Microsoft removes ability to pair original Surface Pen with Surface Duo
Following a recent update, the Surface Duo can no longer pair to the original Surface Pen.
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What you need to know
Microsoft rolled out anupdate to the Surface Duo 2this week that brought a significant list of improvements and new features. The foldable now supports third-party notifications through the Glance Bar and automatic pairing of the Surface Slim Pen 2. It also, however, removed a feature. Following the update, the Surface Duo 2 can no longer pair to the original Surface Pen. The change also affects the original Surface Duo.
“Looks like they removed the ability to pair with regular surface pen- only the slim pen 2 can be paired for using button-click shortcuts,” saidReddit user Remind_me.
The removal was confirmed byYouTuber Shane Craig. Interestingly, the Uogic Pen, a third-party stylus that can work with the Duo and other devices, is still able to connect to the Duo and Duo 2, so the change appears to have only affected the original Surface Pen.
The original Surface Pen can still be used to interact with the Duo and Duo 2. Inking is still supported as well. The update removed the ability to pair the original Surface Pen with any type of Duo, which means that its buttons cannot be used to do things like launching an app or taking a screenshot.
The original Surface Pen struggled with connecting to the Duo and Duo 2 previously. Specifically, the pen would have issues with staying awake. There’s a chance that Microsoft removed the ability to pair the older pen to Duo devices to avoid the ongoing issues, though the company has not confirmed that to be the case.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
