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Apple Watch Ultra Black Screen

Hi, my Apple Watch Ultra goes to black screen unexpectedly. It is a bit of a complicated story, so I need your patients please 😰


My Apple Watch Ultra is connected to an iPhone 13 Pro Max. All software is up to date.


The watch’s screen, and for no known reason and with no specific pattern, becomes completely black. I know the watch is still on and working, but the screen is black. For example:

  • I would be working out and playing music from the watch (the phone is not connected), I can still hear the music and the feedback from Siri on my workout. 
  • I get the haptic alerts when I receive a notification. ...


Furthermore, it responds to touches and button pressing but the freaking screen is still black 🤪. I know this because I mirrored the watch's screen on my iPhone and I can see how it responds to touches, scrolls and other gestures.


Obviously, it happens even if the battery is fully charged.


The only way to get out of this black screen is to take it off for at least couple of seconds, then wear it again!!! No need to restart it or put it on a charger or anything else. Just take it off and wear it again!


Unfortunately this behavior happens very randomly and I cannot re-produce it. It could happen every few mins or in couple of hours or even a day or two, then it happens all of a sudden!


So I did what anyone who is driven crazy by these tech problems will do:

  • I reset the watch, no luck.
  • I un-paired it and paired it again (as new watch), no luck.
  • I reset the network settings on my iPhone (thinking it may it is may be the communication protocol that is causing this), no luck.
  • I reset the phone and the watch, no luck.
  • I reset the phone and set it up as new phone (you can imagine the amount of time that took), no luck.
  • Finally and after calling Apple Support, who asked me to do all the above again, I factory restored the iPhone and clean installed the ipws file of the iOS (may be the iOS was corrupted and causing this, this was an advice from Apple Support engineer). Then fresh installed everything, NOW YOU REALLY CAN IMAGIN THE TIME THIS TOOK, but NO LUCK


After all that, I took it to Apple Support, they did all the checks and everything was ok. So they send it to their tech guys who reset it to it is original setting, test it for few hours, decided there are no problems, send it back to me only to face the same problem next day 🤨


I have Apple Care+ on it, so after a lot of fighting with them, they replaced it for me. 


I wish the problem ended here. This was 8 months ago and guess what, the problem appeared again on the new watch couple of weeks back 😩😩😩


It is driving me crazy, and I really need help here


By the way, it is may be a coincident, but the problem started to appear after upgrading to the latest WatchOS 9.6

Apple Watch Ultra

Posted on Aug 9, 2023 2:35 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 14, 2023 5:50 AM

Have you had this resolved? I’m having the same issue and they want to send out out. I think it’s ridiculous especially reading others are having the same problem. I also did notice it happened after a recent update. I went to the Apple Store after speaking with supper over the phone and they didn’t do anything at the store. I’ve done all the troubleshooting and it keeps happening. I can’t take it off my wrist for a few seconds and magically it turns back on. I’ve only had it a few months and ridiculous issue for the price and it’s supposed to be the “ultra”. I first noticed when I was swimming but now it happens randomly.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 14, 2023 5:50 AM in response to ajundi

Have you had this resolved? I’m having the same issue and they want to send out out. I think it’s ridiculous especially reading others are having the same problem. I also did notice it happened after a recent update. I went to the Apple Store after speaking with supper over the phone and they didn’t do anything at the store. I’ve done all the troubleshooting and it keeps happening. I can’t take it off my wrist for a few seconds and magically it turns back on. I’ve only had it a few months and ridiculous issue for the price and it’s supposed to be the “ultra”. I first noticed when I was swimming but now it happens randomly.

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Feb 4, 2024 8:56 PM in response to ajundi

It’s an absolute joke.

i had my AWU replaced after 5 months because of this issue, which eventually became the ambient light sensor failing.

My new (5 months old again) AWU has been blacking out daily for months.

I’ve taken it to the tech bar 3 times, many conversations complaining about it, sent it back to Apple to have it assessed… and they sent it back after a week saying “they can’t replicate the fault”

The day I got it back, within 10 minutes of setting it up.. it was black again.

I’m so angry they they just ignore the issue.. paying 1300 bucks for a watch I have to reset multiple times in a day just to see the time is BS

The worst part is, at the tech bar, they saw the issue first hand.. and even starting that in the report, the Apple techs at the “higher up” office just say “oh well.. we can’t figure it out.. here’s your watch back”


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Sep 24, 2023 7:27 AM in response to ajundi

I`m facing the same issue for the last few months. Hard reset helps but that`s not the case to perform hard reset several times per day...

I thought initially that it was something related to water activities but not. few weeks without touching any water but still have the same.


While it happens randomly that defect can be easily reproduced if you enable the white torchlight ( brighter one) and switch it to dimmed and back several times, then cover the watch with your hand to cancel that app. The screen will be black until you take off it from the hand and rotate.


That bug was mentioned in discussion multiple times but looks like it was not given to any developers, as they can easily check logs or debug to find out the root cause ( most probably that is a software issue as the same steps with red tourch light are ok)

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Oct 21, 2023 11:35 PM in response to mitien

The frequency of the problem increased. In it started happening more randomly even when the battery is more than 50%.


I opened another ticket with Apple and they replaced it for me under the Apple Care+ support.


let’s hope this will be the end of it

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Feb 27, 2024 3:03 PM in response to Honch0

Came here to say I have exactly the same problem. This is frustrating. But I am grateful for the suggestion to have turned off Always On since at least now my watch seems usable (albeit 'disabled').


Apple, I am one of your biggest fanboys. No fix for this seems very disrespectful to your best customers. Please fix this!

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May 30, 2024 1:31 PM in response to ajundi

Hi ajundi and others, Have all of you with this black screen issue checked to make sure you don't accidentally have a Focus Mode turned on via an automatic routine or manually? I mention this because a black screen is part of the "Focus Mode Experience." Use Focus on Apple Watch - Apple Support


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Oct 1, 2023 10:53 PM in response to mitien

I tried your case, but could not reproduce the problem.


I noticed that the problem occurs mostly when the battery is below 50% and I start a workout or when I am driving (my phone is connected to my car's bluetooth).


However it happened when the battery is more than 50% and I am not doing anything, but much less frequent.


BTW, my battery's health is 97%

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Oct 23, 2023 6:41 PM in response to ajundi

Hi,


My problem is very similar to yours. I'm on my 2nd AW Ultra after replacing the previous defective unit with a similar problem.


Now the problem persists on my replacement unit as well. A few months ago this happened once a week. Now it happens more frequently like every day 1-2 times, just like the previous AWU.


My warranty will end this month. Afraid they will ignore the problems.


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Jan 7, 2024 9:31 PM in response to ajundi

I have the same issues like this. I'm using my replacement unit. Got it 4 month ago. But now, the problem re-appear again like my previous Apple Watch Ultra.


I know it will get worse since the frequency of the black screen getting more frequent now. I already tried using a different iPhone but the problem persists. The black screen will be okay when take off the watch from your wrist.


So hard to replicate the issues at the service center.


The warranty already end. Can I get another replacement unit Apple? The battery health is still 100%. So frustating.


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May 20, 2024 9:15 AM in response to ajundi

Has anybody had this resolved? I'm having the same issue and going through the same steps. I chatted with Apple and took it to the tech people, just for them to say the watch is okay and they cannot replicate the issue. I haven't been able to figure a pattern of when it happens.

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Aug 15, 2023 8:01 AM in response to ajundi

私のApple Watch Ultraにも、同じ症状が出ます。Appleは1度製品を交換してくれましたが、結局改善していません。複数のApple Watch Ultraユーザーが、この症状に苦しんでいると推測されます。Appleは、早急にこのバグを修正すべきです。

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Apple Watch Ultra Black Screen

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