How To Access Apple Pencil Settings

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The new Apple Pencil is much nicer than the old one. — The new Apple tree Pencil is much nicer than the old ane.
*Photo: Andrea Nepori*

Got a new Apple tree Pencil? Then you should change these two settings as soon every bit you lot've snapped it onto the side of your iPad Pro and experienced its satisfyingly solid magnetic click.

Set Apple tree Pencil double-click action

Once you pair your Apple tree Pencil two (by sticking information technology to the side of your iPad), a new panel appears in the Settings app:

Set your Apple Pencil preferences in the new Settings panel.
Photo: Cult of Mac

You can see the choice above, but here's the listing anyway:

Switch between electric current tool and eraser.
Switch between current tool and concluding used.
Bear witness color palette.
Off

The last ane tin probably be ignored. I currently accept mine set to No. ii in that list, Switch between current tool and last used. Many apps let you use a finger to erase, so I don't demand that in my settings. Testify color palette is also practiced, merely only useful in a painting app.

My day-to-day Pencil apply is mark up photos and maybe annotating PDFs. In that case, I like to switch between a regular black pen tool and either a red line or a highlighter. The Switch betwixt current tool and concluding used choice works well for both.

Call back, too, that different apps may let you pick your own shortcuts. Ferrite Recording Studio, for example, lets yous assign pretty much any shortcut to the double-tap. I have mine set to play/interruption, which is perfect for that app.

Using Apple Pencil with lock-screen notes

These are the Apple Pencil settings for the Notes app.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The Notes app will obey the double-tap settings from the last department, but yous might want to customize it farther for the Apple Pencil.

First is Allow Notes from Lock Screen. Switch this on. At present, when yous tap the Pencil onto the screen of the sleeping iPad Pro, it will wake straight into a note. Thus, the $1,000-plus iPad Pro is finally every bit convenient every bit a piece of paper. Just tap and start writing or cartoon.

The lock-screen note settings are pretty comprehensive. — The lock-screen annotation settings are pretty comprehensive.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Once you switch this on, yous can choose how and when the iPad creates a new note. The pinnacle section deals with the how: Do you desire a new note every time? Or just the concluding notation you were editing in the Notes app? (That latter one is less secure, as somebody just needs to tap your Pencil onto your iPad to run into what you're working on.)

When?

The 2d console deals with the "when." I have mine prepare to create a new lock-screen-only note every day. That way I have one page for each day, which is commonly enough to jot down quick notes, and ways that it's also easy to notice those notes. Notes is supposed to automatically title new notes, simply that never seems to piece of work for me in this instance.

That's it. There's a lot that the Apple Pencil tin exercise, but these are the built-in settings you need to tweak to get the most out of it every day. Now all you demand is to build the habit of using your new tablet.