The latest generation of Apple Watches including the Apple Watch 9 as well as the Watch Ultra 2 are plagued with ghost touch issues and the company is currently looking into the matter. Ghost touch is a common display bug that registers touches and swipes on a screen even if it isn’t being touched.
An internal company memo reviewed by MacRumors confirms the Cupertino giant’s awareness of the issue and its active investigation. This memo has been sent to Apple Authorized Service Providers. Since Apple has acknowledged the issue and is investigating it, it means the problem is most likely a widespread issue.
However, it is worth mentioning that there isn’t an abundance of ghost touch reports regarding the Apple Watch online. Additionally, reports of similar incidents are not recent either, but let’s not forget that not everyone who encounters these issues reports them online.
The memo from Apple says “Some customers may report their Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 is experiencing false touches on their display.” This would mean that the issue is currently not affecting older versions of the Apple Watch.
According to the memo, these ghost touches can initiate phone calls and hinder the entry of a passcode on a smartwatch. Therefore, if you’ve encountered these issues with your own Apple Watch, you’re not alone.
Presently, the cause of the issue remains unclear, as does the timeline for Apple to implement a solution (if it can indeed be resolved through a software update). Additionally, the extent of user reports regarding the bug is also uncertain.
There is currently no temporary fix or workaround for this issue, but Apple suggests that force restarting or keeping the watch up to date has helped in some cases.
