Lenovo Active Pen 2 Not Working? How to fix it

If your Lenovo stylus pen isn’t working, then there’s several fixes we have researched for you in this post. Stylus pens for Lenovo Yoga, Flex, and Thinkpad often have issues such as not connecting, being paired (but not working), as well as not performing properly with certain apps (like photoshop for example).

I’ve even seen issues where the pen pressure sensitivity doesn’t work, pen stroke moves in reverse, or the Lenovo touch screen laptop simply doesn’t recognize the stylus pen.

You can fix a Lenovo active stylus pen (both 1 & 2) that isn’t working by first ensuring you have the most up to date drivers. Next, hold the top button for over 7 seconds. Finally, reverse the battery of the pen to the wrong polarity, and then restart all your devices, including the Lenovo laptop. This will fix your Lenovo pen and allow it to work properly again.

So far, we have hand tested almost every Lenovo pen to date. If your bluetooth still won’t recognize the pen (or you dropped it in water) you can always grab yourself a Lenovo stylus pen replacement.

“I had 2 Lenovo active pens stop working. I attempted to reverse the battery polarity by swapping the battery [purposely] in the opposite, wrong position. Then turning the lenovo pen back on. Finally, i reversed it back into the correct + and – positions, my Lenovo active pen 2 and the battery is now working again!”

Related: See the 7 Best Drawing Tablets that Dont Need a Computer (Standalone

If the above fixes don’t work initially to fix your Lenovo pen, don’t worry – we will uncover several more solutions in this blog post that so far have a 78% fix rate. 

How to Fix Lenovo Active 2 Stylus pen not working (Yoga, Flex, and Thinkpad)

We have discovered a number of ways you can fix a Lenovo active pen 2 (or 1) that isn’t working.

In the past, my Yoga 720’s Lenovo active pen 2 stopped working for me (I’ve also tried a Lenovo active pen 1). Both stylus pens seem to suddenly stop working. I tried the following fixes before moving onto the more complex ones to fix it:

1. Replaced the batteries (even though they were at 100%)
2. Place the battery in correctly by turning it on and reversing it, then turning it off Then trying the correct position again.
3. Used Lenovo Vantage & Lenovo System Update to ensure the stylus pen & touchscreen softwares drivers are up to date.
4. Windows 10, or 11 (or later) Is updated to the latest version

Related: 7 Best Stylus Pens for Touch Screen Laptops

I downgraded the Active pen driver to a previous version, but the pen only hovered, not working when I touched the screen.

Here is an alternate fix that worked for both the Lenovo active pen 1 and 2 that stopped working for us:

1. Launch your Lenovo pen app on your 2-in-1 device
2. Turn lenovo into tablet mode, and back to normal
3. Take batteries in and out
4. open a drawing app (or word_ and try to write or draw
5. Open pdf and also try wordpad (Windows) or notes (mac).

Your Lenovo active pen bluetooth, buttons not working, and eraser problems should be fixed. Re-updating the driver made the pen unrecognizable for me, so try the battery method first

Lenovo Active pen 2 for the Yoga 720, 730, 920 & 930 not working

If the stylus pen on your Lenovo Yoga 720 or 730 is not responding, you should check whether it is the screen or the stylus pen connection that is causing the problem.

On my Lenovo pen would not work, right, or draw… the fix was different compared to when the buttons and eraser wouldn’t work. 

Also see: 7 Best Stylus for Amazon Fire HD 8 & 10

For a Lenovo 720 pen that will not connect or respond, taking out the batteries, updating the software drivers, and then restarting all devices seemed to work on most of the pens we’ve fixed.

So, what do you do when you’ve tried everything and still can’t find a fix? Here is how to fix a Lenovo active 2 pen that isn’t connecting or pairing to Lenovo yoga models 720, 730, 920, or 930: 

1. First make sure the pen was assembled correctly to begin with. Check once more if the drivers are up to date.
2. If the issue is with pressure sensitivity not working on a Lenovo pen, then try to take the Nib off and replace it back on (gently). This is a common issue with older model lenovo pens.
3. Once you’ve done this: hold the top button of the stylus pen for 7 seconds or longer.
4. Try disassembling the battery, turning it the wrong way, and back on again. Even if you tried this once before

This is typically the best solution for thinkbook, Yoga, and Ideapad models. If this still does not fix your pen, you may want to consider reaching out to support or grabbing an alternative like the Lazarite (budget lenovo pen alternative)

How to fix a Lenovo stylus pen that is paired but not working

If your lenovo Active pen 920 or 930 isn’t working. It may be due to bluetooth. It may or may not pair and not work. Here is how to fix a lenovo stylus pen that is paired, but not working:

6. Change the battery
7. Opened lenovo pen app
8. Turn lenovo touch screen into tablet mode
9. Revert back again to laptop mode, then restart.
10. Take battery out, then battery in
11. open word and try to write or draw
12. Open pdf and attempt to utilize markup

Lenovo Active Pen 1 not working

1. Make sure you have the latest drivers installed by running the “Lenovo Vantage” software update. Reboot the times it takes and check if there is any improvement.
2. Make sure the Active Pen driver is installed on your machine.
3. You can pull the nib out and then insert it (softly) back into the pen. If it’s too far or too little pushed in, or the sensors will not work properly on the Lenovo pen.
4. There may be a “Wacom Pen” app installed on your computer that allows you to calibrate the pen. If that is the case, check if you have a “Wacom Pen” app installed and check the option for “calibrate”.
5. You can also use this driver that we have tested and installed, which supports Wacom.
6. You can also replace the batteries and turn on the pen, if you store it too long the battery may die out.

If it’s listed as compatible with your laptop under SmartFind, you might want to double-check. 

The Lenovo Active Pen 1 is listed as compatible with your device, but it won’t react to pressing and holding its top button. Check the Lenovo Active Pen 1 start-guide and make sure the battery and pen are assembled correctly. 

See: 7 Ways to Write and Draw on a Non Touch Screen Laptop

There is a possibility that the pen’s hardware is faulty. You might need to contact our service if your pen used to work before, but now it doesn’t seem to budge or even turn on. 

How to fix a Lenovo pen that is not connecting

Here’s several ways to fix a lenovo pen that won’t connect:

• Turn the laptop display into tablet mode, then try to connect.
• Test the pen if it works on apps such as wordpad, paint, note-apps, and more.
• To further isolate the problem, you can change the pen’s battery.
• Try disabling the hid-compliant touch screen driver in the Device Manager, enabling it shortly, restarting the machine, and testing the pen on any apps you prefer.

Drivers should be updated and this would be the final step if its’ still not connecting.

If the lenovo stylus pen still won’t connect, then check if your Lenovo pen is not working on Yoga, Flex 5, and other lenovo based laptops. You can also see if the pen is docked properly in the laptop. Remove and reset the Pen into the system 3-6 times. 

If you’re using a device like a laptop for sketchup, then it’s very important for the Lenovo pen to work as it’s likely a big part of your graphic design workflow.

After this, wait 1.5 – 3 minutes for the Pen to charge and then Launch the Lenovo Pen Settings Utility by pressing the Windows Key and typing Lenovo Pen Setting.

Lenovo support chat agent was to send in my whole notebook and the pen for a 2-week repair that I may end up being charged for (at the technician’s discretion; no estimate given). No thanks. 

Related: See the Apps that Convert Handwriting To Text

Lenovo Active Pen 1 battery information

The Lenovo Active Pen 1 is powered by a single AAAA alkaline battery, making it both convenient and easily accessible. This type of battery is commonly available and offers a decent lifespan, ensuring that you won’t have to constantly replace it.

The pen does not feature a rechargeable battery, which means you’ll need to keep a spare AAAA battery on hand for uninterrupted use. However, the pen is designed to be energy-efficient, so one battery should last you a considerable amount of time depending on your usage.

Lenovo Pen Troubleshooting

Additional solutions can be found for Lenovo stylus pen users. When the battery is removed and the power button is pressed for 5-7 seconds, the pen will have a fresh power drain. The time has been reduced to 7 seconds for recent Lenovo pens and slim pens.

It is important to isolate some factors because each scenario can be different depending on whether the Lenovo integrated pen is not working or if the pen settings are simply not responding.

Also see: 7 Best Gaming Laptops for Graphic Design

As a result of changes or updates, detection may need to be reconfigured, so the following steps shared by a fellow user can be tried:

There is a potential fix by going to Intel Graphics Command Center, selecting System, selecting Power, and disabling Dynamic Refresh Rate Switching.

It appears that various updates have altered the behavior of this Intel graphics driver over time, at least on my machine, because there is some odd flaw that causes the Lenovo base and active pen to behave unresponsive. This only happens when the screen runs at 48hz.

Fixing a Lenovo pen eraser not working

Using the following fix, I was able to fix a Lenovo pen eraser that suddenly stopped working:

1. On your 2-in-1 device, launch the Lenovo pen app
2. Try opening a pdf file as well as a word document.
3. You can turn your Lenovo into a tablet and then back to its normal mode
4. Put in and take out batteries
5. Open a drawing app (or word) and draw or write

Your lenovo active pen bluetooth, bottom/top button not working, and eraser problems should be fixed. Re-updating the driver made the pen unrecognizable for me, so try the battery method first

How to charge Lenovo pen

After removing and resetting the pen five or six times, wait a couple minutes to see if it will charge.

The Lenovo Pen Settings App can be launched from the Windows Menu. The Pen Settings App displays a Battery Indicator icon when the pen is detected. You should be able to see the battery percentage when you hover your mouse over the Battery Indicator icon. In the absence of this. Click the toggle switch to enable the ‘Show Battery on Taskbar’ option.

Additional way to help fix a lenovo stylus pen with charging issues:

• A Lenovo Vantage active pen with an incorrect battery capacity must be confirmed whether it touches the glass. 
• Verify that the active pen was charged before if it does not function. In case the pen is not charged, please charge it. Activate the pen by inserting it into the slot and locking it in place with a click. Within 15 seconds, the pen will be 80% charged, and within five minutes, it will be 100% charged.
• The pen will not be charged if the computer is not on or in sleep mode. Be sure to turn this off if so.
• Otherwise, this is not a quality issue. Lenovo Vantage will display detailed battery capacity information when the pen touches the glass.
  Display battery status in Lenovo Vantage’s taskbar by turning it on. 
• Touch the glass with the active pen. The capacity of the battery will be updated.

Lenovo yoga touch screen not working

You’ll need to open the Device Manager to solve a Lenovo yoga touch screen that won’t respond. This is required because through testing, we found the drivers have been the issue. If you have any concerns about deleting drivers or re-installing, then back up your computer or contact Lenovo before attempting anything complex or technical.

Here is how you can fix Lenovo 2-in-1 laptops (Lenovo Yoga) that have a touchscreen that’s not working:

• The USB Touchscreen Controller driver can be located via ‘Mice and Other Pointing Devices’ > then, USB Touchscreen Controller.
• The driver should be uninstalled, then the driver software should be deleted. You need to restart your computer.
• Open Device Manager -> Human Interface Devices and select it. You can uninstall HID compliant touch screens by right-clicking them. It will be reinstalled when you restart the PC.

Check that the touchscreen, battery, sound and some HIDs are not missing from Device Manager.

Note: Whether you’re using the flex or Yoga, the screen not working can be frustrating. Before diving in you can view Lenovo Flex Vs Yoga: Which is better? (Comparison) if you are unsure of the differences between these two laptops.

After re-installing certain drivers and then rebooting, I found many of the small issues with the display not reacting to the pen were fixed on the Lenovo Yoga touch screens and even the Lenovo X1. For further assistance and diagnosis, contact Lenovo service center.

Will Lenovo active pen work with iPad

The Lenovo active pen does not have compatibility with any iPad model, including the pro and air, it has a unique type of technology. However, the following pens could work which are found in the comparison between: Zagg Pro Vs Apple Pencil Vs Adonit Note+ Vs Adonit Pixel

Wacom AES technology is used in the Lenovo pen and a few Android tablets; Apple technology is used in the iPad, but, as far as we’ve texted, it is not compatible with Wacom products.

Active styluses use technology that is primarily hardware, compatibility between the two devices is not possible at the moment. In order for a lenovo pen to work on an ipad, not only do you need a pen with the necessary technology, but you also need a layer of digitizer built into your device’s screen. This is not possible.

It’s impossible to add those through emulation, and it’s impossible to laminate a digitizer onto a screen that doesn’t have one. Obtaining the device you need would probably be cheaper than building it from scratch, if it were possible.

You could also find alternative pens from around the internet if you do have an iPad that supports Apple pencils. These include the Lazarite M Pen. 

If you don’t have an iPad with support for the Apple pencil 1 & 2, then you can use a rubber tipped stylus or a disc stylus, or your device can have a digitizer if you don’t have an iPad.

How to set up and connect a Lenovo Active Pen 2 to your laptop

Looking to see How to connect Lenovo active pen to your laptop or 2-in-1 device? Lenovo Active Pen setup (for both models, 1 & 2) requires proper configuration and calibration.

Here’s the steps you need to take in order to properly connect a Lenovo active pen 2 to your laptop:

1. The pen should be assembled correctly and the USB port should be connected with your computer so you can connect your Yoga laptop to the USB port by keeping the pen close to the system.
2. You cannot customize pen features without installing the Lenovo Pen settings Application. To find the app, type store in the search bar. Once installed, you can easily launch it.
3. By holding and tapping the screen, you can right click the top barrel button and the bottom barrel button. The bottom bottom should be used if you are erasing.
4. The LED indicator will flash when the battery is low, indicating that it needs to be replaced. Once that is done, you need to buy or collect a new one for the pen.
5. You can pair the pen with a computer or laptop by holding the pen’s top button for more than three minutes until you see the LED indicator flash white. Ensure that your laptop has a Bluetooth module; if it does, type Bluetooth into the Windows search bar. The Bluetooth Settings will be displayed in the list of what will appear. Tap or click it directly. The Lenovo Active Pen 2 should appear in the list. Make sure that the Bluetooth is working and click on it.
6. Your Lenovo active pen 2 will now be connected!

Best Lenovo Pen Settings

You can customize your stylus using the Lenovo Pen Settings app. If you’re using the Wacom Radial Menu, then you can easily access advanced functions when installed on a PC with a Wacom Pen sensor embedded in the screen.

Good settings to change and modify for your liking goes as follows:

• Standard Click
• Double-click
• Hold down the shortcut button
• Modify pen settings to choose which buttons controls the hand you write with.

If your Lenovo or ThinkPad PC supports pen input, you should install the Lenovo Pen Settings App (or Wacom Pen App). To install the Lenovo App, go to http://www.lenovo.com/support, enter your model number, and install the App.

• See: Lenovo ThinkBook vs ThinkPad: What are the differences?
• Also see: Lenovo Thinkpad vs Ideapad: Which is better? | Comparison

Furthermore, there are radial buttons that can be viewed through a menu. Radial Menus are triggered by Button actions. Users can customize functionality with one click or tap of the floating pop-up menu displayed on their screen.

Optimal Lenovo pen settings for drawing

For artists or those who frequently sketch, setting the top barrel button to “Screen Sketch” and the bottom barrel button to “Sketch Pad” can be incredibly useful. These settings essentially map to full-screen snip and whiteboard apps, providing quick access to drawing surfaces without needing to navigate through menus.

When it comes to pen tip sensitivity, the default setting is generally accurate for most users. However, if you find that you need a lighter or heavier touch, you can easily adjust this in the pen settings. Just remember, to activate any of the barrel buttons, bring the pen close to the screen until a white circle with a crosshair appears; then you can press the button to access the associated app.

Lenovo Active pen 2 Replacement options

Replacing a broken Lenovo active pen that is not working can be a difficult decision when you aren’t sure exactly what the root cause of the issue was. All you may be aware of is that the stylus is not working or connecting. If you tried all of the steps outlined in this guide and your pain is not working you may want to consider a replacement Lenovo stylus.

Your best choice amongst cheap budget alternatives to the Lenovo active pen 2 can be found in our guide here: Best stylus for Lenovo – which highlights the lazarite, Adonit Note+, and other active pen alternatives compatible with these touchscreen laptops.

You can also check the compatibility amongst devices in the above mentioned guide for grabbing a replacement stylus for the Lenovo IdeaPad, ThinkPad, or Yoga.

Conclusion

This post informs us how to fix Lenovo pen issues such as not charging, connecting, or not working with your Lenovo Device. This means you won’t be able to write, draw, or navigate the 2-in-1 laptop. Models include, but are not limited to the yoga 920, 930 & 940 stylus problems.

I would advise checking the start-guide for the Lenovo Active Pen 2 and 1 and making sure you have assembled the pen and battery correctly. There is a possibility that the hardware of the pen has become faulty if your pen used to work before, but doesn’t power on anymore. You might need to contact Lenovo as soon as possible. 

Additionally, be sure that your lenovo pen is listed as compatible with your device but does not react when you press the button on top.