You Can Charge Your Apple Pencil Without An iPad. Here's How

The Apple Pencil is a great addition to an iPad setup. This accessory makes it easy to not only browse on the device, but it gives you the capability to write, draw, and make more precise gestures. The Apple Pencil is a step above many of the iPad styluses currently available, boasting many more features and seamless connectivity via Bluetooth. Another feature that is unique to the Apple Pencil is its ability to charge directly from the iPad, so you don't need to worry about replacing any sort of battery. 

However, there are some times when maybe your iPad doesn't have enough power to charge your Pencil, or for some other reason, you can't or don't want to use your iPad as the charger. In these cases, there's actually another option to charge first-generation Apple Pencils that doesn't require using the iPad at all. This involves using a Lightning adapter, which should be included in the packaging with your Apple Pencil. If not, you can also buy one for quite cheap online. In this article, we'll show you how to charge your Apple Pencil using this method. 

First, in order to charge an Apple Pencil this way you'll need to make sure you have the first-generation Apple Pencil. You'll also need the Lightning adapter, as well as an iPhone/iPad charging cable and a wall plug. Once you've gathered all these, follow the steps below to begin charging your Apple Pencil (via Apple).

1. Remove the end cap from the Apple Pencil to reveal the Lightning connector. 

2. Plug the Apple Pencil into one end of the Lightning adapter. 

3. Plug the charging cable into the other end of the adapter. 

4. Use the wall plug to connect the cable to a power outlet, allowing the Apple Pencil to charge. 

Unlike connecting the Apple Pencil to an iPad to charge, there's no way you'll be able to see how much battery power the Apple Pencil has. However, once you connect it to your iPad via Bluetooth you should be able to see this percentage. 

If you need an alternative method of charging your Apple Pencil but can't find a Lightning adapter, there's a second way for you to accomplish this. This way allows you to use an iPhone instead to charge the accessory, which works since the iPhone allows for the same Lightning connector. Here's how to do it this way (via Apple).

1. Remove the end cap of your Apple Pencil.

2. Plug the Lightning connector at the end into the port on your iPhone. 

3. Wait to allow the Apple Pencil to charge.

With this method, you should be able to see how much your Apple Pencil has charged by using your iPad if you have it connected via Bluetooth. Simply open your iPad while the Pencil is charging on your iPhone, swipe to the right to open your iPad's Today View, and find the Apple Pencil battery percentage widget.