If the display on your Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2 is giving you false touches, you’re not alone, as an unknown number of people have the ghost touch issue.
Apple is aware some Series 9 and Ultra 2 owners have the ghost touch issue. The company is investigating it and should address it with a future watchOS update.
But if defective hardware is the root cause of the ghost touch issue, Apple might have no other choice but replace faulty watches. Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 arrived in September 2023—Apple’s 1-year warranty still hasn’t expired, so any potential replacement units will need to be issued at no cost to the customer.
The ghost touch issue on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2
If your watch is suffering from the ghost touch problem, the onscreen content on the device may “jump erratically” even if you didn’t touch the display.
Aside from being a real annoyance, such unexpected behavior may stop you from entering your Apple Watch passcode correctly. It may even cause your watch to start a phone call, launch apps or trigger other watchOS features unintentionally.
The iPhone maker has acknowledged the fake touch problem in an internal memo sent to its authorized service providers. The document confirms that “some customers” are seeing false touches on their Apple Watch display.
It does not, however, indicate how widespread the problem might be and whether it could be chalked up to faulty hardware.
“Some customers may report their Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 is experiencing false touches on their display,” reads the memo obtained by MacRumors. The document instructs Apple’s service technicians to avoid repairing affectred units while the company investigates the ghost touch problem.
When will Apple Watch get a fix for the ghost touch issue?
The memo doesn’t reveal when a potential fix might arrive. It instructs technicians to offer affected customers the usual troubleshooting tips, including updating the Apple Watch software and restarting the device by simultaneously pressing and holding the Digital Crown and Side buttons until the Apple logo appears.