Does The Surface Pen Work With Other Laptops?

What is a Surface Pen and how many of them are there?

The short answer to this question is that it depends on a few factors, and it can be quite confusing to know what pen is compatible with what device. The Surface Pen is a digital stylus that was first introduced in 2012 by Microsoft to be used alongside their Surface Pro which uses the same technology created by Wacom.

This first-generation Surface Pen had a button on the side that would right-click and an eraser on the end of it. This pen does not support Bluetooth and is not compatible with any surface models other than the Surface Pro and the Surface Pro 2.

The second generation of the Surface Pen was released in 2014 alongside the Surface Pro 3 and was similar to the earlier Surface Pen but had the eraser on the side of the device next to the right-click button. In addition to this, a button was added that once pressed would automatically run OneNote.

It had an improved accuracy for illustrating due to its 256 levels of pressure sensitivity but it does require batteries which may be a disadvantage for some. The technology on which it was based was created by N-trig which was later bought by Microsoft and is compatible with any other device that also uses N-trig technology and supports the Microsoft Pen Protocol (MPP).

This Surface Pen is compatible with a lot more Microsoft surface models, from the Surface Pro 3 to the Surface Hub 2S.

When the Surface Pro 4 was released, it came with a new Surface Pen. It uses the same N-trig technology as the previous Surface Pen but only has one button on the side instead of two, the eraser makes a comeback on the end of the pen but now can be customized to perform other functions.

It is compatible with the Surface 3 and the Surface Pro 3, it is also compatible with other devices that use N-trig technology such as the Fujitsu Q702 and the ASUS Taichi.

Finally, the 5th generation Surface Pro was released in 2017 alongside a newly updated Surface Pen that was capable of 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. It is compatible with all of the other Surface models and at the time of release was the fastest digital pen on the market.

It uses the same N-trig technology as the previous pens so can be used with any device that supports N-trig. Unfortunately, none of the Surface Pens are compatible with Apple products.

Surface Pens are a great tool for those who like to use Microsoft software such as Office and Adobe for drawing but they can also be used for entering text if you would rather write your words instead of type them.

By using a Surface Pen, you can also ditch the mouse and keyboard altogether as you can navigate your Surface by tapping, swiping, or dragging. The Surface Pens may have altering features throughout the generations but most of them can be customized to perform the desired task.

How To Check That Your Surface Pen is Compatible

To check if your Surface Pen is compatible with your device, go to the manufacturer’s website and see if the device supports MPP, and make a note of the number in the device details. If you are not sure what Surface Pen you have then you need to check which can be done on the Microsoft website.

If you do find that the Surface Pen is compatible, then you can connect it via Bluetooth in the settings. Do keep in mind that even though it is compatible, the drawing experience will vary depending on what device you are using it on.

The way to pair your Surface Pen to the Surface device is straightforward and is done via Bluetooth. To do this, first, check to see if you have all the latest updates and drivers, then go into the settings on the laptop and from there go to the Devices tab, where it will have the prompt to add Bluetooth or another device before selecting Bluetooth.

Then, move onto the pen and hold the top button for five to seven seconds until the LED flashes white, then select the pen to pair it from the settings.

Troubleshooting your Surface Pen

If the pen is not connecting or says that it is but is not working properly and you have downloaded the latest updates and drivers then it could be the Surface Pen’s battery if the pen model you have uses batteries.

All of the battery-powered Surface Pens use AAAA batteries and you can check if they are dead by pressing and holding the button on the end of the pen for five to seven seconds. Once the LED light comes on, a green light indicates the battery has charge and a red light means it will die soon and needs replacement.

If the battery is completely dead, then the LED light will not come on at all. If this is the case, then you can replace it by twisting and pulling the end off of the pen. Place the battery in with the positive end pointing toward the tail and put the cap back on.

If the issue is not with the battery, then it may be the app that you are trying to use it with. Even though the vast majority of Microsoft apps are compatible with the Surface Pen, some of them are not.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to find out if the app is compatible with your pen, do this by opening the Windows Ink Workspace and selecting Screen sketch and this lets you draw on the screen with the pen. You can also try cycling through your apps to see which ones respond and which ones don’t.

After trying these steps and the pen still is not responding, it could be damaged and you will need to replace it and it is worth reaching out to the support team at Microsoft to check for any warranties they may have regarding repairing and