Apple Pencil Not Writing in GoodNotes? 7 Fixes That Actually Work

Quick answer: If you have an Apple Pencil not writing in GoodNotes, the most common causes are a dead or low battery, a lost Bluetooth connection, a worn nib, or the wrong tool being selected. Start by charging the Pencil for 10–15 minutes, checking its battery level in the iPad’s Batteries widget, and tapping the pen tool in GoodNotes. In most cases one of these quick checks fixes the problem in under two minutes — the seven fixes below walk you through them in order, from the fastest to the most thorough.

There is nothing quite as frustrating as opening GoodNotes, picking up your Apple Pencil, and watching the screen stay blank. You are mid-note, mid-plan, or halfway through a lecture — and your Apple Pencil is not writing in GoodNotes at all. Before you assume the Pencil is broken or the app is at fault, take a breath: in the vast majority of cases, the cause is something small and fixable, like a flat battery or a Bluetooth hiccup.

This guide walks you through seven proven fixes for an Apple Pencil not writing in GoodNotes, ordered from the quickest and most likely to the deeper, last-resort steps. Work through them in order, and test the Pencil in GoodNotes after each one. Most people find the problem solved by fix one, two, or three — but if yours is more stubborn, the later fixes cover app settings, software updates, and a clean reinstall.

Why Your Apple Pencil Is Not Writing in GoodNotes

GoodNotes is one of the most reliable handwriting apps on the iPad, and Apple Pencil is designed to work with it seamlessly. So when the Pencil stops writing, the fault almost always lies in one of four places: power, connection, hardware wear, or software settings. A Pencil with a flat battery cannot send any signal to the iPad. A Pencil that has lost its Bluetooth pairing is effectively invisible to your iPad. A nib worn down to the metal can scratch, skip, or stop registering altogether. And a setting — the wrong tool selected, Scribble interfering, or the zoom window behaving oddly — can make a perfectly healthy Pencil look broken.

It also helps to know whether the problem is limited to GoodNotes. Before you start fixing, open the Notes app and try writing there. If the Pencil works in Notes but not in GoodNotes, the issue is almost certainly an app setting or a GoodNotes glitch, and you can jump straight to fixes four, six, and seven. If the Pencil does not write anywhere, the problem is with the Pencil itself or its connection to the iPad, and fixes one, two, and three are where to focus.

Fix 1: Charge the Pencil and Check the Battery

A dead battery is the single most common reason an Apple Pencil stops writing in GoodNotes — and the easiest to overlook, because the Pencil gives no obvious low-battery warning while you are writing. Apple Pencil 2, Apple Pencil Pro, and Apple Pencil (USB-C) charge magnetically on the side of the iPad, but they only charge when they are properly seated, and they can drain surprisingly fast if left detached overnight or after a long note-taking session.

How to check the battery level

• Apple Pencil 2, Pro, and USB-C: Attach the Pencil to the magnetic connector on the side of your iPad. A small battery popup should appear on screen. You can also add the Batteries widget to your Home Screen or Today View to see the Pencil’s charge at a glance.
• Apple Pencil 1: Plug it into the iPad’s Lightning port (or charge it with the included adapter and a Lightning cable). Then check the Batteries widget — the first-generation Pencil has no on-screen popup when attached.
• Apple Pencil (USB-C): Slide open the cap at the end and plug in a USB-C cable, or attach it magnetically to the iPad for a slower trickle charge. Note that the USB-C model only charges via cable — the magnetic connection holds it in place but does not charge it.

If the battery is below 5%, charge the Pencil for at least 10–15 minutes before testing it again. A Pencil that has been fully drained can take a minute or two after plugging in before it responds at all, so give it a moment. If you use your iPad for heavy daily planning, get into the habit of docking the Pencil on the iPad whenever you are not writing — that way it is always topped up. A planner that you open every morning deserves a Pencil that is ready to go, and keeping the battery healthy is the simplest form of maintenance there is.

What if the Pencil will not charge?

If the battery level does not rise after 15 minutes on the charger, clean the charging contacts. For magnetic models, wipe the flat side of the Pencil and the iPad’s magnetic edge with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth — dust and skin oils can interfere with the connection. For Apple Pencil 1, check the Lightning connector for lint or debris, and try a different cable. If it still will not charge, try restarting the iPad (see fix six) and then reattaching the Pencil. A battery that refuses to charge after all of this may be at the end of its life, especially on a first-generation Pencil that is several years old — in that case, the last section of this guide covers your replacement options.

Fix 2: Reconnect Bluetooth and Re-Pair the Pencil

Apple Pencil talks to your iPad over Bluetooth. If that connection drops — after an iPadOS update, a Bluetooth glitch, or the Pencil being paired to another iPad — the Pencil will not write in GoodNotes or anywhere else. The fix is usually as simple as toggling Bluetooth off and on, but a full re-pair is the more reliable route when the quick toggle does not work.

Step-by-step re-pairing

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth and check whether your Apple Pencil appears under “My Devices”. If it shows as “Not Connected”, tap it to reconnect.
2. If it still will not connect, tap the (i) next to the Pencil’s name and choose Forget This Device.
3. Turn Bluetooth off, wait ten seconds, and turn it back on.
4. Re-pair the Pencil: for Apple Pencil 2, Pro, or USB-C, attach it to the magnetic connector and tap Pair when prompted. For Apple Pencil 1, plug it into the Lightning port and tap Pair.
5. Open GoodNotes and test the Pencil on a blank page.

While you are in the Bluetooth settings, check that the Pencil is not still connected to a different iPad. Apple Pencil can only be paired with one iPad at a time, and it will quietly stay connected to the last device it was used with. If you switch between an iPad and an iPad Pro, for example, make sure you pair it to the iPad you are actually writing on.

Also, check for Bluetooth interference. A crowded Bluetooth environment — AirPods, a keyboard, a mouse, and a speaker all connected at once — can occasionally cause dropouts. Try disconnecting other accessories temporarily to see whether the Pencil starts responding. If you have recently had lag or stuttering alongside the writing problem, the underlying cause may be performance-related rather than a connection issue, and our guide to why GoodNotes is slow or lagging covers the settings that most affect responsiveness.

Fix 3: Inspect and Replace the Nib (Tip)

The nib — the small, replaceable tip of the Apple Pencil — is a wear item. After months of daily writing, especially on a paperlike screen protector, it wears down, becomes rough, or develops a flat spot. A worn nib can cause skipping, scratchy strokes, missed line starts, or a complete failure to register. It can also feel like the Pencil is “not writing” when in fact it is writing intermittently.

How to check the nib

• Unscrew the nib gently by turning it counter-clockwise. It should come off easily; never force it.
• Look at the tip under good light. If the white plastic is worn flat, if you can see the metal core underneath, or if the surface feels rough or gritty, it is time for a replacement.
• Check that the nib is screwed on firmly. A nib that has worked itself loose can lose contact with the Pencil’s internal sensor, which stops writing entirely. Tighten it by hand — snug, not forced.
• If you have a spare nib, swap it in and test. Apple includes a spare with Apple Pencil 1 and Apple Pencil 2; replacements are inexpensive and sold by Apple and third parties.

One warning: avoid cheap, unbranded metal nibs. They can scratch your screen and, worse, damage the Pencil’s sensor over time. Stick with Apple nibs or reputable third-party brands designed for the Pencil. And if you use a matte screen protector, expect nibs to wear faster — the textured surface that makes writing feel like paper also acts like fine sandpaper on the tip. Keep a spare nib in your iPad case so a worn tip never costs you a study session.

Fix 4: Select the Right Tool and Check Palm Rejection

Sometimes the Pencil is fine and the problem is that GoodNotes is not in writing mode. It sounds obvious, but it catches more people than any other “fault” — especially after switching tools to erase, highlight, or select something.

Check the toolbar first

• Tap the pen tool in the GoodNotes toolbar and make sure it is active (highlighted). If the eraser, lasso, or shapes tool is selected, the Pencil will erase, select, or draw shapes instead of writing — which looks exactly like “not writing”.
• Check the pen colour and thickness. A pen set to white on a white page, or to a very thin stroke, can be invisible even though it is working. Try a dark colour at a medium thickness.
• Make sure you are not in read-only mode. If you opened a PDF or a shared document, GoodNotes may be showing it in view-only mode. Tap the document options and switch back to edit mode.
• Check that the page is not locked or that you are not writing on a template layer that does not accept ink.

Palm rejection and hand position

GoodNotes has excellent palm rejection, but it relies on the iPad knowing where your hand is. If you rest your palm on the screen before the Pencil touches down, the iPad can occasionally misread the first stroke. Try lifting your palm slightly as you begin a stroke, or enable the wrist protection setting in GoodNotes under the pen settings if you write with your hand resting heavily on the screen. Also try rotating the iPad — writing in landscape gives your hand more room and can reduce accidental palm touches near the screen edge.

Turn off Scribble interference

Scribble, the iPadOS feature that lets you handwrite into text fields, can conflict with GoodNotes in some situations — most commonly when you are writing near a text box or a search field. If the Pencil works on blank paper but behaves strangely near text, go to Settings > Apple Pencil and toggle Scribble off, then test again. You can also disable “Only Draw with Apple Pencil” if it is on and you sometimes use your finger — but for most writers, keeping it on is the right choice, because it stops your finger from leaving stray marks.

One more setting worth checking: in Settings > Apple Pencil, make sure the double-tap gesture (Apple Pencil 2 and Pro) is not set to something that switches tools mid-stroke. A double-tap set to “Switch Between Current Tool and Eraser” can leave you erasing when you meant to write, especially if you grip the Pencil tightly.

Fix 5: Check the Zoom Window and Page Settings

GoodNotes’ zoom window — the magnified writing area at the bottom of the screen — is a favourite feature for people who write small, but it can create the illusion that the Pencil is not writing. If the zoom window is active and your Pencil strokes land outside its writing area, nothing appears on the page. The same thing happens if the zoom window’s auto-advance is stuck or its writing box has scrolled out of view.

What to check

• If the zoom window is open, tap the X or the zoom icon to close it, then try writing directly on the page. If writing works now, the problem was the zoom window, not the Pencil.
• If you want to keep using the zoom window, drag its writing box back into view and make sure the blue writing area is where you expect it. Try turning auto-advance off and on again in the zoom window settings.
• Check your page size and template. Writing near the very edge of a page, or on a page template with narrow margins, can cause strokes to be clipped. Try a fresh blank page in a new notebook to rule this out.
• Make sure you are writing on the correct layer. If you imported a PDF or an image and it is sitting on top of your handwriting layer, your ink may be going “underneath” it and appearing invisible.

A quick diagnostic: create a brand-new notebook in GoodNotes with a plain blank template and try writing there. If the Pencil works on the fresh page but not in your existing planner, the problem is with that specific document’s settings or layers — not the Pencil, not Bluetooth, and not the app itself. In that case, the fastest recovery is to export the affected pages as a PDF and re-import them into a new notebook, or to copy the content into a fresh planner. Speaking of exports, if you ever worry about losing handwritten notes during troubleshooting, read our guide to backing up your GoodNotes planner before you delete or reinstall anything.

Fix 6: Restart, Update iPadOS and GoodNotes

When the hardware checks pass and the settings look right, the culprit is usually software: a stuck app process, a pending update, or a temporary iPadOS glitch. This fix has three steps, and it is worth doing all three in order.

Step 1: Force-close and reopen GoodNotes

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-press the Home button on older iPads), find GoodNotes in the app switcher, and swipe it away. Reopen it and test the Pencil. This clears temporary glitches without touching your notes.

Step 2: Restart the iPad

Hold the power button and a volume button (or just the power button on iPads with a Home button) until the “slide to power off” slider appears, power off, wait 30 seconds, and turn the iPad back on. A full restart clears the Bluetooth stack, resets the Pencil connection, and resolves a surprising number of “Pencil not writing” reports. Test the Pencil in GoodNotes immediately after the restart, before opening other apps.

Step 3: Update iPadOS and GoodNotes

Out-of-date software is a classic cause of Pencil problems, especially after a major iPadOS release. Apple regularly ships Pencil-related fixes, and GoodNotes updates its app to match. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any pending iPadOS update. Then open the App Store, search for GoodNotes, and install any available update. After updating both, restart the iPad once more and test the Pencil.

If GoodNotes was working fine and then stopped right after an update, the reverse can also be true: a new version may have introduced a bug. Check the App Store reviews or GoodNotes’ support pages for reports of Pencil issues in the latest version, and keep an eye out for a hotfix — these usually arrive within days. In the meantime, the web version of your notes or a temporary switch to the Notes app can keep you writing.

Note that sync problems can sometimes masquerade as writing problems: if GoodNotes is stuck trying to sync, the app can feel unresponsive and your strokes may not appear where you expect. If you suspect sync is involved, our guide to fixing GoodNotes not syncing walks through the iCloud checks that resolve it.

Fix 7: Unpair, Reinstall GoodNotes, and Reset Settings

If none of the fixes above worked, it is time for the deeper steps. Do them in order, and back up your notes first — reinstalling an app is safe when your notebooks are synced to iCloud, but a backup removes all doubt.

Unpair and re-pair the Pencil completely

Go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the (i) next to your Apple Pencil, choose Forget This Device, then restart the iPad. After the restart, pair the Pencil again from scratch as described in fix two. This clears corrupted pairing data that a simple reconnect does not touch.

Reinstall GoodNotes

1. Confirm your notebooks are synced: open GoodNotes settings and check iCloud sync is on and up to date. Wait for any pending sync to finish.
2. Delete GoodNotes from your iPad (long-press the icon, choose Remove App, then Delete App).
3. Restart the iPad.
4. Reinstall GoodNotes from the App Store, sign in with the same Apple ID, and let iCloud restore your notebooks.
5. Test the Pencil on a new blank page before opening your main planner.

A fresh install clears corrupted app data, stuck caches, and broken preference files that no settings toggle can reach. Your notebooks return from iCloud, but local app settings — pen favourites, toolbar layout, and custom templates — will need to be set up again, so take a screenshot of your toolbar layout before you delete the app.

Reset all settings (last resort before Apple Support)

If the Pencil still does not write in GoodNotes after a reinstall, and it also fails in the Notes app, the problem is likely at the iPadOS level. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset All Settings. This restores all settings to their defaults without deleting your files, photos, or apps — but you will need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords and reconfigure settings afterwards. Test the Pencil immediately after the reset. If it still does not write anywhere, contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store: at that point, the Pencil itself or the iPad’s digitizer is the most likely fault, and both are covered under warranty or AppleCare if applicable.

Apple Pencil 1 vs 2 vs USB-C vs Pro: What Changes for Troubleshooting

Not every Apple Pencil behaves the same way, and knowing which one you have changes the troubleshooting steps. Here is how they differ when something goes wrong.

• Apple Pencil 1: Charges via Lightning, pairs by plugging into the iPad, and has no double-tap gesture and no pressure sensitivity in the same range as later models. Its battery is the most likely culprit on an older Pencil, and its Lightning connector is vulnerable to lint. It works with older iPads and the 10th-generation iPad (with a USB-C adapter).
• Apple Pencil 2: Charges and pairs magnetically, supports double-tap to switch tools, and has the most mature battery behaviour. Most “not writing” cases on this model come from a loose magnetic connection or a Bluetooth dropout after an iPadOS update.
• Apple Pencil (USB-C): The budget model. It charges only via USB-C cable — the magnetic attachment holds it in place but does not charge it, which catches many owners out. It has no pressure sensitivity and no double-tap, and it hides its pairing button under a sliding cap. If this Pencil will not write, check the cable charge first.
• Apple Pencil Pro: Adds squeeze gestures, barrel roll, and haptic feedback. A squeeze set to an unexpected shortcut can switch tools mid-writing, so check the squeeze action in Settings > Apple Pencil if your strokes keep changing tools. Otherwise, troubleshoot it exactly like the Pencil 2.

Also confirm compatibility: an Apple Pencil 2 will not pair with an iPad that only supports Pencil 1, and vice versa. If you recently bought a new Pencil or a new iPad, check Apple’s compatibility list before assuming the Pencil is faulty — a mismatched Pencil will never pair, no matter how many times you restart.

How to Stop It Happening Again

Once your Pencil is writing again, a few habits will keep it that way. Dock the Pencil on the iPad after every session so the battery stays topped up. Keep a spare nib in your case and swap it at the first sign of roughness. Turn on automatic updates for iPadOS and GoodNotes so Pencil-related fixes arrive without you having to chase them. Restart your iPad once a week — it takes two minutes and clears the small glitches that accumulate over time. And keep your notebooks backed up to iCloud (or exported regularly), so that even a worst-case reinstall costs you minutes, not memories. A little routine maintenance is far cheaper than a lost morning of notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Apple Pencil connected but not writing in GoodNotes?

The most common reason is that the Pencil is connected via Bluetooth but the pen tool is not selected in GoodNotes, or the nib is worn or loose. Check the toolbar first, then unscrew and reseat the nib, then check the battery level. If the Pencil writes in the Notes app but not in GoodNotes, the problem is a GoodNotes setting — usually the active tool, the zoom window, or a stuck app process that a force-close will clear.

Why does my Apple Pencil work in Notes but not in GoodNotes?

This points to GoodNotes itself rather than the Pencil. Force-close and reopen the app, check that the pen tool (not the eraser or lasso) is active, close the zoom window, and update GoodNotes to the latest version. If the problem persists, reinstall GoodNotes after confirming your notebooks are synced to iCloud. This pattern almost never indicates a hardware fault.

How do I know if my Apple Pencil nib is worn out?

Unscrew the nib and look at the tip. If it is flattened, rough, or you can see metal underneath the white plastic, replace it. Other signs include scratchy strokes, lines that skip at the start, and a gritty feeling on the screen. With daily use on a paperlike screen protector, expect to replace the nib every three to six months.

Does Apple Pencil (USB-C) charge on the side of the iPad?

No. The USB-C model attaches magnetically for storage, but it only charges through its USB-C port with a cable. This is the most common misunderstanding about the model — if you have been leaving it docked and expecting it to charge, it has been slowly draining. Slide open the end cap, plug in a USB-C cable, and charge it for 15 minutes.

Should I reset my iPad if my Apple Pencil will not write?

Only as a last resort. Work through the battery, Bluetooth, nib, tool, zoom window, restart, and update steps first — they resolve the overwhelming majority of cases. Reset All Settings is worth trying before contacting Apple Support, because it clears corrupted system settings without deleting your files. Never erase the whole iPad for a Pencil problem without a full backup.

If you have worked through all seven fixes and your Apple Pencil is writing smoothly again, your planner is ready for you. A reliable Pencil turns GoodNotes into the closest thing to paper that a digital planner can offer — fast, fluid, and always with you. If you are looking for a planner that makes the most of that smooth handwriting experience, the 2027 Life Planner pairs a full year of daily, weekly, and monthly layouts with hyperlinked navigation designed for Apple Pencil note-taking. Give it a try, and enjoy getting back to writing that simply works.