Using Procreate on your iPad with an Apple Pencil makes it possible to create stunning digital artwork, but what can you do when the Apple Pencil stops working properly? There are a few things that could be wrong, which means there are many ways to fix the problem.
So, if you're experiencing glitching from your Apple Pencil while using Procreate on your iPhone, these troubleshooting tips may help you fix the issue.
1. Check Procreate's Brush Settings
If you're having a problem using the Apple Pencil with Procreate, it could just be a problem with the in-app brush settings. Each brush has its own settings, which are fully customizable.
Tap the Brush icon, then double-tap the brush you're having problems with. This opens a panel showing all the settings for the selected brush.
Under the Stroke Path menu, customize the Spacing, Jitter, and Fall off settings to ensure they aren't the cause of your glitching. These settings add (or remove) spaces between your brush and account for neat, continuous lines when drawing.
2. Change the Streamline Dial and Motion Filtering
Procreate's accessibility settings can make using an Apple Pencil easier for anyone who requires extra assistance; however, the Stabilization panel also offers features that can benefit any digital artist using the iPad. Open the Stabilization panel by tapping Actions (Wrench icon) above the canvas.
Then, select Stabilization. StreamLine reflects the speed at which your brush moves. If it's been turned too far up or down, it will affect your movements when using the Apple Pencil in Procreate. You can change this dial at any time, so play around with the setting and see if it fixes any glitching.
Within the Stabilization panel, you'll also find Motion Filtering. This is designed to help artists with hand tremors to draw in more steady lines, but it could affect glitching in Procreate if it's in the wrong setting. By changing the Amount or Expression, it could fix unwanted glitches.
3. Ensure the Apple Pencil Tip Is Tight
When buying an Apple Pencil, Apple only provides one tip. Unfortunately, the tip can sometimes come loose. A loose tip will affect the connection between the Apple Pencil and your iPad. This will result in glitches in Procreate when trying to draw such as skipping parts of your line or not connecting at all.
Although it isn't a graphite pencil wearing down over time, the Apple Pencil will eventually wear down with frequent use. This is especially prevalent with a heavy workload, non-protective care of the pencil, or if using a paper-like or textured screen protector. The texture will wear down the tip faster.
A worn-down or poorly fitted pencil tip will not react properly in Procreate. You may be experiencing glitches due to these issues. You can try screwing your pencil tip back on to ensure a tight fit. Or you can replace your Apple Pencil tip—purchasing multipacks of pencil tips is easy. And if you've used your Apple Pencil frequently for a long time, it wouldn't hurt to replace it to ensure a smoother workflow.
4. Clear Your App Cache Folder
One of the reasons for Procreate glitching could be that the cache folder is full. This can be specific to your Procreate app cache folder, but clearing all the cache folders on your iPad could also help.
Different apps offer different ways to clear the app cache folder. Some of them have it built directly into their settings, but Procreate, unfortunately, does not. Although annoying, the best way to clear Procreate's app cache is to uninstall Procreate and reinstall it. Check out our guide to learn how to remove apps from your iPad.
Procreate does not automatically save your files to iCloud or your iPad. If you uninstall Procreate, you will lose all your files. Ensure you have a secure backup of any Procreate files before uninstalling the app.
5. Check Your iPad Storage Levels and Clear Unused Files or Apps
If you've used your iPad to create a lot of art, take many photos, or store plenty of files, your iPad storage may be full. Apple's iPads often don't have very much storage, so you need to keep an eye on storage levels. Using iCloud Drive or another cloud storage service will help significantly.
You can check your iPad's storage levels by going to Settings > General > iPad Storage. This will show you which apps use the most storage and will give you insight into whether there are unused apps you can delete.
Back up your Procreate artwork on the cloud rather than only storing it on your iPad. By keeping local storage levels low, Procreate will work smoother and may prevent glitching when using the Apple Pencil.
6. Update iPadOS and Procreate on Your iPad
It is best practice—for the smooth running of your iPad and security—to keep your iPad updated to the latest version of iPadOS. Not only are apps updated to run on the latest iPadOS version, but the system as a whole will work at its best.
Along with ensuring your iPad is running the newest software, you should always run the latest update of Procreate to keep glitching at bay. You can manually update the app or switch on automatic updates in your iPad settings to ensure your apps stay updated.
Go to Settings > General > Software Update to update your iPad, then open the App Store and tap your Profile to check for app updates.
Check that you have backups of your Procreate files before updating the app. Although you shouldn't lose your files, there's always the unfortunate possibility when updating to any new app that your files may be lost in the process.
If you're having other issues with Procreate, check out our guide to fixing common Procreate problems.
7. Check the Palm Rejection Sensor
The iPad's palm rejection sensor allows you to rest your palm on the screen while drawing with the Apple Pencil. This is how you would draw or write naturally, so the sensor allows natural hand placement without ruining your drawings. Unfortunately, if the palm rejection sensor is broken, it may cause glitching in Procreate when drawing this way.
You could prevent this by wearing a drawing glove, which is a glove that only covers your wrist, the heel of your palm, your little finger, and your ring finger, as these parts of your hand typically touch the screen when drawing. Wearing a drawing glove ensures your iPad doesn't confuse your hand for the Apple Pencil or other drawing device.
Although there is no specific palm rejection sensor setting on the iPad, there is still a setting you can check that helps. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom. For the palm rejection sensor to work correctly, Zoom must be switched off. Toggle it on and off again and see if it fixes your Apple Pencil glitching in Procreate.
8. Use the Correct Power Adapter for Your iPad
Most people charge their iPads using the original Apple charger it comes with, but it could be a problem if you use a non-standard power adapter for any reason.
The first-generation Apple Pencil plugs into the iPad's Lightning Port to charge, whereas the second-gen pencil attaches via a magnet to the side of the iPad. If your iPad is being charged with too much power via a non-standard power adapter, it may cause a static charge to build in the Apple Pencil while charging, causing glitches.
To fix this, ensure you're using the correct charger. We recommend using the provided charger that came with your iPad. Another way to potentially remove this issue is to unplug your iPad while using it and only charge it when not in use.
9. Disable Spoken Content and Switch Controls
Some Procreate users experience a glitch endearingly named line rubber-banding, where drawing a continuous line results in previous parts of the line wiggling and snapping like a pulled rubber band. This frustrating problem has a successful fix in the iPad's accessibility settings.
Go to iPad Settings > Accessibility, then disable all the options under Spoken Content and Switch Control. Once you've done that, complete a hard restart of your iPad. Once it's back on, your rubber-banding glitch should be non-existent.
10. Remove the iPad Case or Screen Protector
While it's unlikely that the screen protector is causing issues, there's a small chance it could be covering a sensor needed for the iPad to work correctly. Most screen protectors come in packs of two, so you may already have a spare to replace it with.
If removing or replacing the screen protector does nothing, you could also have an issue with your iPad case. Most iPad cases use a magnet to close; this magnet could cause your Apple Pencil to glitch, so try removing the case and seeing if it fixes the glitching issue.
11. Clean Your iPad's Screen
If you take your iPad everywhere, it may pick up some dirt across the screen. This may be from your skin oils or dried skin that falls naturally. But if you eat near your iPad or don't use a case or protector all the time, then dirt on your screen may be prominent enough to affect how well your Apple Pencil works.
Read our tips for cleaning computer and tablet screens because that may be all you need to stop your Apple Pencil from glitching.
12. Replace Your Apple Pencil or iPad
If you have tried all the previous tips without success, it may be time to consider replacing your Apple Pencil. With electronics, every product, unfortunately, has a shelf life. While it's always sad to say goodbye to a much-loved (and expensive) product, it usually leads the way to work with newer, better products.
We implore you to use any insurance or warranty on your iPad or Apple Pencil first to save throwing away something that could be fixed. If you can get your iPad looked at by Apple, the technicians may have some fixes that we don't know about that allow you to continue using your product for longer.
Buying new Apple products can be costly, but Apple often gives a discount if you trade in an older device when purchasing a new one. If you buy a new iPad and don't trade in your old one, you can still incorporate your old iPad into other parts of your workflow to keep more products out of the landfill.
Continue Using Procreate With Your Apple Pencil Glitch-Free
With these tips, you're sure to find something that will remove the glitching you're experiencing with your Apple Pencil in Procreate. Not only can these tips work for Procreate, but some of them may be suitable in other iPad apps or even if you're using an alternative stylus.
Many of these tips are good practice for a smooth workflow, so even if you're not suffering from a glitching Apple Pencil, you should check out these ideas and see how they benefit your work.
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