Apple Pencil for Left Handers (2025)

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User profile for user: Roland_Oz

Roland_Oz Author

User level: Level1

16 points

Any tips on how I can my Apple Pencil to work in notes left handed? I've been through hours of troubleshooting with Apple Support but they literally told me just to write with my right hand...it was pretty offensive.

I know I could try just downloading a different notes app but this syncs with my other devices plus I kind of feel like not designing the Pencil / notes for use by left-handers was a bit of an oversight.

Posted on Jun 12, 2020 5:32 AM

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User profile for user: Roland_Oz

Roland_Oz Author

User level: Level1

16 points

Posted on Jun 12, 2020 5:58 AM

Yeah I was surprised, it works much better on non-Apple apps like Adobe Sketch and OneNote.

Basically in Notes I keep getting errors saying that the iPad thinks I’m writing with two things (pencils, hands etc) because the nature of being left handed is having to rest your hand on the screen while writing. Seems like something other developers were across but Apple just assumed we were all ambidextrous 🤗

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User profile for user: Roland_Oz

Roland_Oz Author

User level: Level1

16 points

Jun 12, 2020 5:58 AM in response to LotusPilot

Yeah I was surprised, it works much better on non-Apple apps like Adobe Sketch and OneNote.

Basically in Notes I keep getting errors saying that the iPad thinks I’m writing with two things (pencils, hands etc) because the nature of being left handed is having to rest your hand on the screen while writing. Seems like something other developers were across but Apple just assumed we were all ambidextrous 🤗

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User profile for user: Roland_Oz

Roland_Oz Author

User level: Level1

16 points

Jun 12, 2020 6:45 AM in response to MrHoffman

I've logged this feedback a few times in the past but maybe I'll log again just to press the point home. Thanks for the suggestion 😊

I also sent vids of the problem to Apple Support and the reply was that the Pencil was designed for use by right-handers so, as a left-hander, I just wasn't using it correctly. I very much doubt that's true and likely came from a disgruntled employee but not very helpful nonetheless.

Such a pain. I bought it primarily to use the Notes function in lab work as I'm not allowed to take a laptop into the wet lab at uni. OneNote is a good middle ground but the other problem I have with the iPad is getting OneNote to sync which I don't find with Notes.

Can't win 'em all, I guess! Thanks again for your suggestion.

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User profile for user: MichelPM

MichelPM

User level: Level10

81,340 points

Jul 18, 2020 3:44 PM in response to Roland_Oz

What about simply using a left or right handed specialised drawing glove?

Something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Anti-fouling-Drawing-Tablet-Graphic-Right-Ha nd-Left-Hand/dp/B017R8M2JY/ref=sr_1https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Anti-fouling-Drawing-Tablet-Graphic-Right-Ha

These special, non-body electrical conducting, lycra-based material drawing gloves work by isolating your hand/palm ( and its electrical impulses ) and allow you to lay your hand/palm on the screen as you draw without causing any stray marks.

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User profile for user: MrHoffman

MrHoffman

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Jun 12, 2020 6:07 AM in response to Roland_Oz

Log your feedback with the folks that work for Apple. Product Feedback - Apple

Both about the support call, and about the Notes UI.

You’ll want to be more specific around the UI elements or details of Notes that are showing handedness.

And the fun of “pen smearing” when writing left-handed in a left-to-write language.

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User profile for user: MrHoffman

MrHoffman

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Jun 12, 2020 7:02 AM in response to Roland_Oz

I’d wonder why whatever is happening here would not also affect right-handed folks.

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User profile for user: LotusPilot

LotusPilot

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Jun 12, 2020 5:38 AM in response to Roland_Oz

Seems Odd. The iPad has no way of knowing which hand you are using. I have seen some graphics Apps (e.g., Concepts) that allow you to select either left or right-handed settings - but this only flips some elements of the App’s User Interface.

What specifically is your difficulty?

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User profile for user: Roland_Oz

Roland_Oz Author

User level: Level1

16 points

Jun 12, 2020 8:29 AM in response to MrHoffman

Yeah my suspicion was just the nature of the writing, lefties tending to touch whatever they're writing more. Causes the pen smear you mentioned. That's just an observation from watching people write in real life though.

I'm assuming there's a difference in the way the iPad registers touch between left and right handers based on writing style, otherwise OneNote etc wouldn't need a function to indicate / change which hand you're writing with.

Weird that other apps cottoned onto the difference as I say. Probably what Apple needs to do is provide a similar update in Notes to correct the error.

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User profile for user: ClayboySooner

ClayboySooner

User level: Level1

4 points

Jul 18, 2020 3:37 PM in response to LotusPilot

As a lefty I can tell you that I’ve experienced some weirdness in various writing apps. Notability, for example, sometimes picks up my palm as the primary contact point, which leads to some funky feedback like lines instead of my cursive, or bringing up a search bar at the top of the screen. Notes is far better at palm rejection, and the only real problem I have is the back button in the upper left hand corner. I inadvertently hit it a lot. I would love a ‘left handed’ mode that shifts the button further to the right.

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User profile for user: LotusPilot

LotusPilot

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Jun 12, 2020 6:09 AM in response to Roland_Oz

I’ve certainly not observed any issues with palm-rejection using either hand.

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Apple Pencil for Left Handers

Apple Pencil for Left Handers (2025)

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