On an S26 Ultra the touch complaint with the clearest pattern is ghost touching while the phone charges. Owners in Samsung's community say it taps things on its own, and some say the screen sometimes stays pressed after the finger lifts. Samsung support's answer in those threads is to use a different, undamaged charger, and owners also turned off Touch sensitivity in Display settings. The phone's Privacy Display is a separate matter: Android Central reported Samsung limited the privacy effect to a picture-in-picture window in One UI 9 Beta 4.
Differential
Likely causes of “Samsung Galaxy S26 family screen or touch input is not working correctly”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A charger that is not Samsung's, or a damaged one
What separates it The screen misfires only while the phone is plugged in
How to confirm Samsung's thread says third-party or damaged chargers can cause touch faults; use a different, undamaged one
- 2
Touch sensitivity setting
What separates it Taps register late or extra
How to confirm Owners turned Touch sensitivity off in Settings, Display and saw the ghost touches stop
- 3
The Privacy Display
What separates it Part of the screen looks dim or blurry
How to confirm The effect can dim everything around a small window in current software; Samsung limited it to the picture-in-picture window in One UI 9 Beta 4
- 4
A fault in the panel
What separates it Touches fail in the same spot on a bare screen
How to confirm The touch grid test fails there; book a repair
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether it happens only while charging
- Whether the screen stays pressed after you lift your finger
- Whether Privacy Display is on
- The *#0*# touch grid result
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedChange the charger
ReversibleCharge on a Samsung charger and cable in a wall outlet, not a hub or a car port.
Switch Touch sensitivity off
ReversibleOpen Settings, Display, Touch sensitivity and turn it off, then test.
Try with Privacy Display off
ReversibleOpen Settings, Display, Privacy Display and switch it off to see whether the dimming goes.
Run the touch grid
ReversibleDial *#0*# in the Phone app, tap Touch and trace the grid.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Screen
- GSMArena lists a 6.9 inch 120Hz display with a 2600 nit peak.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If it happens on a Samsung charger and on battery, run Samsung Members diagnostics and contact Samsung support
- !If the grid test fails on a bare screen, book a screen repair
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Samsung's touch checks.
Owners describing ghost touching.
Samsung's guidance on charger-related ghost touch.
The One UI 9 Beta 4 change to the privacy effect.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my S26 Ultra ghost touch while charging?+
Samsung's community guidance says a third-party or damaged charger can cause touchscreen faults; a different, undamaged charger is the first test.
Was the Privacy Display fixed?+
Android Central reported Samsung limited the privacy effect to the picture-in-picture window in One UI 9 Beta 4.
Does the S26 Ultra keep a touch pressed after I lift my finger?+
Some owners in Samsung's community describe the screen staying in a pressed state. It is reported alongside charger-related ghost touching, so test on battery and on a Samsung charger.
Is the Privacy Display part of the touch problem?+
No. It is a display effect. Android Central reported it dimmed the whole screen around a picture-in-picture window until One UI 9 Beta 4 limited it to that window.
What did owners turn off to stop the ghost touches?+
Touch sensitivity, in Settings, Display. It is a test, not a cure: if the phantom touches return on a Samsung charger, book a screen check.