If you have an iPad Air with M2 chip or an iPad Pro with M4 chip, you can use the Apple Pencil Pro. This has sensors that register that you squeeze the Pencil. You will then see a new palette, so you can quickly change tools, line thickness or color.
By adding a Taptic Engine you also get haptic feedback when squeezing. You will feel a small tap to confirm that you have squeezed or double tapped the Pencil properly. We explain how the pinch function works and how you can adjust the pinch.
Squeezing the Apple Pencil Pro
In the Apple Pencil Pro, Apple has incorporated sensors that register when you squeeze the stylus. You can then call up additional components in various apps. For example, you will see a new palette in most drawing apps or in Apple’s Notes app, so you can quickly change tools, line thickness or color.
The pinch gesture allows you to quickly activate other components without having to tap or press a button or shortcut first. You can call up and use the palette directly using the Apple Pencil.
The sensors are incorporated in the bottom half of the Pencil from just above the tip to the middle. You can’t actually press the housing, but the internal sensors do register that you apply pressure.
Haptic feedback
Although you cannot really press the housing, this seems to be the case. This is due to the addition of a Taptic Engine. Every time you squeeze the Pencil you get haptic feedback. You will feel a small tap to confirm that you have squeezed or double tapped the Pencil correctly.
Apple’s Taptic Engine is a vibration engine designed to provide haptic feedback to users of Apple devices. This is not only present in the iPhone and Apple Watch, but also in the trackpad of a MacBook, the Magic TrackPad and now also in the Apple Pencil Pro.
Adjust pinch Apple Pencil Pro
Don’t want the pinch to show a function palette? Then you can also choose other actions, even start a Siri Command.
- Connect the Apple Pencil Pro to your iPad
- Navigate to Settings
- Choose ‘Apple Pencil’
- Tap ‘Squeeze’
- Choose a desired option
As you can see, the options are more extensive than just the function palette. For example, by squeezing the Apple Pencil you can also switch between the current function and eraser, show the color palette or start a Siri command.
You can adjust the pinch sensitivity using the sliding switch at the bottom of the screen.