Apple Watch Owners Report Green Tint Issue on watchOS 9.5

Since the rollout of watchOS 9.5, a growing number of Apple Watch users have been encountering an unexpected green tint on their device displays when accessing certain user interface (UI) elements. Complaints regarding this issue have surfaced on platforms such as as the MacRumors Forum, drawing attention to the problem.

Affected users primarily consist of owners of Apple Watch Series 8 and older models, with earlier iterations seemingly experiencing more pronounced symptoms. Reports indicate that the green tint becomes visible on various screens, including the passcode input screen, the Control Center, and when viewing notifications. However, fewer instances of the issue have been reported on Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra models.

Speculation has arisen suggesting that Apple may have intentionally implemented the tint, although this seems unlikely as most users find it uncharacteristically unappealing and incongruous. Descriptions liken the effect to a "washed-out LCD" appearance, rather than the expected vibrant OLED blacks associated with Apple Watch displays.

The exact cause of the issue remains unclear. According to user accounts, the green tint has emerged since the release of last week's watchOS 9.5 update, suggesting a software-related origin rather than a hardware malfunction. While some individuals have managed to temporarily alleviate the problem by restarting their devices, others have not achieved the same resolution.

Apple has previously rectified similar color tint problems on iPhones, which were attributed to software bugs. If the green tint issue on Apple Watches is indeed software-related, it is reasonable to anticipate that Apple will address it in a future watchOS update. Although watchOS 9.6 is currently undergoing testing, it remains uncertain whether it will include a fix for the tint problem.