Microsoft Surface Pen Compatible? (IPad and tablets checked)


The Microsoft surface pen enables you to capture your thoughts by giving you a natural drawing and writing experience. This you can do with no lag and latency, as the ink flows in real-time. Therefore, whether you can use the Microsoft surface pen on other devices or not, I understand it is a matter of concern that requires your attention.

So, can the Microsoft pen be used on other devices? You may use your Microsoft surface pen on a limited number of devices. This is because the Microsoft surface pen is backward compatible with the Surface Book, Surface Studio, Surface Pro 3, Surface 3, and Surface 4. The backward compatibility feature makes it compatible with older devices, but it may not work with some other laptops or tablets.

Taking your notes, drawing, or navigating through your apps on these devices with a Surface Pen offers the benefits of modern technology and lets your creativity and imagination run wild.

The surface pen is based on the N-trig technology, which Microsoft eventually bought. This technology is now called Windows ink. Therefore, knowing which devices use the latter technology is vital to understanding the compatibility of the Microsoft surface pen.

The surface pen design is specifically for the surface and will work with any N-Trig technology device. This means that you will not be able to use it on a device using a different technology. For instance, the Microsoft surface pen will not work on a Dell laptop since it uses Wacom AES.

Thus, you will need to look for a compatible pen for your Dell laptop in this case. Your surface pen will also be compatible with Windows 10 PCs or any other devices supporting the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP). These include surface family excluding the early Pro 1, 2, and RT, some HP, Asus, and Dell models.

To check for compatibility between your surface pen and PC, start by checking your PC. To do this, visit the manufacturer’s website to see whether it supports the MPP. While at it, note down the number listed on your device details. After checking your PC, you should check your surface pen. For your pen to work with your PC, the MPP should match that of your pen.

A surface pen is an essential tool for your surface PC. With this pen, you can sketch or draw on your surface without prior pairing or connecting. Even then, pairing is beneficial if you want to access more surface pen functionalities with the pen.

Check out the latest prices on Amazon for the Microsoft Surface Pen.

When you turn on your surface device for the first time, its initial setup will allow you to pair it with a surface pen. Still, you may have skipped this step, or you may have bought a new pen and need to pair it with your Surface device. Whatever the reason, you can still pair your surface pen with either your Surface Book, Surface Pro 3, Surface 3, or Surface Pro 4.

To start the pairing process, ensure you install the most recent updates on your device. These updates ensure it gets the latest improvements and drivers. To install these updates, go to Start, Settings, then Update and Security, and you will see the pending updates.

Run the updates as necessary, then continue with the pairing. To connect or pair a surface pen to your PC, start by putting the pen in a pairing mode. This implies enabling the Bluetooth discoverable mode. To do this, press and hold the tail eraser button for up to five seconds. When the LED light starts flashing, this indicates the pairing mode has been initiated, and you are able to continue the process from your PC.

On your PC, start by opening the windows settings. To do this, click the start button then click the Gear icon. Next, select Devices, then Add Bluetooth or other devices. Turn on your Bluetooth by switching the Bluetooth toggle and connect to the available Microsoft Surface Pen in the devices.

Once done with the pairing, click Done and close the window. If unsure of a successful connection, you can double-check by going to Bluetooth, Devices, Bluetooth, and other devices. You will see your Microsoft Surface Pen information listed under Mouse, Keyboard, and Pen section.

Once connected, you can perform functions including writing, drawing, and navigation using your Microsoft surface pen. When writing and drawing, you will need any app supporting inking. These include the Microsoft Whiteboard, OneNote, Office, and Microsoft To-Do.

The Microsoft Whiteboard enables you to put your content, ideas, and notes in one place, while the OneNote captures and organizes everything across your devices. With OneNote, you can also track your notes, write your to-do list and ideas.

Office enables you to create work in PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook. In this case, you will use your pen to annotate the documents, draw diagrams and navigate through the presentations. Finally, the Microsoft To-Do enables you to manage and complete the important things in your daily schedule.

When writing or drawing with your Microsoft surface pen, start by inking with your pen. You will then rest your hand on the screen as you would in a book and start writing. The surface is designed to ignore your hand and other inputs. To guide you in the inking, use the pointer appearing under the tip of your pen. If you want to erase your writing or drawing, turn the pen over and use the end of your pen.

You can also write using the pen instead of typing with your keyboard. To do this, use the touch keyboard on your screen. The touch keyboard will enable you to input text using your fingertip or pen by tapping the keyboard on your screen.

To open the touch keyboard, select touch keyboard on the taskbar and tap where you want to enter the text. This action will automatically open the keyboard, and you can start entering the texts. With the Microsoft surface pen, you can also navigate and click like you would use your keyboard or mouse.

Can You Use a Microsoft Surface Pen on an iPad?

Drawing on your iPad gives your creativity and art a better look, and the experience is equally amazing. If you are a serious digital artist, getting the best stylus to use on your iPad is ideal. However, even if you are not perfect at this skill, a good stylus is vital as it makes your life easier in numerous ways.

A Microsoft surface pen will not work on an iPad. This is because the signal it transmits is proprietary to the Surface devices. Instead, it may function as a stylus, and its functionality will be similar to that of your fingers. To work with an iPad, you will need an Apple pencil.

The Apple Pencil is a solid chunk that fits well into your hand and offers quality. It is designed by Apple and features an impeccable design, including a screen response rate that doubles when you bring it close to the display. This makes the ink appear to flow from the nib. Its nib is such that you can use its sides to shade like you would use a pencil.

The apple stylus is also easier to set than other styluses. All you will need to do is to plug in the lighting connector to your iPad. This action will establish the wireless connection, and you can begin writing or designing. However, you should note that the Apple Pencil will not work with just any other iPad or iPhone model. Thus, you will need to explore other alternatives if you own a pre-2018 iPad.

If you are using an affordable iPad, it is best to pick an equally affordable stylus. You will not need top-notch functionality, and simple styluses will meet your needs in such a case. Thus, depending on the functionality that you need, you will look for the most suitable alternative in the purchase stores.

How to Use an Apple Pencil Effectively

Generally, your iPad is not the best in the market if you are not using an Apple Pencil with it. You can use one of the two Apple Pencil generations to scroll through Apple News+ or run your professional programs. To use the Apple Pencil effectively on your iPad as an artist, graphics editor, or note-taker, you should understand a few basics, as I will show you in this guide.

To start with, there are two generations of the Apple Pencil: the first and second generation. Both of these are white and have nearly the same dimensions. However, you should understand each generation as they bear some differences. For example, the first generation does not work on the newer iPad Pro models, while the second generation will work on specific iPad Pro versions.

The most distinguishing feature between the first and second-generation Apple Pencil is that the first generation has a silver band around its top while the second generation does not. These Apple Pencils also have some minor differences noticeable with a closer observation, and you should know the generation of Apple Pencils at your disposal before getting started.

Before using your Apple Pencil with your iPad, you will need to pair it to the iPad or iPad Pro. The two generations will pair differently, which is why you should know the Apple Pencil generation you are working with. To pair the first-generation Apple Pencil, start by ensuring that your iPad is on and unlocked. Next, uncap your Pencil and plug it into the iPad. This action will cause the Bluetooth Pairing request to appear, and you should tap Pair to connect the two devices.

When pairing the second-generation Apple Pencils, start by ensuring that your iPad is unlocked. Next, put the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro’s wide side that has the magnetic strip. Immediately the Bluetooth pairing request pops up, tap pair to connect your devices. Once connected, you can use your Apple Pencil with the iPad Pro or iPad, depending on the pencil generation. All you will need to do is put the pencil nib to the iPad’s glass screen and start drawing, sketching, writing, or navigating on your selected app.

Unlike the Microsoft surface pen, the Apple Pencil does not have an eraser. Instead, the Pencil is pressure and tilt sensitive. This implies that all your interactions with the screen will happen through the white nib in the case of the first-generation Apple Pencil and white nib or double-tap in the second-generation Apple Pencil. Thus, if you want to get a thicker line, all you will need to do is press harder against the screen or tilt your Pencil against the screen to shade a drawing or calligraphy letters.

In addition to writing and drawing, you can do so much more with your Apple Pencil that is not necessarily some basic knowledge. For instance, you can replace the tip of your Pencil, trace through paper, check its battery, and palm rejection, among others. Replacing the tip of your Pencil is necessary since, over time, this tip will wear down.

To do this, you will unscrew the tip and replace it with a new tip. The first generation comes with one replacement. However, if you have used it or you have a second-generation pen, then you can buy a new tip at an affordable price. Tracing through paper is another cool feature that any artist will love about the Apple Pencil. To explore this feature, you should use the standard printer paper for the best results.

Wrap Up

The Microsoft surface pen is a Microsoft stylus that allows you to bring your creativity digitally with its real-time flowing ink. This pen is designed for creativity on N-Trig and MPP-compatible devices. Users can use this pen on Windows apps, including OneNote, Microsoft Office, Adobe, and drawing apps.

To use this pen, you will need to pair it with your device via Bluetooth, after which you can enjoy writing, sketching, and drawing, among other activities. There is no need to worry about making mistakes with this pen, as you can erase your work using the backside of the pen.

If you are an iPad user, you may not be able to use the Microsoft Surface pen. However, with the Apple Pencil, you can still enjoy the above functions while taking notes or drawing. For maximum effectiveness, you should know the Pencil generation you are using beforehand. Using the above styluses, you will maximize your digital experience by bringing in your creativity without the mouse and keyboard limitations.

Bal Kang

Bal Kang is a technology expert based in the UK, with experience across a number of technology areas from phones, tablets, computers to gaming.

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