Apple should take note of this free iPad app

We're big fans of the Apple Pencil as a tool for drawing. Various generations take the top four spots in our pick of the best iPad stylus. But could the Apple Pencil do even more? The makers of a new free iPad app think so, and they've opened the possibility of a new function that Apple should have considered itself.

Starlight Apps' iPad OS camera app Pencilera can turn the Apple Pencil 2 or the new Apple Pencil Pro into a handy wireless remote for Apple tablets. You simply double tap or squeeze the stylus to trigger the tablet's camera, as they show in the video below.

Introducing Pencilera | Use Apple Pencil as a Camera Remote - YouTube

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The function only works with Apple Pencil 2 and Pro since these have the required double tap or squeeze features (see our full Apple Pencil comparison for details on every stylus). The developers said they were inspired to create the app because they found setting timers to take images to be tedious. "If you get the first one wrong, you have to start over," they say. "We realized that most iPad users already have a great tool with them that supports gestures. We leveraged this opportunity to create an app that utilizes the Apple Pencil’s capabilities."

The app looks like a handy tool that should make it a lot easier to take pictures when you're not using the iPad handheld. I just wonder why Apple has never considered making this a system feature so that a third-party app wouldn't be necessary. 

Pencilera is available in the Apple App Store. See our pick of the best iPad Pro apps for more options and see the current prices in your region below if you've yet to pick up an an Apple Pencil.