Apple Suggests Solution for 'Ghost Touch' Issue on Apple Watch Series 7 and Later - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Suggests Solution for 'Ghost Touch' Issue on Apple Watch Series 7 and Later

The touch-related bug that was known to be impacting the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 also affects the Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra 1, Apple said in a memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers.

apple watch series 8 green
Service providers have been told not to replace watches for the ghost touch problem, instead instructing customers to fix the issue through a force restart. A force restart can be initiated by simultaneously holding down the side button and the Digital Crown for 10 seconds. AASPs have also been asked to make sure affected Apple Watches are running the latest version of watchOS.

Apple first began looking into the touch-related problem affecting some Apple Watch models in February. At the time, it was a bug that had been seen on the Series 9 and the Ultra 2. Apple Watch owners were experiencing "false" or "ghost" touches on the display, which could cause the screen to "jump erratically" or exhibit unexpected behavior without user interaction.

A fix for the ghost touch issue was added in watchOS 10.4, so presumably that version of the software addresses the issue on all impacted models. If not, the wording of Apple's memo suggests a further fix will be coming in the near future.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.5 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.5

Monday May 11, 2026 5:09 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 26.5 after a few months of beta testing, and while it doesn't have the Siri features we were hoping for since those are being held until iOS 27, there are a handful of useful changes worth knowing about. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. End-to-End Encryption for RCS Support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...

Top Rated Comments

7thson Avatar
27 months ago
2.5 years later and the ”fix” is imminent. Glad I stuck with my S6. Good grief…
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple.Fanatic Avatar
27 months ago
Apple needs to hire the Ghostbusters! ;)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimHalfCooked Avatar
27 months ago
i love my watch, it lives life by its own rules. sometimes it will play a sound randomly, sometimes it will turn the 'torch' on and off like a disco. it has its own personality not conforming to the norms of basic technology. it's the tesla wipers of the apple world

utter ****.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7thson Avatar
27 months ago

Did you read the article?
1. started with Watch Series 9 and the update affected others.
2. it appears fixed with a restart.

Here we go. People whining for the sake of it. And go…

Did you read the article?
1. started with Watch Series 9 and the update affected others.
2. it appears fixed with a restart.

Here we go. People whining for the sake of it. And go…
“also affects the Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra 1, Apple said in a memo ('https://twitter.com/stellafudge/status/1778197004029394994') shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers”
I did read the article. Here we go with the apologists
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PixelsMaster Avatar
27 months ago
This had happened multiple times on my Apple Watch Ultra 2. Haven’t had it happen again since 10.4.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
27 months ago
anybody who has experience with electronics knows reboot will solve 99% problems
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)