Password attempts on Apple Watch when it's not being touched.

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19 points

Password attempts on Apple Watch when it's not being touched.

what is happening is that on my daughters watch series 7 se, there are password attempts when it is not being touched. i saw it on the screen, password attempts were being made, remotely?, when no one was touching the screen (my daughter brought it to my attention and showed me the watch entering passcodes by itself when no one was even touching the screen), and then the watch gives the error to many password attempts. it has happened 3 times and every time had to go though the reset process. is this unreliable device even safe for a child?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Oct 26, 2022 9:00 PM

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Answer 1

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tara ntula Author

Level 1

19 points

Oct 29, 2022 11:57 AM in response to J_Johnnyboy

that was the first thing i did, did not help, just went back to the "to many passcode attempts" (your watch had been attempted to be hacked by someone who was trying to link, aka security bug).

the se must have a hardware flaw in because none of my watches have ever done that.

the only reason it would be showing on the "ghost" passcode attempts on the screen would be if someone was able to get remote control of the screen. i even witness this when the watch was sitting on a desk and i saw the screen action occurring.

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Answer 2

Oct 29, 2022 11:19 AM in response to tara ntula

Hi tara ntula,

From what you described in your original post, it will be a good idea to try the steps here: Restart your Apple Watch - Apple Support.

Once you click and open the link, please read through and try the steps in the subheading that' s applicable to the version of watchOS that's running on our daughter's Apple Watch. You can find that via the link here: Get information about Apple Watch - Apple Support

1) How to restart your Apple Watch if you have watchOS 9

2) How to restart your Apple Watch if you have watchOS 8 or earlier

3) Force restart your Apple Watch

The reason why we are recommending the steps above is because while a restart can seem unimportant, it can actually resolve many minor issues with the device.

If you're still experiencing the same issue, contact the community for more help.

Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities.

Cheers!

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Answer 3

tara ntula Author

Level 1

19 points

Oct 29, 2022 4:02 PM in response to Brian_P7

i have not seen any apps act on their own, but that does make more sense that the issue is with the display. i probably should get the hardware looked at as it is very concerning if this occurs when my daughter need to access the device to contact me.

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Answer 4

Brian_P7

Community Specialist

Oct 29, 2022 12:58 PM in response to tara ntula

Hey tara ntula,

After the passcode has been successfully entered on the Apple Watch, do apps or functions ever open by themselves? This might be important as there could be an issue with the display where it is being depressed without being touched, sometimes referred to as a 'ghost touch'. While uncommon, this can occur on a variety of devices such as the Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and many others that have a touch screen. Your concerns are understandable though, and if you believe that the device has been compromised in some way, it might be best to Get Support directly from Apple from this point on. You can use the link in this post to get started.

Take care.

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Password attempts on Apple Watch when it's not being touched.

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