Key Takeaways
- Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra users are reporting being plagued by random vibrations.
- Samsung has not officially addressed the issue despite several user complaints.
- Temporary fixes include disabling Health Platform, Google Maps mirroring, and/or uninstalling WhatsApp.
We spend so much time on our smart devices that phantom vibration syndrome (PVS) and phantom ringing syndrome (PRS) have unfortunately become a reality. A 2018 study available on the National Library of Medicine tied phantom ringing and phantom vibration with extended smartphone use and perceived stress, and it found that roughly 60 percent of the surveyed participants experienced PVS while 42 percent experienced PRS.
While phantom ringing and vibration are actual syndromes that are actively being studied, what the new Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra owners are currently experiencing aren’t tactile/sensory hallucinations or a figment of their imagination — their wearables are actually vibrating for no reason.
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Users have flocked to Samsung’s community forums (via 9to5Google) since late July, complaining about the sporadic vibrations that are not accompanied by a notification or a different action on their latest Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra. Most users report that their watch vibrates once, followed by a short pause, after which it vibrates three times, and even factory resetting their wearable didn’t solve the issue for those impacted.
My coworker and i both preordered the same watch and received them days apart. Soon as i set up the watch with my phone, the same 1 and 3 vibrations started happening. I did factory reset multiple times on it and nothing worked, including the screen mirroring from Google Maps. I asked my coworker to set up my watch on his phone, and i set up his watch on mine. He had my watch on for several hours, never got the vibrations, while I on the other hand was getting them on his brand new watch. Seems there is some kind of issue between my phone and the watch, which ever it may be. Phone S24 Ultra I sent the watch to Samsung repair, and they told me nothing was wrong and sent it right back, no issue resolved.
Samsung is yet to officially address the issue. “I have the same problem with my Watch 7, it is driving me crazy. I’m in contact with Samsung support since 2 weeks, no progress,” wrote user mtanner876 on a Samsung community post. Some users, however, have seemingly found success with DIY workarounds, with apps like WhatsApp, Google Maps, and even Samsung’s Health Platform reportedly to blame.
There might be a temporary fix, but don’t hold your breath over it
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If you’re currently plagued by the random vibrations, give these temporary fixes a shot.
- Health Platform: Some users found that the phantom vibrations stopped after disabling the Health Platform app.
- Google Maps: Others have found that disabling Google Maps’ “mirroring” option within the app resolves the problem.
- WhatsApp: SamMobile suggests that WhatsApp might be causing the sporadic vibrations, and uninstalling it might be worth a shot.
It’s worth noting that your mileage with these fixes may vary. While multiple users suggested that these workarounds fixed the issue for them, many others have reported that the issue persists, requiring urgent attention from Samsung.