Surface Pro Pen Battery: How to replace correctly

Replacing the Surface Pro pen battery can be confusing depending on the model you have.  older models may require you to twist the cap and pull it off. 

Some newer models of the microsoft surface stylus pen models require you to pull the top straight off. Of course, you don’t want to pull too hard and break the device. 

See our post: Apple Pencil 2 vs Surface Pen: Which is Better for Drawing & Note Taking?

The Surface Pro Pen battery may require a bit of force. Unfortunately, some models of the surface pen require a twist, while others do not.

Also see: How to fix a Surface Pen not working

Note: Most surface pens use AAAA Batteries (I use amazon basics batteries).

However some will also require a 319 coin cell battery (and a Phillips screwdriver) in order to replace the models that have two side buttons – which is for bluetooth.

In this post we’re going to go over all the specifics on exactly how to replace the Surface Pro Pen.  We’ll also cover how long the Surface Pro pen battery lasts.

How to Replace a Surface Pro Pen Battery

There are two ways to replace a surface pro pen battery. It’s important not to remove the cap paper label during this process.

Note: If you’re replacing the battery, you may also want to consider replacing the tip of the Surface pen.

The best way to go about replacing a surface pro pen is done by following the step by step instructions:

• First, using your hands, twist the top and then pull it off. 
  

  

• If this fails, then try pulling the top of the surface pen off, but this time without a twist.
  

  

• Place the AAAA batteries in using the positive and negative ends as the symbols show. A short cut is to place the flat end of the battery where the spring on the pen is.
  

  

• Place the cap back on securely, and give the pen a quick test, it should turn on without any delay.
  

  

See our post on the 9 Best Surface Pen & Slim Pen Alternatives (Surface Pro Pens)

Related: 9 Best Stylus Pens for Surface Pro 7, 8, 9, and X models

How to remove the Surface Pen battery

When removing the surface pen battery, you should be able to gently force the battery out by pressing from the top end of the battery towards the inside of the pen.

In other words you’ll be pushing the top of the battery into the pen. If you’re using an old Surface Pro pen you may have to twist it to put it back on.

This works to replace a Surface Pro Pen battery, which is typically compatible with the Surface pro 7, 8, Surface Studio, surface book, and Surface Go 2 depending on the model.

Related: Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro for Drawing & Art (Compared)

The following types of surface stylus pens have different methods of taking the battery out for replacement:

• Surface Pen with no clip
• Surface Pen with single button on flat edge
• Surface Pens with two side buttons

New models of the Surface pen shouldn’t have the cap label paper involved. Most of these are rechargeable, particularly the surface slim pen 2.

Using a stylus on another device? See the 11 Best Stylus Pens for iPhones (Drawing & Writing)

What size & type of battery does the Surface pen use?

The Surface Pen is considered an “active stylus” and utilizes Bluetooth technology. The surface Pen is powered by a single AAAA battery, while the Surface Slim stylus uses a rechargeable battery and does not need to be replaced.

The type of battery is a 319 coin cell battery and you need two of them to power the surface pen 2. This is because it’s an active stylus that uses Bluetooth so it requires some power. 

See our post on the 9 Best Surface Pen & Slim Pen Alternatives (Surface Pro Pens)

How to charge surface pen battery

The way you charge though the Surface Pro pen is different from the Surface Pro slim 2 pen, which is rechargeable. So if you’re looking for a rechargeable solution you may want to upgrade to the Surface Pro slim 2. 

Below we will cover how to charge a Surface Pro Slim  since the basic surface pen uses replaceable batteries.

The surface slim pen 2 uses a USB-C charging method, something the original Surface digital pen lacks. To charge a surface Pro pen battery you will simply plug the pen in.

Here’s how you can charge the surface pen slim 2 battery: 

1. First, Connect the cable’s USB-C end to the charging base.
2. Next, connect the cable’s opposite end to the Surface power supply unit.
3. Charge your pen by inserting it into the charging base. Wait about 2 minutes before removing the pen and using it to write or draw.

After you charge a pan you can begin adjusting the settings via windows and/or the drawing app you are using. This is when you can adjust the pressure sensitivity, shortcut button customization, and other features required for an ideal writing or drawing experience.

How to check the amount of battery percentage remaining in the surface pro pen & slim Pen 2

There’s a few things to know before you check the battery percentage level of your Microsoft surface pen. The route you take when checking the battery of the Surface Pen is both device and Windows version dependent, which many owners of the device are unaware of.

How to check the battery of a surface pro pen on windows 10:

• Locate ‘Start’, then navigate to “Bluetooth & devices” in Windows. 
• Next, look for your device, the Surface Slim Pen or Surface Slim Pen 2 should show up under the ‘Mouse, keyboard, and pen’ tab.
• How to check the battery of a surface pro pen on windows 10:
• Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices in Windows 10. To determine the remaining battery life on a Surface Slim Pen or Surface Slim Pen 2, look for the Surface Slim Pen or Surface Slim Pen 2.

Related: Surface Pro lifespan – How Long Does a Microsoft Surface Pro last?

It’s important to note that there is a convenient light that appears on the pen and indicates when charging a Surface Pro Pen battery is required. 

What to do when your surface pro pen battery is stuck

When the Surface Pro pen battery gets stuck, there are a few things you can try that will let you safely remove the battery without breaking the device. 

The safest way to remove a stuck battery on the surface pro is to use a Q-tip with a bit of super glue on the end. The reason the battery gets stuck is because it may be swollen. Bending the pain and tapping it does not work and will only further damage the surface pen.

How long does the surface pro pen battery life last?

The Surface Pen lasts up to 12 months of battery life when using a single AAAA battery. If you are a heavy user, you can negate 2-3 months. If you’re using the pen for an average of 6 hours a week for drawings, notes or diagrams then you can expect the battery of the surface pen to need replacement at the 13.5 month mark.

Usage	Surface Pen Battery Lifespan
Light Usage	If you use it sparingly and not for daily usage, the battery will deplete slower.
Moderate to Light usage	After two years of use, I’ve only changed the battery once.
Heavy consumption	Around 94 percent after six months. That being said, I utilized it about 15 hours each day for the previous three weeks and took 4%

How long does a surface slim pen 2 battery last?

The Surface Slim Pen and Slim Pen 2  have rechargeable batteries that last between 200 and 500 Cycles. The battery length per session resulted in 14 hours of battery life on a single charge during our hands-on testing.

So how long does a surface Slim pen 2 battery last? On average 400 charge cycles and 14 hours of active pen usage per charge. A Surface pen battery does not use a lithium ion battery like a iPhone. iPad, or Macbook does – You can see that the process on how to fix iPhone battery draining is very different.

Surface slim pen 2 competitor is the apple pencil, which only works on iPad. Both have similar battery life, but charge differently.

Related: If you’re using a MacBook and not a Surface Pro + Surface Pen combo, you can view How long does a MacBook pro battery Last?

How to Connect & Pair a Microsoft Surface Pen to your Surface Laptop

You can easily pair your Microsoft Surface pen to your laptop with a few simple steps. When enabling the connection your pen will work fluently and you can write and draw directly on the touch screen.

Also see: How to Write on a Computer Screen with a Pen

Are you wondering how to turn on a surface pen? Here are the steps it takes to connect a surface pen to a Surface Pro laptop:

1. First of all put your Surface Pen in pairing mode (enable the Bluetooth mode)

To enable the Bluetooth Press and hold the tail eraser for 5-7 seconds, until the LED light is on.

2. Go to Start on your laptop and select settings>Devices>Bluetooth>Add a Device
3. Normally your Surface Pen will appear in the list of discovered devices.
4. Select it 
5. Click Done and you are ready to go.

Once the pen is paired you’ll not only be able to write and draw, but you will be able to check the pens battery level as well as its serial number through the settings app as well as the surface app which we will cover a bit further in-depth later in this post.

Related: The 11 Best Laptops for Drawing & Digital Art [Artist Guide]

How to check Surface Stylus Serial Number

There are actually a couple of ways to discover the serial number of your Surface Pen. The first way involves the Surface app.  

• Launch the Surface app.
• Go to the Accessories section 
• In the section Bluetooth accessories it will show you the battery percentage of your pen, the firm version and the Serial number of the pen.

The second involves the Pen itself. You can easily pull the top end of the pen (where the top eraser button is), and you can see it next to a unique QR code. It is closer to the battery contacts.

How to check the Surface Pen Battery level & serial number through the Settings app

In Windows 10, Microsoft has added the ability to check the levels of your Surface pen’s battery. The battery levels of your Surface pen can be easily detected on the Settings app of your device. 

Follow these simple steps:

1. If your Surface pen isn’t already paired with your device, pair it via Bluetooth.
2. Then go to Start> Settings
3. Press Devices
4. Select Bluetooth & Other devices
5. The percentage of your pen’s battery should be under the section Mouse, keyboard and pen.

How to check Surface Pen Serial Number, Firmware, and Battery in the Surface app

You can access all information about your Surface Pro Pen or Surface Pro slim pen from the Surface app.

It is now easier than ever to discover where the essential information of your Surface pen is hidden. You can detect the Serial number, Firmware and battery percentage of your pen in the Surface app. 

All you have to do is follow a few simple steps:

1. Launch the Surface app
2. Select the Accessories page.
3. In the Microsoft Accessories you will be able to see the Surface Pen, and under it you are able to check the remaining battery percentage, serial number of your pen and the firmware version.

How to download drivers for surface pen (manually)

Before starting manually downloading the necessary drivers for your Surface Pen, you have to check if your device needs an update. If so, start by updating.

To check for updates go to Start>Settings>Updates & Security. Here you can check if you have already downloaded the most recent updates. If you need to update, then do it and restart the device.

You may wonder why you would want to download the drivers manually. Well, you might use this method because your device is offline. 

So, next you have to install the battery by unscrewing the top of the pen and insert an AAAA battery. The positive end of the battery should point to the tip of your pen. Then, when you screw the top back on the pen, pair it with your device.

Go to the official page of Surface’s Download Center page and navigate to find your Surface model from the and click the link for the latest display, sound, ethernet, Wi-Fi firmware and drivers.

Next, find your Surface model, if you don’t know it just go to the search box and type Surface>Surface app>Your Surface and then your model will be listed.

Select Start > Settings > System > About, and search under Windows Specifications for your operating system version and build number. Choose the.msi file name that corresponds to your device’s model and Windows version to upgrade your Surface with the latest drivers and firmware from the Download Center.

And now you are ready to use your updated Surface Pen. 

How to use the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit to check the surface pen battery

Unfortunately, the Toolkit can’t help you check the battery level (and health) of your Surface Pen. The Surface Diagnostic Toolkit is very useful to check and troubleshoot your 2-in-1 touch screen laptops (Surface device). 

On the flip side, checking your pen’s battery is totally doable via the Surface Pen app.

All you need to do is open the app and go to the Accessories tab. Under the Surface Pen tab, you can see the serial number and battery level of the device.  

Alternatively, if your Surface Pen is connected to your Surface, you can check its battery without the app as well. All you have to do is go to Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth and Other Devices. From there, you can see the current battery level on your Surface Pen.

Alternatives to the Surface Pro Pen (for Surface Pro laptops) 

There are quite a few alternatives to the Surface Pro Pen. Since the Surface Pro 7, 8, X are Windows based, there are many digital pens by third party manufacturers that mimic the official pen.

See our full post on Surface Pro Pen alternatives for in depth details.

The benefit to using a different pen other than the official stylus pen from Microsoft is the price point, however if you’re looking for quality, the official pen can’t be beat. This is because it was designed by Microsoft themselves to integrate smoothly with the laptop.

Take the Apple Pencil on the iPad for example, alternatives exist, but aren’t always as easy to set up, or provide the seamless integration the same way Apple provides with their stylus.  Some examples of alternatives are the Renaissance, Wacom Bamboo Ink, Tesha Stylus, and Adonit Stylus models.

FAQ

How do I find a lost surface pen?

If you ever lose your Surface Pen you can use the “Where is my Pen” feature to detect the last location of it and find it. 

Even though it’s not possible to know the current location of your lost pen, your Surface device can tell you where the last location that you were using it. This is happening because the Surface pens don’t include GPS.

You can use the Settings app of your device to do so. First you have to enable it. Go to Start>Settings>Updates & Security>Find my device. Click the Change button and turn on the Save my device’s location periodically toggle switch. 

Now, if you lose your pen follow these steps:

1. Go to Start>Settings
2. Update & Security
3. Press Find my device
4. Under the section Where is my Pen? Select the Go here to track it link.

Then it will open a map and let you know the last location that your Surface device was seen. It will give you the approximate location of the pen.

How do I fix a surface pen tip not working

If you feel that your Surface Pen tip needs to be changed then all you have to do is use the Microsoft Surface Pen Tip Kit or an alternative tip kit. The official Surface Pen kit includes 4 tips that are specially created to fit on your Surface Pen.

To change the tip, all you need to do is use the built-in extractor tool. Simply swap the tip by holding the tip that is currently in the Pen and pulling it out. Then, replace it with one of the other tips in the Kit.

The tips that come with the Pen Tip Kit mimic standards typically found on real pencils.  The standard tip that comes with the Surface Pen for Surface Pro 4 is HB, which is the standard hardness found in most pencils and provides you medium hardness. The Pen Tip Kit also comes with 2H, H, and B.  

Also see: Apple Pencil 2 vs Surface Pen: Which is Better for Drawing & Note Taking?

The replaceable tips make the Surface Pen better than the latest Apple Pencil in terms of flexibility, as Apple’s stylus doesn’t allow you to change the tip.

Here’s how to swap out your pen tips:

1. Use something to pull and slide out the pen tip, like tweezers
2. Pull until the entire tip of your Surface Pen is removed
3. Insert the thinnest part of the replacement pen tip into your Surface Pen
4. Push down on the tip until it clicks into place

Conclusion

In this article, we found out that changing the battery for Surface Pro Pen is totally doable. If you find your Surface pen not working, it is probably because of the battery (either its dead or faulty). 

Thankfully, you can easily change your Surface Pro X or Surface Pro 7 pen battery just by following a few easy steps. The same is true for the Surface Pro 3 stylus and any official pen that connects to the Surface Go 2. 

All you have to do is turn off Surface Pen, twist the top of your pen, pull the old batteries off and replace them with new AAAA batteries. 

This blog post also helped you find out how to connect Surface Pen to your PC and use the stylus for drawing apps like AutoCad and Final Cut Pro (as well as photo editing apps like adobe Photoshop & illustrator).

Keep in mind that Microsoft includes a comprehensive Surface Pro Pen instructions manual that you can use at any time you have a problem.