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 SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
apple card feature2

Apple Card 3% Daily Cash Back Now Available From Two More Apple Partners

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:36 am PST by
Apple has partnered with select merchants to offer Apple Card users three percent Daily Cash back on their purchases, and two new companies were added to the partner list today. When purchasing goods and services from Booking.com and ChargePoint, Apple Card users will now get more cash back. Booking.com is a site for reserving flights, cars, cruises, and hotels, while ChargePoint sells...

Top Rated Comments

Kissmo1980 Avatar
10 months 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
10 months 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
10 months ago
The ghost of Masimo protecting their patent :oops:
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
10 months 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
10 months 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
10 months 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)