Samsung Galaxy Watch randomly vibrating? Here are some potential fixes

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung Galaxy Watch owners are reporting phantom vibrations
The problem affects Watch 7 and Watch Ultra owners, with no clear cause
Some suggested fixes include uninstalling WhatsApp or a factory reset

Samsung Galaxy Watch owners are reporting phantom vibrations on their wrist, with no clear cause apparent.

As reported by SamMobile, numerous users are reporting random haptic feedback being triggered on their wrist for no reason - often one tap followed by three in quick succession. The report points to a post in the Samsung Community forums from as early as August. One user reported random vibrations on one of the best Android smartwatches, the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, and other users have reported similar problems on this device and the Galaxy Watch 7, as well as a host of possible causes and fixes.

According to the report, possible causes include a loss of connectivity between Galaxy Watch and phone, Google Maps mirroring, and WhatsApp. If you've been experiencing these phantom taps for yourself, here are some things you can try.

Fix random vibrations on Samsung Galaxy Watch

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra — (Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Based on reports, it seems that one of these three issues above could be causing these random taps. According to SamMobile, the disconnection issue seems unlikely because other users have confirmed the taps happen even when their watch and phone remain connected.

If you think Google Maps mirroring might be the issue, you can open Google Maps on your Watch, swipe up to Settings, and turn off Mirror on Phone. However, some users have reported that the issue persists even after doing this.

If the problem is WhatsApp, one possible solution is uninstalling the app from your watch for a while.

Finally, if in doubt, you can always try a factory reset from the General section of Settings. This one is a bit of a pain but is usually a good last resort for issues like this.

Unfortunately, these solutions are all guesses at this stage. TechRadar has reached out to Samsung for comment, and we'll update this story with any new information.

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Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music.