Apple Watch owners continue to complain about difficulties operating the computer watch. This can lead to unwanted clicks on the touch surface that the user did not initiate themselves. Initially it was said that the error only appeared on new models such as the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and was fixed with the update to watchOS 10.4, which was released in March. However, internal support papers from the iPhone manufacturer now show that the bug still occurs – and older Apple Watch models are also said to be affected.
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More models and a missing fix
According to a memo to AppleCare employees as well as Apple’s third-party repair shops (Authorized Service Providers (ASPs)) that was leaked on Twitter, the so-called ghost touch problems can occur also on Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8 and the first generation Apple Watch Ultra from 2022 appear.
The account @StellaFudge, which says it works in repairs itself, said Apple had instructed ASPs and its own support staff not to simply replace affected devices. Instead, you should tell customers “that they have one Force restart the watch by pressing both buttons [der Uhr] Press and hold for 10 seconds”. At the same time, affected customers should wait for further updates and keep their watch up to date.
Workaround: Screen lock
Apple has been dealing with the problem internally since February, after there were initially only a few and then later more error reports from buyers a few weeks after the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Ultra 2 were released last fall. Initially there was speculation about a hardware problem. With watchOS 10.4 the issue of “ghost touch” should actually be resolved, but that is apparently not the case.
Even after that, there were still reports of the bug, and more and more information was added from users who did not have the very latest Apple Watch models. The misclicks can be extremely annoying because they may execute commands that the user does not want. Sometimes the display also seems to scroll unmotivated. However, how widespread the problem is remains unclear. A first generation Ultra with watchOS 10.4 in the Mac & i editorial team does not show the error. It can be helpful to lock the Apple Watch screen using the swimming function. The so-called Waterlock makes incorrect operation impossible and is also often used in country sports.
(bsc)