There are a few things we should check, because the behavior you're seeing suggests that the problem is occurring before Find My becomes involved.
- First, Apple Pencil Pro is fully compatible with your new 13-inch iPad Air with M4. Normally, attaching Apple Pencil Pro to the magnetic connector on the long edge of the iPad should cause it to pair automatically. Once paired, it should also appear under Settings > Apple Pencil and normally show its charge level in the Batteries widget. The fact that your Pencil attaches magnetically but the iPad otherwise behaves as though nothing is there tells us that the Pencil has not actually paired. Until that happens, attempting to add it manually in Find My won't solve the problem.
- There is one important detail I'd like you to verify before we troubleshoot further. You mentioned that this same Pencil works normally with your previous iPad Air 5th generation. However, according to Apple's compatibility specifications, Apple Pencil Pro is not compatible with the iPad Air 5th generation. That iPad supports Apple Pencil (2nd generation), while your new M4 iPad Air supports Apple Pencil Pro but does not support Apple Pencil (2nd generation).
- The two Pencil models look very similar, and both attach magnetically to compatible iPads. Therefore, please verify exactly which Pencil you have. Apple Pencil Pro has the words "Apple Pencil Pro" printed on its side. If yours says simply "Apple Pencil," it may be the 2nd-generation model. That would explain the symptoms almost perfectly: it would work with the older iPad Air but could magnetically attach to the new M4 iPad Air without actually pairing or functioning.
I would also like to verify the exact model of the older iPad as I could not find an iPad Air model: A2051. In fact, I could not find any iPad model with that model number ... so, on that iPad, please go to Settings > General > About and look at Model Name and Model Number. If the number initially displayed begins with "M," tap it once to reveal the "Axxxx" hardware model number. Please send me both values.
If we confirm that you definitely have an Apple Pencil Pro, then try the following on the new M4 iPad Air:
- Make sure the iPad is running the latest available version of iPadOS.
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth and confirm Bluetooth is turned on.
- Remove any case or cover from the iPad temporarily. Some cases can interfere with the magnetic pairing/charging connection even though the Pencil still appears to attach normally.
- Attach the Pencil directly to the magnetic connector and leave it attached for at least one minute. If its battery has become deeply discharged, it may need some time before the pairing prompt appears.
- While leaving the Pencil attached, restart the iPad.
- After restarting, return to Settings > Bluetooth. If Apple Pencil appears under My Devices, tap the information (ⓘ) button and choose Forget This Device, then detach and reattach the Pencil to pair it again.
- Check Settings > Apple Pencil and the Batteries widget to see whether the Pencil is now recognized.
Once the Pencil is successfully paired, open Find My and select Devices. With the Pencil attached to the iPad, tap the + button and select Apple Pencil, then follow the prompts. Apple Pencil Pro appears under Devices in Find My rather than under Items.
There is one additional possibility if this really is an Apple Pencil Pro. Apple permits an Apple Pencil Pro to be associated with only one Apple Account in Find My at a time. If it was previously registered to another Apple Account, it would need to be removed from that account before it could be registered to the new one.
However, because your new iPad isn't recognizing the Pencil at all—not even as a paired Apple Pencil—I would first concentrate on confirming the exact Pencil model. The fact that it works with an iPad Air 5th generation is an especially important clue.
