Apple looking into Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2 'ghost touches' issue

AppleInsider

Apple is actively investigating a problem with the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, with an internal memo confirming it is looking into "ghost touches" of the display.

Apple Watch Series 9

The Apple Watch display is the main way of interacting with the wearable, and occasionally users may find that accidentally touching it may open up menus and trigger features. For some customers, it seems that their devices are suffering from a problem where it does so without such interactions.

In an internal memo provided to Apple Authorized Service Providers and seen by MacRumors, Apple is aware of a touch issue impacting a number of current-gen Apple Watch models.

"Some customers may report their Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 is experiencing false touches on their display," the note states, with some customers apparently describing them as "ghost" touches. To its users, this manifests as the Apple Watch behaving "erratically" without any interaction.

The problem could be a big one for users, as it could prevent them from entering the device's passcode correctly.

Apple does not say how many users are affected, nor when a fix for the problem will be on the way. It does tell technicians to advise to customers to update to the latest version of watchOS and to maintain updates regularly, in the hope that a fix will be addressed in a software update.

Apple has also told the technicians not to try and repair Apple Watch units with the issue while an investigation is underway. Instead, technicians are to instruct customers on how to force restart their Apple Watch.

To force restart the Apple Watch, hold down the Digital Crown and the side button simultaneously, until it shuts down and the Apple logo appears onscreen.



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StudioSoup

This happened on my Ultra 2 recently and was crazy! It just wouldn't stop and it kept entering my lock screen password incorrectly until it locked me out of the watch!  I took video of it happening and showed it to a genius at the Apple Store who recorded the case.  Interestingly, they told me it was the first time they'd seen anything like that happen.

The absolutely weirdest part was that at one point it dialed the phone number for the Chicago Cubs box-office and then started hitting random extensions once the call connected! WTF? The crazy thing is that I've literally never called that phone number, so I have absolutely no idea where it pulled it from in order to dial it.  So weird.  I thought maybe the watch had somehow been hacked or something so it's a relief to read this type of occurrence is a known issue now.  Still doesn't explain the Cubs dial, but it's a start.

chasm

StudioSoup said:

The absolutely weirdest part was that at one point it dialed the phone number for the Chicago Cubs box-office and then started hitting random extensions once the call connected! WTF?

To me, this suggests it was hitting random numbers that just happened to be the Cubs box office. If so, then the screen appears to have gotten stuck thinking you were pressing it.

OR … you have a poltergeist, and you’ll need a AASP tech who is ALSO an ordained priest or minister.  

FastFreddie

I had the random false touches happen to me last week and after searching online, found connecting the charger stopped it. No phone calls but I did have 47 timers of various lengths set. I have a timer complication on my main screen. It had me locked out for 5 minutes because of random pin entries after I took it off my wrist to try and wipe it down. Very strange, I guess I should have taken a video of it but it sure entertained my friends. Tried to get a reservation at an Apple Store in Austin to fix it but none were available for 2 days. That's when I found the connect it to a charger fix.No new problems for the past 5 days.

dewme

StudioSoup said:

This happened on my Ultra 2 recently and was crazy! It just wouldn't stop and it kept entering my lock screen password incorrectly until it locked me out of the watch!  I took video of it happening and showed it to a genius at the Apple Store who recorded the case.  Interestingly, they told me it was the first time they'd seen anything like that happen.

The absolutely weirdest part was that at one point it dialed the phone number for the Chicago Cubs box-office and then started hitting random extensions once the call connected! WTF? The crazy thing is that I've literally never called that phone number, so I have absolutely no idea where it pulled it from in order to dial it.  So weird.  I thought maybe the watch had somehow been hacked or something so it's a relief to read this type of occurrence is a known issue now.  Still doesn't explain the Cubs dial, but it's a start.

Hmmm, the ghost that's in your watch must be the ghost of Steve Goodman.

davgreg

Actually this is not new.
Have seen this on previous watches - Apple needs to improve the SWs ability to differentiate random bumps from finger input.

CMABooty

davgreg said:

Actually this is not new.
Have seen this on previous watches - Apple needs to improve the SWs ability to differentiate random bumps from finger input.

This is not random bumps.  This is like someone tapping on your screen constantly and randomly.  It happened on my watch today.  It started a timer, went back to the Home Screen, tapped on calendar, back to home, did something else, all in like 5 seconds.  Entering valid input doesn't make it stop, you go to a screen you want to go to and it just selects something you don't want and keeps 'tapping'.   The only way to get it to stop is put it back on the charger.  I tried to shut it down by going to the shutdown screen and it just tapped off of it before I could do it, so I had to hold the two buttons method.   It also happened to my daughter, while she was in class.  Unfortunately for her, it kept doing a 'find my phone' and pinged her phone like 4 random times during class.