Apple Pencil has no built-in tracker, so you cannot find it the way you find an AirTag
An Apple Pencil does not have a GPS chip or Bluetooth beacon. It cannot send a signal to your phone, and Find My will not show its location. If your pencil is lost outside your home or office, the standard tracking methods that work for AirTags, iPhones, and AirPods will not help you.
What you can do instead depends on where you last saw it. If it is somewhere you visit regularly — a desk, a coffee shop, a classroom — retracing your steps and calling ahead is usually faster than any technical solution. If it is truly gone, you have a few options for what comes next.
Key Takeaways
- Apple Pencil has no location chip and cannot be tracked through Find My or any other app.
- If you lost it at home or in a familiar location, check the places where you last used it and ask people who were nearby.
- If your pencil is still paired to your iPad or iPhone, you can see its battery level in Settings, which tells you whether it is powered on nearby.
- Apple Pencil (2nd generation and later) can be set to play a sound through a paired device, but only if it is within Bluetooth range and turned on.
- If the pencil is truly lost and you cannot find it, your only recourse is to purchase a replacement.
Check the battery level to see if your pencil is still powered on
When your Apple Pencil is paired to your iPad or iPhone, its battery level appears in the Widgets section of your device. Open Settings, tap Battery, and look for "Apple Pencil" in the list. If it shows a battery percentage, the pencil is powered on and within Bluetooth range of your device.
If the battery shows 0% or does not appear at all, the pencil is either turned off, the battery has fully drained, or it is out of Bluetooth range. This does not tell you where it is, but it does tell you whether it is still communicating with your device. A pencil that shows 0% battery may simply need charging — if you find it later, it will power back on once plugged in.
Use the sound feature on Apple Pencil (2nd generation and later)
If you have Apple Pencil (2nd generation), Apple Pencil Pro, or Apple Pencil (USB-C), you can make it play a sound through your paired iPad or iPhone. Open Settings on your device, go to Bluetooth, find your Apple Pencil in the list, and tap the information icon next to it. Select "Play Sound" and listen for a beeping noise.
This only works if the pencil is turned on, within Bluetooth range (roughly 30 feet), and still paired to your device. If you hear the sound, follow it to locate the pencil. If you hear nothing, the pencil is either out of range, turned off, or the battery has drained completely.
The original Apple Pencil (1st generation) does not have this feature. For that model, you will need to search manually or retrace your steps.
Search the places where you last used it
Start with the most obvious locations: your desk, your bag, the table where you were drawing or writing, and any place you set it down in the past few hours. Check under cushions, between papers, and inside bags or cases. Many lost pencils are found within a few feet of where they were last used.
If you used it at a coffee shop, library, classroom, or someone else's home, call ahead and ask whether anyone has turned in an Apple Pencil. Describe the model (the 2nd generation has a flat edge; the Pro has a rounded body with a clip; the USB-C version is shorter and thinner). Many businesses keep lost items for a few days before discarding them, so calling within 24 hours gives you the best chance.
Check whether your pencil is still paired to your device
Open Settings, go to Bluetooth, and look for your Apple Pencil in the list of paired devices. If it appears there, it is still connected to your device and has not been reset or paired to someone else's iPad or iPhone. If it is missing from the list, either the pencil was reset, the battery fully drained and stayed off for several days, or it is now paired to a different device.
If your pencil is no longer in the Bluetooth list and you cannot find it after searching, it is unlikely you will recover it. A pencil that has been reset or paired to another device is either lost to you or in someone else's possession.
What to do if you cannot find your Apple Pencil
If you have searched your home and familiar locations, used the sound feature, and called places where you might have left it, the pencil is likely gone. Apple Pencils do not have a way to report them stolen or lost to Apple, and there is no registry or lost-and-found system that tracks them across locations.
Your next step is to purchase a replacement. Prices vary by model: Apple Pencil (1st generation) costs around $99, the 2nd generation around $129, Apple Pencil Pro around $129, and Apple Pencil (USB-C) around $79. Check which model is compatible with your device before buying — not all pencils work with all iPads.
If you want to avoid losing your next pencil, consider using a case or sleeve that keeps it attached to your iPad, or storing it in a designated spot at home. Some people use a small AirTag attached to their pencil case, which will help you find the case even if the pencil itself is not inside it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track my Apple Pencil with Find My?
No. Find My only works with Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, Macs, and AirTags. Apple Pencil has no location chip and cannot be tracked through Find My or any other app.
Will Apple replace a lost Apple Pencil?
No. Apple does not replace lost or stolen pencils. If your pencil is lost, you will need to purchase a new one. AppleCare+ does not cover lost or stolen accessories.
What if my Apple Pencil battery is completely dead?
A dead pencil will not respond to the sound feature and will not show in your Bluetooth list. If you find it later and charge it, it will power back on and pair to your device again. Until then, there is no way to locate it remotely.
Can I pair my Apple Pencil to a different iPad to find it?
No. Pairing works only between the pencil and the device it is already connected to. If you try to pair it to a different iPad, it will unpair from your original device, but this does not help you locate it.
Is there a way to mark my Apple Pencil as lost?
No. Unlike iPhones and iPads, Apple Pencil has no lost mode and no way to mark it as lost in Find My or any other system. If someone finds it and pairs it to their own device, you have no way to recover it.