to use a compatible third-party charger for your Apple Pencil, it would be prudent to remove the device from the charger near or after it is fully charged to prevent overcharging.
• Avoid charging the Apple Pencil or attempting to charge the Apple Pencil on any unsupported charging device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Apple Pencil lose charge when not in use?

The Apple Pencil does lose charge when not in use, but it is a minuscule amount. 

Your Apple Pencil and iPad communicate back and forth as they transmit information like battery life, angle, and pressure sensitivity. 

Even when the Apple Pencil is not in use, it continues to keep your iPad informed of its battery life and condition. 

Unless you have forgotten to keep your Apple Pencil charged, the battery loss when the Apple Pencil is not in use is not enough to be concerned about. 

I recommend storing your Apple Pencil on your iPad to ease concerns of battery loss when it is not in use.

Can the Apple Pencil battery be replaced?

The design of the Lithium-Ion battery inside the Apple Pencil is custom-made. 

Average market consumers cannot access these batteries or safely open the Apple Pencil to replace the battery inside. 

This is what we call being ‘non-user serviceable’. 

If you have reached the end of your Apple Pencil’s battery life expectancy, you will have to purchase a new Apple Pencil.

What is the life expectancy of an Apple Pencil?

The Apple Pencil doesn’t require a very large amount of power to operate. 

This is fantastic news for Apple Pencil owners concerned about when they will need to replace their Apple Pencil. 

With such a small amount of energy needed, the size of the battery inside the Apple Pencil can keep it running for around twelve hours of continuous use. 

It also only needs anywhere from fifteen to twenty minutes to reach a full charge.

These traits mean the battery can sustain a charge for long periods of downtime and use, reducing the recharging cycles used to keep it running. 

While Apple has not released specific information on how many recharge cycles it takes before an Apple Pencil no longer receives a charge, we can estimate life expectancy based on its size and run time. 

Compared to other devices of a similar size, the Apple Pencil has decent battery life. 

The quick charging time implies the battery is smaller in size. 

As we know it is a lithium-ion battery, we know that it will allow for between 300 and 500 recharge cycles. 

As a rough estimate, this means the Apple Pencil Battery will last around two to three years for heavy users and up to five or six for casual Apple Pencil users.

Can I replace my Apple Pencil with a newer generation?

Apple Pencils are not created equal. If you do not own a newer device such bas the IPad mini 6th generation or higher, iPad Air 4th generation or higher, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation or higher, or the IPad Pro 11-inch, you can not use the Apple Pencil 2nd generation.

Unfortunately, this means you will not be able to use features like wireless charging or magnetic attachment. 

You will still be able to replace your Apple Pencil with the first generation model, but there is now telling how long the first generation Apple Pencil will be available in the consumer marketplace. 

With the rapid pace of technological development, even the second generation Apple Pencil only has so long before it is replaced as well.