How to fix Apple Watch ghost touch issues

My sister uses an Apple Watch and has been complaining about her watch responding to ‘ghost touches’ for a few months. As the technology expert for the family, she reached out to me for advice. After looking into the issue, I discovered that it’s something many Apple Watches have reported experiencing in recent months, and that Apple is working on a software fix for the problem.

In the meantime, the company is reportedly advising people to restart their watches and ensure they’re updated. Until then, let’s look at exactly what that means and how to stop your Apple Watch from doing its own thing when you aren’t intentionally touching it.

What is the ghost touch issue on Apple Watch?

Phantom taps and swipes

Over the past several months, an increasing number of Apple Watch users have been asking: “Why is my Apple Watch doing things even when I am not tapping it?”

Essentially, the ghost touch Apple Watch issue is when your Apple Watch is acting as if the screen is being tapped, even when it isn’t. It might be changing displays, opening up different apps on the watch, or scrolling through your widgets without you interacting with the screen as if an invisible ghost is tapping on your watch screen.

Fortunately, there is no paranormal activity causing false touches on your Apple Watch, and Apple has acknowledged the issue and is working to solve the problem. The original memo from Apple representatives acknowledging the Apple Watch touch issue suggested that this was primarily affecting Series 9 and Ultra 2 Apple Watches. Based on reports in the Apple support forums and the case with my sister, the issue also appears to affect Series 7, Series 8, Series 9, and Ultra 1 watches.

Related

watchOS 10.4 fixes the Apple Watch’s false touch bug, among other improvements

It also adds new emoji, and Double Tap improvements.

For some Apple Watch users, the unintended touches are minor and infrequent, but for other people, the Apple Watch ghost touch is frustrating and can almost render the watch unusable. Some have even reported that the touches happen so frequently and can be so involved that they get locked out of their watch or the device keeps glitching and freezing.

One user, for example, took to the Apple support forums in late November 2023 with a post titled ‘Apple Watch responding to ghost touch.’ They wrote: “Ultra 2 now has a mind of its own. It is HAL doing random things with no interaction from me. I’m now locked out because random digits are entered on my login screen. Starting to hate this device and the substandard apps.”

Dozens of other users responded that they had a similar issue and many provided their own touches and the subsequent frustrations. For example, an Apple Watch user recently responded to the thread, saying that they had the exact same issue with their Apple Watch Ultra 2 running watchOS 10.2. “It started when my AWU2 switched the lights on in my house via HomeKit,” they wrote.

“After that I was not able to attend a phone call because the display was unresponsive. Tap gesture didn’t work either. Then suddenly the keypad opened and the watch started dialing.” That person recommended other Apple Watch owners remove the Home App from their watch face just in case the issue continues and starts affecting their smart home devices.

How to stop ghost touches on an Apple Watch

Force reset your watch and keep the watchOS up to date

Phantom touches on an Apple Watch can obviously be frustrating, so you might feel inclined to rip the thing off your wrist and throw it in the drawer.

However, Apple has reportedly advised users not to replace watches specifically because of this issue, and the company should be rolling out a software update that stops this from happening.

Although it may not be possible to totally prevent the issue from occurring until Apple has fixed the bug in the software, the company is recommending that users make sure that the software on their watch is fully up-to-date and then perform a force reset when the ghost touches are happening.

Here is how to force restart an Apple Watch:

1. Hold both buttons (the Digital Crown and the side button) simultaneously for 10 seconds or until you see the Apple logo reappear.
2. Wait for the watch to boot back up.

It is also important to make sure that you keep the Apple Watch operating system up-to-date by accepting and installing all software updates.

You can check for a software update on your iPhone or in the Apple Watch settings.

Here is how to update the Apple watchOS directly on the watch:

1. Press the Digital Crown button to bring up the Home Screen.
2. Tap the Settings app.
3. Tap the General option.
4. Tap Software Update.
5. Tap Install to update watchOS.

Here is how to update watchOS using the Watch app on your iPhone:

1. Open the Watch app on your paired iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab.
3. Tap General.
4. Tap SoftwareUpdate near the top.
5. If a software update is available, you will be able to tap Download Update.
6. Enter your iPhone or Apple Watch passcode.
7. You should see the progress wheel appear on your watch, indicating that the software update is being downloaded and installed.

Finally, false touches and unintended swiping through the Apple Watch displays are more likely to happen if there is moisture or debris on the display. Make sure to keep the touchscreen free from debris, oily fingers, and water droplets after getting your watch wet. You can clean the touchscreen with a microfiber cloth or other soft, lint-free cloth.

The good news is that the force reset solution solved the issue for the user in the forums quoted above, though it took about five minutes for the restart to prevent additional false touches. Hopefully, the Apple watchOS 10.4 update will solve this issue, so it is important to keep on top of the Apple watchOS updates.