- Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users hit by ‘ghost glitch’
- Apple doesn’t have an official solution, but suggests that forcing a restart may fix the problem
Halloween has come early for many Apple Watch users struggling with a ‘ghost touch’ glitch.
The issue causes the watch screen to behave as if it is being tapped or swiped even when no one is touching it.
According to an internal memo sent to Apple Authorized Providers, this can cause the watch to ring and even prevent the user from entering their passcode.
Apple says it is aware of the issue and is investigating it, but has not provided further details on what caused it.
If this is bothering you, there is no need to call an exorcist as a simple force reset seems to solve the problem.
Apple Watch users are being haunted by ‘ghost touches’ as a glitch causes the smartwatch’s screen to register taps and swipes when no one is using it (stock image)
The internal note, seen by MacRumorsstates: ‘Some customers may report that their Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 are experiencing false touches on their screen.’
The memo further noted that customers may describe this issue as “ghostly” touches.
The glitch causes the screen to register taps and swipes without any input, causing the screen to ‘jump erratically’.
Since the watch is constantly recording input, the actual user cannot operate the screen and may not even be able to unlock the device.
Apple did not provide additional information on how many users were affected by the outage.
However, it is quite unusual for Apple to announce that it is investigating an issue that suggests this could be quite widespread.
The glitch affects the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 (pictured) and can cause the watch to ring and prevent users from entering their passcode
On social media, several commenters reported experiencing this outage.
“My series 9 went crazy last night, had to restart to type in my passcode,” wrote one commenter on X, formerly Twitter.
Another wrote: “My Ultra 2 watch has been having some crazy ‘ghost touches’ a few times, forcing me to do a hard restart.”
While another added that they had been affected by the glitch a few times but assumed it was caused by the ‘double-tap gesture accidentally kicking in’.
On X, formerly Twitter, several Apple Watch users reported experiencing a ghost touch glitch, which required a force restart to fix
Both the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 were released in September 2023 and run watchOS.
The problem could be caused by a hardware or software glitch, but Apple has not provided any further information on the cause.
The memo sent to Apple carriers advises technicians not to repair models affected by the outage while the cause is investigated.
However, the memo also asks technicians to tell customers to force restart their Apple Watch if they experience ghost touches.
To do this, press and hold the Digital Crown and the side button at the same time for at least ten seconds.
Once the Apple logo appears on the screen, you can release the digital crown and the device will restart.
It’s important to note that this isn’t Apple’s official solution, but several commenters on the original MacRumors post say this worked for them.
Apple also suggests that the problem can also be resolved by ensuring that the device is kept up to date with the latest version of watchOS.
MailOnline has contacted Apple for additional information.