What Can You Do With an S Pen, and Which Samsung Tablets Support It?

An S Pen turns a compatible Galaxy tablet into a handwriting, drawing and screen-annotation device. You can write in Samsung Notes, draw, select or capture parts of the screen, translate text by hovering, and use shortcuts from Air Command. Some combinations also support Bluetooth-based Air Actions, but pen input does not automatically mean those wireless features are available.

Samsung lists S Pen support for specific Galaxy Tab S models from the Tab S6 through the Tab S12 families. The exact tablet model, the exact pen and the installed software determine which functions appear. Check that combination before buying a replacement or promising features such as Air Actions, charging or battery reporting.

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What the S Pen can do on a compatible Galaxy tablet

The core S Pen experience is direct input on the display. Samsung describes it as a way to write on the screen, take notes, navigate menus and draw. Those basic functions are separate from wireless features, so a pen can remain useful even when it has no Bluetooth connection or battery telemetry.

Handwriting and notes

You can write directly in Samsung Notes, mark up content and use the pen to navigate the tablet without touching the screen with your finger. Air Command provides shortcuts to Create note and View all notes in Samsung Notes. Menu names and available shortcuts can vary by tablet and software version. Samsung’s overview of tablet functions is available in Master the S Pen of your Galaxy Tablet.

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Writing in any text field

S Pen to text lets you handwrite in a text field instead of opening the on-screen keyboard. Samsung says the function is enabled by default and can be controlled in the tablet’s S Pen settings. It is useful for short searches, form fields and messages, while longer documents may still be faster with a keyboard.

Drawing, annotation and selection tools

Air Command can expose several screen and creative tools:

• Smart select: capture a chosen area or other selected screen content.
• Screen write: annotate the current screen with the pen.
• Live messages: create animated handwritten messages where supported.
• AR Doodle: draw in augmented-reality experiences on supported software.
• Translate: hover over a word to request a translation.
• PENUP: open drawing and coloring features.
• Creative studio: available on some newer supported models.

These are shortcuts rather than a guarantee that every Galaxy Tab displays every item. Samsung adds or removes options by model, software release and region.

Model-specific creative and assistance features

Samsung’s accessory guidance for the Galaxy Tab S10+ and S10 Ultra identifies writing, drawing, Air Command shortcuts, writing assistance in Samsung Notes and Sketch to image as uses for that generation’s pen. The same page says the pen is also compatible with Tab S10. Those features should not be treated as universal S Pen capabilities; verify the exact tablet and software in Samsung’s Tab S10+ and S10 Ultra accessory guide.

How Air Actions differ from ordinary pen input

Air Actions are a separate Bluetooth-based control system. On a supported tablet-and-pen combination, hold the pen button and make a gesture to trigger a command in a compatible app. Depending on the app and model, gestures can change camera modes, control media, open an app, navigate, invoke Smart select or open Screen write.

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1. Confirm that both the tablet model and the pen support Air Actions.
2. Use the pen’s button while performing a supported gesture.
3. Choose a command that the current app exposes; available commands differ between apps.
4. If no action appears, treat that as a compatibility or software question rather than proof that the pen is defective.

Samsung maintains a separate list of Air Actions limitations in Use S Pen Air actions to control your Galaxy phone or tablet. The presence of a working stylus does not establish Air Actions support.

Samsung tablets that support an S Pen

Samsung’s current US compatibility guide names the following Galaxy Tab models for S Pen functionality and for compatibility information covering S Pen Pro and Creator Edition. This is a model list, not a claim that every Galaxy tablet accepts an S Pen.

For the live compatibility table and pen-by-pen details, use Samsung’s guide to the different S Pens. Samsung also has a separate tablet overview described as covering Tab S7 and newer models. Because Samsung presents generations and feature contexts differently across support pages, the safest approach is to match the exact model number to the current compatibility entry. Availability can differ by region and software version.

Why a pen can write but still lack Bluetooth features

Samsung distinguishes pen input from Bluetooth Low Energy functions. Newer Galaxy Tab pens that do not include Bluetooth Low Energy can still write and draw, but they do not support pairing, charging, battery-level display or Air Actions. Therefore, a tablet may accept handwriting normally while showing no battery indicator and offering no wireless gesture settings.

This distinction explains many apparently contradictory listings. “S Pen compatible” can mean that the screen accepts the stylus, not that every remote command is available. When comparing pens, check each of these capabilities separately:

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• Writing and drawing on the named tablet.
• Bluetooth pairing.
• Air Actions in the apps you intend to use.
• Charging and battery-level reporting.
• Physical fit, button placement and the design intended for that tablet.

Air Actions exclusions you should know

Samsung’s compatibility information lists Tab S9 FE and S9 FE+, Tab S10 FE and S10 FE+, Tab S10 Lite, Tab S11 and S11 Ultra, and Tab S12+ and S12 Ultra among tablet models whose listed S Pens do not support Air Actions. The list applies to the documented tablet-and-pen combinations; it is not a reason to assume that every pen on every model behaves identically.

Samsung’s Air Actions support page can change as products and software change. Check the current model entry immediately before buying an S Pen Pro or expecting gesture controls, particularly for FE, Lite and newer-generation tablets.

Choosing between the tablet’s pen, S Pen Pro and Creator Edition

Samsung recommends using the S Pen specifically designed for your tablet to ensure optimal performance and access to the intended functions. That recommendation matters because physical design and wireless capabilities differ across generations.

S Pen Pro is not required for basic S Pen support. Buy it only when its compatibility and feature set match your tablet and your use case. Creator Edition’s lack of Bluetooth means it cannot provide pairing, battery reporting or Air Actions, even though it is intended for pen input on supported devices.

How to check compatibility before buying a replacement

1. Identify the exact tablet model. “Tab S9” and “Tab S9 FE” are different entries, as are the regular, Plus and Ultra versions.
2. Open Samsung’s current S Pen compatibility guide. Find the model in the list at
3. Tailor-made accessories: the original Samsung S Pen is perfectly adapted to Samsung tablets and their uses and can thus offer optimal performance