New iPad Pro offers clever ‘hover’ feature for Apple Pencil, here’s how it works

Chance Miller | Oct 18 2022 - 8:56 am PT

One of the more interesting features of the new M2 iPad Pro is something Apple bills as “hover.” This feature integrates with the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) to provide “a completely new dimension for users to interact with their screen.” Here’s how it works…

Apple says that the new iPad Pro can now detect when the Apple Pencil is up to 12mm above the display. This means your iPad Pro can automatically detect when your Apple Pencil is nearing the display and you can “see a preview of your mark” before you actually make it.

One example cited by Apple is that text fields automatically expand when the Apple Pencil gets near the display for Scribble. This feature will also work with third-party apps, according to Apple:

Powered by the new iPad Pro and iPadOS 16, hover with Apple Pencil (2nd generation) provides a completely new dimension for users to interact with their screen. Apple Pencil is now detected up to 12 mm above the display, allowing users to see a preview of their mark before they make it. This also allows users to sketch and illustrate with even greater precision, and makes everything users do with Apple Pencil even more effortless.
For example, with Scribble, text fields automatically expand when the pencil gets near the screen, and handwriting converts to text even faster. Third-party apps can also take advantage of this new feature to enable entirely new marking and drawing experiences.

In the demo video from Apple below, you can see how the new hover feature interacts with various parts of iPadOS 16. This includes things like the Home Screen, drawing apps, and much more. Check it out:

Of note, this new hover feature is exclusive to the new iPad Pro with the M2 chip. You’ll also need the second-generation Apple Pencil. The new 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 (US) for the Wi-Fi model and $999 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model; the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,099 (US) for the Wi-Fi model, and $1,299 (US) for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

The new iPad Pro models are available to order today and will begin arriving next week on Wednesday, October 26.

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