diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch.h b/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch.h
index af516efc5d..0c620a2b8e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch.h
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@
 namespace esphome {
 namespace esp32_touch {
 
+// IMPORTANT: Touch detection logic differs between ESP32 variants:
+// - ESP32 v1 (original): Touch detected when value < threshold (capacitance increase causes value decrease)
+// - ESP32-S2/S3 v2: Touch detected when value > threshold (capacitance increase causes value increase)
+// This inversion is due to different hardware implementations between chip generations.
+
 static const uint32_t SETUP_MODE_LOG_INTERVAL_MS = 250;
 
 class ESP32TouchBinarySensor;
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch_v1.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch_v1.cpp
index 27aa5fc5f4..f5410f910e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch_v1.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch_v1.cpp
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ void ESP32TouchComponent::loop() {
           child->last_state_ = new_state;
           child->publish_state(new_state);
           // Original ESP32: ISR only fires when touched, release is detected by timeout
-          ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Touch Pad '%s' state: ON (value: %" PRIu32 ", threshold: %" PRIu32 ")",
+          // Note: ESP32 v1 uses inverted logic - touched when value < threshold
+          ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Touch Pad '%s' state: ON (value: %" PRIu32 " < threshold: %" PRIu32 ")",
                    child->get_name().c_str(), event.value, child->get_threshold());
         }
         break;
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch_v2.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch_v2.cpp
index 0f3b3f5ebf..dba8d0355a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch_v2.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_touch/esp32_touch_v2.cpp
@@ -258,8 +258,9 @@ void ESP32TouchComponent::loop() {
       child->last_state_ = is_touched;
       child->publish_state(is_touched);
 
-      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Touch Pad '%s' initial state: %s (value: %d, threshold: %d)", child->get_name().c_str(),
-               is_touched ? "touched" : "released", value, child->get_threshold());
+      // Note: ESP32-S2/S3 v2 uses inverted logic compared to v1 - touched when value > threshold
+      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Touch Pad '%s' initial state: %s (value: %d %s threshold: %d)", child->get_name().c_str(),
+               is_touched ? "touched" : "released", value, is_touched ? ">" : "<=", child->get_threshold());
     }
   }
 
@@ -301,8 +302,9 @@ void ESP32TouchComponent::loop() {
 
       child->last_state_ = is_touch_event;
       child->publish_state(is_touch_event);
-      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Touch Pad '%s' %s (value: %d, threshold: %d)", child->get_name().c_str(),
-               is_touch_event ? "touched" : "released", value, child->get_threshold());
+      // Note: ESP32-S2/S3 v2 uses inverted logic compared to v1 - touched when value > threshold
+      ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Touch Pad '%s' %s (value: %d %s threshold: %d)", child->get_name().c_str(),
+               is_touch_event ? "touched" : "released", value, is_touch_event ? ">" : "<=", child->get_threshold());
       break;
     }
   }