Apple Investigating 'Ghost Touches' Issue Affecting Some Series 9 and Ultra 2 Watches

In an internal memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, Apple said it is "aware of" and "investigating" a touch-related issue affecting some Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 displays.

apple watch series 9 display
"Some customers may report their Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 is experiencing false touches on their display," reads Apple's memo, obtained by MacRumors. Apple said some customers may describe the issue as "ghost" touches.

The issue may cause the screen on affected Apple Watch models to "jump erratically" or exhibit other unexpected behavior, without any user interaction, according to Apple. The memo said the issue can also result in an Apple Watch starting a phone call unintentionally, and prevent users from entering the device's passcode.

Apple recommends that customers keep their Apple Watch's software up to date, suggesting that the company is hopeful it will be able to address the issue in a future watchOS update. Apple did not say how widespread the issue is, or provide a timeframe for a potential fix. It is unclear if defective hardware is a contributing factor.

Apple has instructed technicians not to repair affected Apple Watch models while it investigates. In the meantime, technicians are told to ask customers who are experiencing this issue to force restart their Apple Watch by holding down the Digital Crown and the side button at the same time for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models were released in September 2023.

Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Apple Intelligence Now Available in New iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia Developer Betas

Monday July 29, 2024 10:07 am PDT by
Apple is today providing developers with the first betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, with the new software introducing an early version of the Apple Intelligence features. These new betas will be in testing alongside the current iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15 betas. Developers can choose whether to opt into the new betas with Apple Intelligence, or stay on the ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple Intelligence Delayed to iOS 18.1 in October

Sunday July 28, 2024 11:52 am PDT by
Apple Intelligence will miss its initial expected launch date to give Apple more time to fix bugs, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. According to individuals with knowledge about Apple's plans, the company now plans to start rolling out Apple Intelligence in software updates by October, arriving several weeks after the launch of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. This means that Apple...
T Mobile Generic Feature Pink 1

T-Mobile Sued for Breaking Lifetime Price Guarantees

Friday July 26, 2024 2:44 pm PDT by
T-Mobile customers have filed a lawsuit [PDF] against the carrier, alleging that it failed to honor a guarantee not to raise the prices of select cellular plans. The lawsuit, first spotted by Wired, claims that back in 2017, T-Mobile advertised several of its plans with a price lock, but then went on to increase prices starting in May 2024. "T-Mobile ONE customers keep their price until...

Top Rated Comments

Kissmo1980 Avatar
24 weeks ago
I bought mine almost immediately after launch.
It came with an exorcist band - never experience any ghosts.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Entilzha Avatar
24 weeks ago

Nah, they just want us to take it back to an Apple Store so they can "fix" it.
They're going to call it a "recall," but they just want to disable the blood-oxygen sensor.

They ain't getting a hold of mine. Nope.
…you think Apple is doing this to disable your blood oxygen sensor?

If you believe that, I have some custom crypto for you to buy, only $10,000 per coin!
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
24 weeks ago
The ghost of Masimo protecting their patent :oops:
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
24 weeks ago
i've had the opposite issue. i touch the screen and it often doesn't recognise it so i need to tap again. very unresponsive and slow.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
24 weeks ago
"Some customers may report their Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 is experiencing false touches on their display," reads Apple's memo, obtained by MacRumors. Apple said some customers may describe the issue as "ghost" touches.
Do these "ghost" touches occur when the Watch is running a workout app and users are exorcising? ?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ShivneelSingh Avatar
24 weeks ago
Nah, they just want us to take it back to an Apple Store so they can "fix" it.
They're going to call it a "recall," but they just want to disable the blood-oxygen sensor.

They ain't getting a hold of mine. Nope.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)