After spending a period of time using a combination of sonic sunglasses and his previous model, (COMIC: Clara Oswald and the School of Death) the Twelfth Doctor was gifted a new sonic screwdriver by the TARDIS.
While one account showed him gaining it after he had found Gallifrey at the end of the universe, (TV: Hell Bent) another account depicted him using it whilst travelling with Clara Oswald. (COMIC: The Day at the Doctors)
This new model had a very mechanical and complicated-looking, TARDIS blue, metal handle with multiple emitters, once again resembling the inner structure of the time rotor itself. The emitter was once again blue in colour, and the ring of emitters could all light up in a circling motion when activated. (TV: Hell Bent) He continued to use his sonic sunglasses as well, thus giving him two choices of sonic instruments. (TV: The Husbands of River Song, Extremis)
This screwdriver could glow blue (TV: Hell Bent), red (COMIC: Robo Rampage), or green. (COMIC: Gallery, TV: For Tonight We Might Die) It was still ineffectual against wood. (TV: Empress of Mars)
The Doctor sometimes attached this screwdriver to his guitar so that he could use both at the same time. (COMIC: The Pestilent Heart)
When the Doctor was stuck in 1972, the screwdriver "ran out of juice" and the Doctor was unable to charge it because he was without his TARDIS. (COMIC: Moving In)
After regenerating into the Thirteenth Doctor, the TARDIS console room exploded due to the damage it took from the intensity of the regeneration energy. The Doctor was thrown out of the TARDIS from the explosion, causing her to free fall to the Earth's surface. (TV: Twice Upon a Time) As she fell, she lost this sonic screwdriver along with everything else in her pockets. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth)
The sonic was found in the Remembered TARDIS by Jo Jones. (TV: The Three Doctors [+]Loading...["The Three Doctors (TotT TV story)"])
Uses
Security
- Unlocking the front door of Idra Panatar's house. (COMIC: The Twist)
- Opening a secret bookcase door in Panatar's house. (COMIC: The Twist)
- Unlocking an alleyway entrance into the London Underground. (COMIC: The Pestilent Heart)
- Opening a window. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
- Opening and closing a bridge door on a spaceship. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
- Keeping the security features on the vault up-to-date. (TV: The Pilot)
- Closing a door on a space station. (TV: Oxygen)
Diagnostic
- Detecting temporal distortions. (COMIC: The Stockbridge Showdown)
- Scanning for life readings. (COMIC: Gallery)
- Following an alien signal. (COMIC: The Pestilent Heart)
- Diagnosing an alien disease in Lloyd Collins. (COMIC: The Pestilent Heart)
- Scanning April MacLean to confirm that her heart was being shared by Corakinus. (TV: For Tonight We Might Die)
- Scanning Grant to confirm he had swallowed an alien gemstone. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
- Scanning the Vardy microbots to learn of their function. (TV: Smile)
- Scanning the doors in a space station. (TV: Oxygen, World Enough and Time)
- Scan and discover the access code to an air tight door, although it was unable to physically input the combination directly. (TV: The Pyramid at the End of the World)
- Scanning the Glass avatar of Bill Potts, determining the memories as real. However, it was not as accurate when diagnosing the Testimony, the Doctor finding it better to simply use his eyes. (TV: Twice Upon a Time)
Technology
- Using the power cell of the Harmony and Redemption to push its thrusters. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
- Repairing a damaged time ship. (COMIC: Ghosts of the Seas)
- Disassembling K2. (COMIC: Robo Rampage)
- Activating Charles Abbott's Incredulitas 4 pen to teleport him into the writer's block. (COMIC: Shock Horror)
- Scanning the control panels of a spaceship. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
- Activating lights projectors. (TV: Oxygen, World Enough and Time) Likewise, it could also turn them off. (TV: Extremis)
- Reversing and erasing the command programmes of the Vardy microbots, causing them to forget their original directives. (TV: Smile)
- Transmitting a signal to redirect the detonator for explosives. (TV: Thin Ice)
- Frying the circuits of a smartsuit, albeit being broken itself in the process. (TV: Oxygen)
Utility
- Removing a paint can's lid. (COMIC: Gallery)
- Closing a tear in space-time. (TV: For Tonight We Might Die)
- Combine with Missy's sonic umbrella to successfully create a force field strong enough to delay a fully evolved Cybermen long enough for Bill's cybernetic energy blast and the Master's Laser screwdriver to disable it. (TV: The Doctor Falls)
Other
- Blowing up a school. (PROSE: Haunted)
- Temporarily stunning an alien. (COMIC: Gallery)
- Defending himself against Yeti. (COMIC: The Day at the Doctors)
- Increasing the voltage of the lights at Coal Hill Academy to break the solid form of Corakinus and the Shadow Kin (TV: For Tonight We Might Die)
- Zapping a gun out of Brock's hand. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)
- Dissipating the Smoke's particles. (COMIC: Ghost Stories)
- It can create a buzzing sound to attract attention and act as a torch, (TV: Knock Knock) even under water. (TV: Thin Ice)
- The head can be removed to reveal a red highlighter pen which the Doctor can use to write with. (TV: World Enough and Time)
- Could act as a communicator with Nardole and download the software from Nardole's computer, enabling it to incinerate and blast numerous types of Cybermen and ignite the entirety of Floor 0507. (TV: The Doctor Falls)
Behind the scenes
- Doctor Who: Legacy mobile game contains a premium pack called "Sonic Adventure", which is centred around finding various sonic devices used by different incarnations of the Doctor and by several other characters. The playable characters form this premium pack represented almost every model of sonic screwdriver encountered in the DWU.