How to remove and replace the Surface Pen's battery

Surface Pen
(Image credit: Future)

The Surface Pen is an incredibly useful tool and accessory for the Surface Pro, Surface Go, Surface Studio, and even Surface Laptop. It lets you draw or write with digital ink, directly on the Surface's display.

It's a battery-powered peripheral, meaning at some point the Surface Pen will stop working unless the battery is replaced. Don't worry though, because changing it is easy. Here's our step-by-step guide to help you along.

Note: Make sure you have the correct batteries before you begin. A single AAAA battery is required for replacement, which can be easily found on Amazon. Here are the products used in this guide:

How to remove the Surface Pen battery

Surface Pen

(Image credit: Future)

To remove the Surface Pen battery, follow these simple steps:

  1. Pull the top of the pen away from the body of the Pen (you may have to use some force).
  1. Pull out the AAAA battery from the body of the Pen.

How to insert a new battery in your Surface Pen

To put a replacement battery in your Surface Pen, go through the following steps:

  1. Place the negative end of the AAAA battery into the body of the Pen (the negative end will be marked with a minus sign [ - ]).
  1. Slot the top of the pen back into the body of the Pen. If your older Pen has paper attached, make sure you fold that back in with it or remove it. The new Surface Pen shouldn't have any paper.
  1. With some force, push the top of the battery into the Pen. If you're using an older Surface Pen, you may have to twist the top to secure it.

How often should you replace the battery?

Microsoft says the Surface Pen lasts a year on a single battery. That estimate will vary depending on your use of the Surface Pen, however, so it's always handy to have a spare battery ready.

Our top equipment picks

Here's the gear you need to complete the steps in this guide.

Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter and Threads