Just wanted to tell everyone (I've seen several reports on Reddit and confirmed on my own) that if you install the 9.3 dev beta, your apple pencil will stop being able to control the interface. All it can do after the update is select things, can't scroll or move anything around with it.
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iPad Pro FYI 9.3 beta breaks Apple pencil
- Thread starter gigatigga
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Can you still use it to sketch? Because if you can, I'd hardly consider it broken. Using it for navigation was never a promised feature.
I can use it only in apps that have been updated with Apple pencil support. I really doubt they removed the ability for the pencil to control the interface after already having it work that way, on purpose. Thus I say "broken", just to save someone some time if they were thinking of updating to the beta, but would really be bummed without this.
Thanks for the heads up! While I would hate not being able to use the Pencil to control the interface after having the luxury to do so, I guess I would go ahead and install the beta anyways. The fluidity improvements are worth it IMO!
Thanks for the head's up. As a bass player, the pencil has been a godsend. These capacitive screens don't work well with callused fingers.
If this is the case, and general ipad pointing has been dissabled, i wont be upgrading 
For me, the Pencil as a general ios pointer is probably my no.1 deal maker.
For me, the Pencil as a general ios pointer is probably my no.1 deal maker.
If this is the case, and general ipad pointing has been dissabled, i wont be upgrading
For me, the Pencil as a general ios pointer is probably my no.1 deal maker.
I can understand @PBG4 Dude's reason due to callused fingers, but for yourself, what makes the iOS pointer superior to capacitive multi-touch?
personal choice, pure and simple, which is just as valid a reason as any other.
I'm not insisting on a "valid reason". I'm simply curious - so you prefer a stylus as a means of navigational input? It's fine - I have seen people prefer the stylus in the Samsung Note for navigation instead of using their fingers on the capacitive display.
I'm just wondering about the specific personal reasons involved. Do you prefer the precision? Does it work better because it doesn't smudge the screen with fingerprints? Is it because it feels more hygienic?
Well I won't insist on a "logical answer", I just think it is illuminating to know the reason.
sorry, not meaning to sound aggressive, just expecting a tsunami of people here tell my my reasoning is crap, as is usually the way in here
i've always use the finger as we had no choice. now, i have this hyper accurate pointing device at hand. super, fast efficient and accurate. much more accurate than finger precision imo. apart from the obvious accuracy some apps certainly benefit from the Pencil, i find general browsing faster and easier.
clicking bookmarks, scrolling through websites, organising mail etc etc. even tapping the home button and hitting keys on the smart keyboard is a fluid motion with it too.
infact, the only time i really use my finger these days is when the pencil is charging or those times the pencil is inoprable, which isnt much.
i've always use the finger as we had no choice. now, i have this hyper accurate pointing device at hand. super, fast efficient and accurate. much more accurate than finger precision imo. apart from the obvious accuracy some apps certainly benefit from the Pencil, i find general browsing faster and easier.
clicking bookmarks, scrolling through websites, organising mail etc etc. even tapping the home button and hitting keys on the smart keyboard is a fluid motion with it too.
infact, the only time i really use my finger these days is when the pencil is charging or those times the pencil is inoprable, which isnt much.
Ah yes. The Pencil is definitely much more precise than using fingers. Thanks for sharing your reason I have used the Pencil for navigation for a while, and it does bring a certain appeal for the reasons you state. I still stick with fingers for the most part, but yes I can see your point of view.
I have used the Pencil for navigation for a while, and it does bring a certain appeal for the reasons you state. I still stick with fingers for the most part, but yes I can see your point of view.I am a Software QA for a living specifically for iPad apps and after 8 hours your index finger really goes raw. I've used 3rd party stylus for years because of this, but none of them have worked as well as Apple pencil. I honestly pray this is a bug vs a new "feature"
I could see them go either way with it - the Pencil isn't disabled from being used to tap keys on the keyboard, or tap icons on the home screen. They seem to have deliberately disabled it from being used as navigational input, to scroll in directions. I personally liked using it to navigate web pages.
Apple don't remove features and this is a beta 1 of a big update. Just wait it out. Using the Apple pencil in this way is intuitive and Apple use these devices themselves
Using the Apple pencil in this way is intuitive and Apple use these devices themselvesApple don't remove features and this is a beta 1 of a big update. Just wait it out.
Eh I don't know if that's true. Where are the tweet and the Facebook post buttons in the notification shade? (Just the first example I could come up with off the top of my head)
True true. Just gotta see if they fix it. This isn't a perfect update yet and lots of testing has to be done
For me, not cleaning the screen every 10 minutes makes the pencil as a pointer and screen navigator very valuable.
Whoa, I'm surprised to read some of this. I adore the Pencil for drawing now that I have it, but I thought it performed pretty badly for general UI navigation – half the "taps" don't even seem to register for me, whereas they do perfectly well with a one-dollar stylus with the simple rubber bauble on the end.
Me too, it has replaced my other rubber tip stylus without issue. It does have the ability to tap successively much more quickly, which sometimes results in taps I don't mean to do as its a lot more sensitive, but haven't had issues over all. After just 24 hours without it, I do miss it.