Can you use older model S Pens with the Galaxy S22 Ultra?

Galaxy S21 Ultra
(Image credit: Samsung)

Can you use older model S Pens with the Galaxy S22 Ultra?

Yes, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will work to some degree with older S Pens from the Galaxy Note series as well as the S Pen Pro. Not all features are supported with older S Pens and the S Pen Fold Edition for the Z Fold 3 is not compatible.

These S Pens will work with your Galaxy S22 Ultra

Samsung's S Pens are legendary among their fans for enabling more features and more precise inputs on their Galaxy Note devices but things have changed a lot as Samsung has continued to improve the S Pen's features. Samsung has even made an S Pen for the Z Fold 3 folding phone that works on the soft interior screen.

The best S Pen to use with your S22 Ultra will be the included S Pen designed specifically for the phone or the S Pen Pro sold separately. The S Pen Pro is larger than other S Pens making it easier to hold, especially compared to the rather small S22 Ultra S Pen that could have been much better. It also has a convenient retractable tip and carrying case. The S Pen Pro works with multiple devices at once so you can move between your Samsung tablet and S22 Ultra with the push of a button.

The S Pen from the Galaxy Note series and Galaxy Tab will work on the S22 Ultra but only for writing. Extra features such as the S Pen button on older S Pens will not work or may not work as expected. The S22 S Pen should work on these older devices as well with similar limitations.

The Z Fold 3 is not compatible

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

(Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)

The Z Fold 3 is one of the best Android phones you can get with S Pen support. The S Pen from the Z Fold 3, the S Pen Fold Edition, will not work with the Galaxy S22 Ultra and furthermore, you should not try to use the S22 Ultra S Pen on your Z Fold 3 if you move between the two. The Z Fold 3's interior screen is much softer than the Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the S22 Ultra.

One important thing to keep in mind while moving between S Pens is that the storage slot on the phone is designed to be used with its specific S Pen included with that device. If you put the wrong S Pen inside your phone, it could get stuck or damage the inside of the slot. This can impact water resistance if your S Pen damages the seal inside.

Samuel Contreras

When Samuel is not writing about networking or 5G at Android Central, he spends most of his time researching computer components and obsessing over what CPU goes into the ultimate Windows 98 computer. It's the Pentium 3.