How To Use Apple Pencil In Pages

How to avoid losing your Apple Pencil

(Image credit: Stephen Lam at Getty)

Losing your Apple Pencil is a common frustration. Apple's beautiful design tool feels right to hold, is perfectly weighted and pairs with the iPad and various apps to create a spectacular digital drawing experience, but it can get misplaced. You'll want to avoid losing your Apple Pencil if it forms a vital part of your workflow – plus, the device isn't cheap to replace.

The original Apple Pencil 1 or first-gen Apple Pencil is still compatible with the iPad 10.2-inch (2020) and iPad mini (2019), as well as a host of older models. However, it has one issue that's since been fixed in the second-generation model (see our Apple Pencil 1 vs Apple Pencil 2 post): it's completely cylindrical, which means it can roll away and easily become lost or damaged.

How can you avoid this terrible fate? Here, we run through some of the available accessories to solve this pesky problem, and a couple of crafty hacks to ensure your stylus stays put.

To see just what you can do with the Apple Pencil, see our iPad apps for designers article. And if you need an upgrade to an Apple Pencil 2 that attaches to your iPad, see our cheap Apple Pencil deals, or keep an eye on our Apple Amazon Prime Day deals.

How to avoid losing your Apple pencil

01. Use an iPad Smart Keyboard

how to stop losing your apple pencil — The Apple Pencil just about hangs on when the keyboard's held upright…

If you're using a Smart Keyboard with your iPad Pro, you may find it can help you to avoid losing your Apple pencil. The keyboard is slightly magnetic along the left-hand edge, and the Apple Pencil will just about cling on. This might not be a long-term solution, but it will stop the Pencil from rolling away on its own if you leave it on your desk.

02. Magnetise with the Moxiware Magnet sleeve

Moxiware has produced a more reliable magnet-oriented solution in the form of a very Apple-esque set of sleeves for the Apple Pencil. These allow a truly magnetic connection to your iPad Pro and are bound to stop you losing your Apple Pencil. They're compatible with an iPad 9.7", iPad Pro 12.9" and 10.5".

03. Try the pencil clip hack

stop losing your apple pencil — Just add a clip and you're done (Image credit: texasdoesitbest )

For a more homemade solution to avoid losing your Apple pencil, this remains a good one. Reddit user texasdoesitbest discovered that the Pentel Sharp Automatic Pencil's removable metal clip fits the Apple Pencil exactly and allows you to clip the Pencil to your notepad or shirt pocket. Since it's chrome, it even matches the Pencil's shiny metal band. Discover how it's done here.

04. Use the Leuchtturm1917 Pen Loop

Premium notebook-maker Leuchtturm1917, the favourite notebook brand of some at the CB office, sells a handy self-adhesive pen loop to attach to its stationery. It's a quality item, as befits the Leuchtturm1917 brand, and Tumblr blogger #MykeWasRight spotted that it also makes an excellent Apple Pencil holder.

It certainly looks neat, and you can select a colour to suit your iPad Pro or Smart Cover's dominant hue. However, what you really need to do is pair this with the pencil clip hack (03, above) to ensure that there is something to stop the Pencil from escaping. Belt and braces, and all that…

05. Stand it upright with a Belkin case and stand

stop losing your apple pencil: apple pencil stand — Belkin's stand keeps the tip of the Pencil protected and looks great on your desk (Image credit: Belkin)

Belkin's case and stand for the Apple Pencil is one of the most elegant storage solutions to keep your stylus protected between uses. It holds the Apple Pencil upright and protects the tip while also allowing you easy access to the device on your desk. The stand doubles as a case, so you can also use it to store your Pencil safely when you're not using it.

06. Make a stand out of Lego

This is one of the most creative solutions we've seen to avoid losing your Apple Pencil. Take a leaf out of foul-mouthed Glaswegian illustrator @davidgalletly book and put your Lego to good use. It's also a great excuse to take a break from work to tinker with Lego bricks.

07. Strap it to your iPad with Stylus Sling

stylus sling: how to avoid losing your Apple Pencil — The Stylus Sling straps your Apple Pencil to your iPad

The Stylus Sling lets you strap your Apple Pencil to your iPad to ensure it's with you at all times. It might be a little utilitarian in design, but it's effective. Cleverly, it even has a little pocket for the lightning connector cover so you don't mislay that either. This is certainly an option if you're moving about with your iPad and want to take your Pencil with you.

Read more:

4 reasons you need an Apple Pencil
Apple iPhone 12: All the shocking leaks you need to know
Apple Pencil vs Logitech Crayon: Which iPad stylus should you buy?

Craig Stewart is a writer, SEO strategist and content marketer, and is a former editor of Creative Bloq. Craig has written about design, typography, tech and football for publications including Creative Bloq, T3, FourFourTwo and DSG, and he has written a book on motoring for Haynes. When he's not writing, you'll usually find Craig under his old car learning about DIY repairs the hard way.