Apple Watch Ultra 2 Hacked
Reports that Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 units are seemingly “hacked” — including claims of watches typing “We are in control” by themselves — are prompting intense scrutiny of whether this is a real remote-compromise scenario or simply a hardware/software fault. Many point to known “ghost touch” issues and recent watchOS updates, plus a video showing random inputs, as far more plausible explanations than sophisticated attacks, noting that true hackers would typically avoid visible UI control. Others argue that even if it’s just a digitizer or firmware bug, it’s still serious given emergency calls, lockouts, and user fear, and they urge Apple to investigate and communicate more clearly.
Nature of the Issue (Ghost Touch vs. Hack)
- Many commenters think this is a “ghost touch” / digitizer or touch-controller bug on Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2, possibly worsened by recent watchOS updates.
- Users report random taps, swipes, and drags, watches entering wrong PINs, locking themselves, triggering emergency calls, and becoming hard to shut down.
- A posted YouTube video strongly resembles random false touches rather than deliberate remote control.
The “We Are in Control” Message
- The original claim that the watch popped up a keyboard and typed “We are in control” is widely viewed as implausible or fabricated.
- Suggestions include: misreading/autocorrect turning random input into that sentence; trolling; or delusional interpretation.
- Several note it’s not trivial even for a user to quickly bring up a keyboard on the watch, making the story technically suspect.
Hacking Plausibility and Vectors
- Many argue the described behavior does not resemble a realistic attack: a real attacker would exfiltrate data quietly, not do noisy UI control.
- Some discuss theoretical vectors:
- Accessibility features like Apple Watch Mirroring / “Control Watch with iPhone.”
- HID-over-GATT, Bluetooth-related attacks, or factory test scripts accidentally triggering.
- Consensus leans toward: if someone already had control of the paired iPhone, the watch would be a secondary, less interesting target.
Hoax, Astroturfing, or Mass Bug?
- Skepticism arises from many “level 1” Apple forum accounts with nearly identical stories and timestamps, prompting theories of hoaxing, anti-Apple campaigns, or scare tactics for scams.
- Others counter that most normal users only sign up to forums when they have an issue, so many new accounts reporting a fresh bug is plausible.
Security, Trust, and User Perception
- Some worry HN is too quick to dismiss possible security issues when Apple is involved, pointing to bias.
- Others, drawing on experience with user bug reports, emphasize Occam’s razor and the prevalence of exaggerated or mistaken “I was hacked” claims.
- There is debate over the casual use of “hacked” for everything from phishing to hardware glitches, and how that muddies serious security discussions.