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Apple is investigating an issue with flickering Apple Watch displays

Trevor Mogg
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Some Apple Watch owners are experiencing an issue where the display flickers or pulses when the Always On mode is enabled.

The good news is that Apple is now investigating the issue, according to the contents of an internal service memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers and seen by MacRumors.

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The memo, which was reportedly sent out on Tuesday, doesn’t say which Apple Watch models are experiencing the issue, though reports suggest that the recently released Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models running watchOS 10 and later are most affected.

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Disgruntled users have been sharing their experiences on various Apple-focused forums, with some describing the problem as a “jitter” or a “random flicker.”

The memo also mentioned an issue where complications on the watch face temporarily turn pink, a matter that has also been described by a number of Apple Watch owners, MacRumors pointed out.

Apple told service providers that they needn’t take in affected watches for repair and should instead tell customers to ensure that the software on their Apple Watch is kept up to date, advice that suggests Apple will roll out a fix before too long — possibly as part of watchOS 10.1, which may get a public release as early as next week.

Until then, affected users who find the issue annoying can turn off the Always On display by heading into Settings on the Apple Watch, selecting Display & Brightness, and then Always On.

The Always On feature dims the display when it’s not in use and lights it up when the device is raised. It was introduced with the Apple Watch Series 5, which the company released in 2019. It also works with the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2, though not with the company’s more affordable Apple Watch SE.

Despite plenty of pre-launch testing, issues with new software can sometimes emerge soon after it becomes available. Apple recently rolled out a software fix for the new iPhone 15 Pro after some users complained that the handset was heating up way more than expected.

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Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
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