Answers to the questions we hear most often about the INQ smartpen, its notebooks and app, and buying from SmartpenCentral. For a plain-language introduction, start with What's a smartpen?
Getting started
What does the INQ Writing Set include?
An INQ smartpen and a smart-paper notebook — your choice of A5 or US Letter format. You'll also want the free INQ app, available in the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android.
How do I pair the pen with my phone?
The pen connects over Bluetooth. Install the INQ app, and when prompted choose “Connect a pen.” The app walks you through the rest.
How do I turn the pen on and off?
The cap is the power button. Take the cap off and the pen turns on; put it back on and the pen turns off. To save battery, the pen goes into standby when it isn't being used — just start writing to wake it. The LED indicator lights up whenever the cap is off; if it doesn't, the pen likely needs a charge.
How do I charge it, and how long does the battery last?
Plug the pen into any USB power source with a USB-C cable. A full charge takes about two hours and provides up to 10 hours of continuous writing. The LED tells you where things stand: pulsing orange means charging, steady green means fully charged. If the LED blinks red on the charger, leave it plugged in — the battery is recovering from a deep discharge and needs time.
Notebooks and paper
Why does a smartpen need special paper?
Every page is printed with a pattern of nearly invisible microdots, unique to that page, which the pen's optical sensor reads to know exactly where it is writing. Ordinary paper has no pattern to read. More on how this works here.
Can I use more than one notebook at the same time?
Yes — as long as they are different notebook types or numbers. The one thing you cannot do is write in two copies of the same notebook type and number at once, because they share an identical dot pattern and the pen cannot tell them apart. Finish and archive the first before starting its twin.
What is notebook archiving?
When you finish a notebook, you archive it in the INQ app. Your notes move to an archive in the app, and the pen is then free to start a fresh notebook with the same dot pattern without mixing the two. Only archive a notebook when you are ready to set the physical book aside — don't go back and write in it afterwards.
Can I archive a notebook that still has blank pages?
Yes. Archiving a partially used notebook moves its notes to the archive, and the remaining blank pages can then serve as a fresh, second notebook.
Audio
Does the INQ smartpen record audio?
The pen itself does not have an integrated microphone. Audio is recorded by the INQ app using the microphone built into your paired smartphone — Android or iOS — and synchronised with your handwriting, so your notes and what was said while you wrote them stay linked. Recording, replay and transcription are all handled in the app.
The INQ app
Which devices does the app support?
The mobile app runs on iOS and Android, and is where the pen connects. There is also a web app for any computer with a browser, where you can view your notes and download them in a variety of formats. The pen cannot connect directly to the web app — notes reach it by syncing through the mobile app.
Do I need an internet connection?
Not to write. The pen and the mobile app connect directly over Bluetooth, in an encrypted session — and if your phone isn't nearby, the pen simply holds your writing in its built-in memory and syncs later. An internet connection is used when the app backs up your notes and makes them available in the web app.
Ink and refills
What ink cartridges does the INQ pen use?
Standard D1-style cartridges (0.7 mm nib) with carbon-free ink. Replacing one is as simple as pulling the old cartridge out and pushing the new one in. Compatible refills are available right here at SmartpenCentral — many of them also fit certain legacy Livescribe models.
Funding, institutions and training
Are there grants to subsidize the purchase of a smartpen?
SmartpenCentral does not work with funding agencies directly — their mandate is to assist students themselves. But many of our customers have provincial assistive-technology funding (through student-aid or workplace-accommodation programs) applied to their smartpen purchase, and the accessibility offices at most schools know the process well. If you are a student, your institution's accessibility or accommodations office is the right first call.
Does SmartpenCentral work with schools and institutions?
Yes. Schools, colleges, universities and healthcare institutions across Canada have bought from us for many years. We can work with purchase orders and procurement processes, we invoice in Canadian dollars from a Canadian company, and we're happy to help in French or English.
Do you offer training?
Our videos are free to everyone. Beyond that, we offer one-on-one training at $100/hr. Note that training is often reimbursable by the same provincial programs that subsidize the smartpen itself — it works best when a designated staff member at the school or institution coordinates the request.
Support
Does SmartpenCentral provide technical support?
The strict answer is no — technical support belongs to the manufacturer. But we know these products very well, and we are pleased to help with the many little questions that come up. Just call. For the manufacturer's own documentation, see the INQ support pages.
What about legacy Livescribe smartpens?
The Livescribe Echo, Sky, Aegir and Livepen smartpens have all been discontinued, and no support is available for these legacy models. With certain very limited exceptions, owners of these products can continue to purchase Livescribe-branded paper from SmartpenCentral.com with confidence that it will operate normally. We regret that we cannot yet comment on whether the legacy generations of smartpen will continue to work with INQ-branded paper.
One last thing
How can I support SmartpenCentral?
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