Styluses and Digital Pens: Active or Passive?

Passive tip or active pen: what you can write and draw

A passive stylus has a rubber, mesh or disc tip and works on any capacitive touch screen by acting like a finger; it needs no battery, but lines are thick and there is no pressure sensing. An active stylus has electronics and talks to a specific device, adding pressure, tilt and palm rejection for handwriting and sketching. If you want to write notes or draw, an active pen is the better fit.

The pen has to match the screen

Active pens use specific technologies, and a pen made for one family of tablets or phones will not work on another. Titles usually name the supported devices, so check that list against your exact model. Magnetic attachment, replaceable tips and Bluetooth shortcut buttons are extras that only work on devices that support them. For universal pens, tip diameter in millimetres and pen length decide how comfortable it is to write with.

Questions about Styluses and Digital Pens: Active or Passive?

Will any stylus work on a phone?

A passive capacitive stylus works on nearly any touch screen. A pen with pressure sensing only works on the devices it was designed for, so read the supported-device list before choosing.

Do styluses need charging?

Passive ones do not. Active pens may use a replaceable battery, a rechargeable one or magnetic charging on the tablet, and some need no battery at all because the tablet powers them. The product description says which.

How do I replace a worn stylus tip?

Check whether the pen has a replaceable tip and which type. Rubber nibs, fine mesh tips and hard plastic tips are not interchangeable, and many tips are pen-specific, so match the exact tip code or pen model before choosing spares.