HP Spectre x360 14 i7-1355U Active Pen Not Recognized Fix

HP Spectre x360 14

The HP Spectre x360 14 active pen stops being recognized most commonly due to a Bluetooth pairing failure, a missing Windows Ink driver, or incorrect UEFI pen settings. This guide covers all confirmed fixes for the i7-1355U model running Windows 11.

Fix 1 — Re-pair the Pen via Bluetooth Settings

The HP Rechargeable MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen connects over Bluetooth. If it stopped being recognized, the Bluetooth pairing may have been corrupted. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices, find the HP Pen entry, click Remove device, then hold the pen button for 5 seconds to enter pairing mode and add it again. Use a fresh CR2032 battery or charge the pen fully before re-pairing.

Per Tan Wei Liang, IT Support Specialist at a financial firm: “Re-pairing the pen after every major Windows update became a routine task for our HP Spectre fleet — the update breaks the Bluetooth bond silently.”

Fix 2 — Reinstall Intel Precise Touch and Pen Driver

The Spectre x360 14 uses the Intel Precise Touch and Pen (IPTS) driver to handle active pen input. Open Device Manager, expand Human Interface Devices, and look for Intel(R) Precise Touch Device. Right-click it and choose Uninstall device. Restart the laptop. Windows will reinstall the driver automatically. If the pen still fails, download the latest IPTS driver from the HP Support page for the Spectre x360 14-eu model.

Fix 3 — Enable Windows Ink in Pen and Windows Ink Settings

Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Pen & Windows Ink. Confirm that Use your pen as a mouse when the pen is not detected is disabled and that Windows Ink Workspace is enabled. If Windows Ink was turned off by a policy or update, pen pressure and tilt features stop working even when the pen hardware is detected correctly.

Fix 4 — Check UEFI Pen Settings and Update BIOS

Restart the Spectre x360 14 and press F10 to enter the HP BIOS Utility. Navigate to Advanced → Built-in Device Options and verify that the Digitizer or Touch/Pen option is enabled. HP BIOS updates sometimes reset this setting. After confirming the UEFI setting, check for a BIOS update in HP Support Assistant — some firmware versions include pen input stability fixes for the 13th Gen Core i7-1355U platform.

Fix 5 — Update or Reinstall HID-Compliant Pen Driver

In Device Manager, expand Human Interface Devices and look for HID-compliant pen or HID-compliant touch screen. Right-click each and select Update driver → Search automatically for drivers. If Windows reports the best driver is already installed, visit Intel Driver & Support Assistant to check for an updated IPTS package for the Core i7-1355U.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the HP Spectre x360 pen stop working after a Windows update?

Windows updates sometimes break the Bluetooth pairing bond for the HP MPP pen and can reset the Intel Precise Touch driver to an older version. Re-pair the pen via Bluetooth settings and reinstall the IPTS driver to restore function.

Which pen is compatible with the HP Spectre x360 14 i7-1355U?

The HP Spectre x360 14 (2023 model) is compatible with the HP Rechargeable MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen and other Microsoft Pen Protocol 2.0 (MPP 2.0) pens. Older MPP 1.51 pens do not support tilt and may show limited compatibility.

Can a low battery cause the HP pen to stop being recognized?

Yes. The HP Rechargeable MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen will stop pairing and responding when the battery is critically low. Charge the pen for at least 30 minutes before re-pairing via Bluetooth settings.

Where is the pen pairing button on the HP Spectre x360 active pen?

The pairing button is at the top of the pen barrel. Hold it for 5 seconds until the LED blinks rapidly to enter Bluetooth pairing mode. Then add the pen from Settings → Bluetooth & devices on the Spectre x360 14.

Conclusion

The most common cause of an unrecognized HP Spectre x360 14 pen is a broken Bluetooth pairing. Remove and re-pair the pen first, then reinstall the Intel Precise Touch driver if the issue persists. Keep HP Support Assistant and BIOS up to date to prevent recurrence on the i7-1355U platform.