Apple Releases New Firmware for USB-C Apple Pencil

Apple today released the first firmware update for the USB-C Apple Pencil that came out last week. The new firmware has a version number of 10M5164.

Apple Pencil USB C sliding cap feature
There is no word on what features, fixes, or updates might be included in the updated firmware, and Apple does not provide release notes for ‌Apple Pencil‌ software releases.


The USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌ is almost identical in design to the ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2, but it is shorter and has a hidden USB-C port for charging and pairing. It is not able to wirelessly charge, and it lacks some of the features available with the more expensive ‌Apple Pencil‌ models such as pressure sensitivity.


Apple does not have an established procedure for updating ‌Apple Pencil‌ hardware, but in the case of the USB-C ‌Apple Pencil‌, connecting it to an iPad with a USB-C cable and powering on the ‌iPad‌ should be enough to spur the new software to download.

Related Forum: iPad Accessories

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

White House Hits Back at Apple's Massive EU Fine

Thursday April 24, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports. The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...
ipad air magic keyboard feature

iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu. This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...

Top Rated Comments

miketcool Avatar
19 months ago
Does the update increase the accuracy of a positive pregnancy result?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mectojic Avatar
19 months ago
Remember the days when you did firmware updates to your wood pencils? It was called a pencil sharpener. Really improved the functionality!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
19 months ago
Why is it being labelled Apple Pencil Gen 3 “interesting”?

It is, after all, the 3rd Gen of Apple Pencil

Would have been interesting if it had been called “Malcolm”
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
19 months ago
The release notes mistakenly briefly referenced the upcoming Pencil Pro before they got taken down




Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
19 months ago

The new firmware has a version number of 10M5164.
M5 confirmed!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
19 months ago

Why is it being labelled Apple Pencil Gen 3 “interesting”?

It is, after all, the 3rd Gen of Apple Pencil
It’s neither an upgrade from the 1 nor the 2 (both of which have pressure sensitivity, and the 2 has wireless charging), that’s why Apple didn’t call it the 3. It’s interesting that internally they nevertheless named it that.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)