A system and method for compensating for detected phase errors during communications between synchronized devices. In an embodiment, the two devices may be a touch screen device and a synchronized stylus device. To this end, the touch screen device includes a controller configured to receive data signals from the stylus at specific time intervals. The touch screen device generates an internal control signal for receiving the incoming data signals at an expected frequency. The touch screen device further includes circuitry for measuring differences in the time a data signal is actually received against when the data signal was expected to be received and determines a time difference (e.g., a phase error). Then, the internal control signal may be adjusted to compensate for the accumulated phase error. Such a measurement and compensation helps ensure that communications remain in synchronization without having to reestablish synchronization through a cumbersome synchronization process.