Astropad Studio Gains Apple Pencil Hover Integration on M2 iPad Pro

Astropad today announced an update to the Astropad Studio app, which adds support for the Apple Pencil hover feature that Apple introduced with the new M2 iPad Pro models. Astropad Studio is designed to allow you to draw on your Mac using your iPad, so the hover gesture can be used with the macOS software on the ‌iPad‌.

m2 ipad pro apple pencil hover
Astropad says that users have been asking for ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover support for years, and it is one of the last features that Wacom tablets offered that the ‌iPad‌ did not. With the hover option, the ‌iPad‌ serves as a more feature rich Wacom alternative for digital artists.

The update adds 3D gestures for panning, zooming, and rotating the 3D canvas, along with support for new default shortcuts. There are also a range of new Magic Gestures that use combinations of tap, touch, and the ‌Apple Pencil‌ to trigger actions. Per-app custom gestures are available, so users can set up different gesture sets for apps like Photoshop and Blender, and there is a new one-finger tap gesture.

Astropad Studio is currently offering a 30 percent discount off annual subscriptions with the promo code FESTIVE. Subscriptions are priced at $70/year. Astropad's Luna Display software has also been updated with ‌Apple Pencil‌ hover for the ‌M2‌ ‌iPad Pro‌ models.

Related Forum: iPad Accessories

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
amazon black friday

Amazon Kicks Off Black Friday Sale With Major Discounts on Apple Accessories, TVs, and More

Sunday November 23, 2025 7:12 am PST by
Black Friday deals have begun, and Amazon is one of the best places you can find steep discounts on numerous products this week. We've already collected all of the best Apple-related deals you'll find at Amazon (and other retailers) in our Apple Black Friday Deals post, so below you'll find other discounts on devices like Anker accessories, Beats headphones, video games, TVs, and more. Note:...

Top Rated Comments

nwcs Avatar
40 months ago
Maybe I’m too old school but I like the textural feel and resistance of actually pressing against a screen rather than just hovering over it like a hologram.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrJR Avatar
40 months ago

It is a good feature on my new 12.9" iPad Pro. The Pencil feels like a wand.

Is Apple working on 'continuity trackpad' for iPad where I can easily-quickly use my iPad as a large trackpad for my Mac when I need it.
That would be cool!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
szw-mapple fan Avatar
40 months ago

You still need to press the screen even with hover. Hover just gives you feedback on the position of the pencil before it touches the screen.
Sounds like a feature like this would work great with a haptic engine in the pencil.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
svish Avatar
40 months ago
Good to see more apps supporting hover feature. Unfortunately it is available only on the newest iPad Pro.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
airbatross Avatar
40 months ago
I love it on my M2 iPad.. It's like mouse hover on websites - the ability to preview a brush on a drawing app or navigating menus without pressing is awesome.. Also makes it easier to touch the exact position you want..
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cppguy Avatar
40 months ago

Maybe I’m too old school but I like the textural feel and resistance of actually pressing against a screen rather than just hovering over it like a hologram.
Hover is not for drawing or painting, it's for previewing an effect before touching the screen. For example, it's imperative for clone stamping, where you frequently need to preview the precise alignment before starting to paint, especially when you're cloning along sharp edges. For inking you're not going to benefit from the hover feature.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)