Please give iPad Pro users the option to deactivate drawing with the Apple pencil
Basically every time you put the Apple Pencil down on the Microsoft word file, the pen starts writing, But I believe that the great majority of word for iPad Pro users do not use the pen for drawing on their word file, but simply for scrolling up and down. So please at the very least make scrolling the default, rather than writing, for the pencil.

Thank you for your feedback. This option is now available under Settings > Word > “Apple Pencil Always Draws Ink”.
24 comments
-
Andy commented
Completed? I think NOT... I'm currently using the Apple Pencil on a 10" iPad Pro running iOS 12.x. All too OFTEN simply placing the pencil on the screen switches from 'Select Objects' to 'DRAW'... I DO NOT WANT DRAW IN WORD ALL THE TIME... I want a choice to set it permanently to use it as a pointer and then switch to drawing WHEN I DECIDE TO DRAW!
-
Anonymous commented
Agree with the previous posters. I just purchased a new iPad and new iPad pencil. I can’t seem to use the new pencil to scroll without drawing on the document. Luckily the ‘undo’ buttons are pretty easy to find. Suggest just a simple toggle on the ribbon or a toggle in the custom quick parts bar. Thanks!
-
Rehab commented
Thanks. It is very useful now
-
Anonymous commented
Awesome. Thanks for the fix!
-
Larry commented
I AGREE! Very frustrating.
-
Martino commented
I must agree with all posts here, especially Chris. How in the world has this not been fixed yet?! It should be common sense to set the document apps select by default and the draw apps draw! This is more than frustrating. It angers me. I am an Electrical Engineer and i code, this is definitely common sense and should never have been a problem. I have had my iPad Pro since it's availability and have not been able to use my word app due to this since. Ridiculous.
-
Cleveland Eason commented
I recommend that the "Select Objects" be the default setting on the "Drawing" tab as most users of pencils were trying to execute scroll or select operations.
-
Jaakko Koivula commented
I absolutely agree and vote for this suggestion. Please give us an option to toggle this or just make the default function for pencil into selecting. Superbly frustfrating to have to change it all the bloody time back to selection mode and to get rid of the accidental doodles.
-
Antonis commented
I have the opposite problem. My drawing tools are deactivated and I can't draw. In the draw tab only the "select object" button is activated but I press it and nothing is happening
-
Ahmed Saeed commented
in fact this feature doesn't match its function, otherwise how come like that. I always forget that as soon as I put the pencil on the screen it starts to draw! It's terrible that anyone couldn't bear at all.
My suggestion, alike with other suggestions, is to take this in mind for the next update. -
Rob commented
I have found that by selecting the square lasso tool on either PowerPoint, Word or Excel, the Apple Pencil stops drawing and becomes a scrolling/selection tool. So far this seems to work well on my iPad Pro.
-
Chris commented
How has this not been fixed yet?! This is simply ludicrous.
-
Martin commented
100% support for this possibility - is in fact a game changer
-
Ian Davey commented
I agree with other posters. There should be the ability to turn off the auto draw for the Apple pencil
-
Alan Pinder commented
Agree with other posters, most ridiculous thing I've seen for a while. The Apple Pencil is GREAT at text selection in other apps - and editing documents with it is a Big Deal. I am being driven to find a substitute for MS Office on the iPad, surely that's not what Microsoft want? Text selection in a Word Processor is the key activity to support. Since its been this way for 11 months, I think its safe to say that Microsoft are not listening and therefore we should seek alternative apps.
-
Dr Wright commented
Really, this is one of the most stupied things you have ever done. I do not want to draw with my apple pencil
-
David Tully commented
Wow, I wasted over an hour on this thinking that I was making a mistake. I would use the Apple Pencil 99% of the time as a I would a mouse.
-
kai commented
Please change this feature, it would be extremely helpful!! I want to use the apple pencil for navigation and selecting in word.
-
Chris commented
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CHANGE THIS FEATURE!! I can't imagine it would be hard to offer turning the draw feature off! So annoying.
-
Anonymous commented
Agree! At the moment cannot even select text for editing or highlighting! This is what I got the pencil and iPad pro for - to use Word, Powerpoint, etc. for editing.