Your Apple Watch alarm is getting more reliable with watchOS 11.4
Apple is adding a new option that lets your Apple Watch sound an alarm, even if it's on silent mode.
⌚️ Apple has released watchOS 11.4 for all Apple Watch users
⏰ The update comes with a new feature that makes your alarm more reliable
🪲 It also includes a few new emojis and bug fixes
📅 The software was supposed to roll out yesterday but got pulled
Apple has released watchOS 11.4 for all Apple Watch users, and while it’s not as big an update as something like iOS 18.4 or visionOS 2.4, it does come with one new feature that could be life-changing for some users.
The latest update for Apple Watch has a new toggle that lets your alarms break through silent mode. This means that you can keep silent mode turned on and still hear an alarm when it goes off, instead of feeling it vibrate your wrist and hearing nothing. Some people (a.k.a. me) don’t feel the vibrations in the morning, and it’s not ideal to have your watch ding throughout the night with new notifications. This new toggle means you won’t hear anything but your alarm.
To enable the feature, head over to the alarm settings on your Apple Watch and choose the “Break Through Silent Mode” switch. This will allow the alarm to sound even if you have silent mode enabled. Notably, it’ll only play sounds if you’re wearing your watch, so you won’t have to worry about disabling it before taking it off.
watchOS 11.4 also includes updates to the Home app, allowing you to add Matter-compatible robot vacuum cleaners and use them in scenes, automations, and voice commands. You also get seven new emojis (sleepy face with eye bags, a fingerprint, a leafless tree, a root vegetable, a hart, a shovel, and purple splatter) and bug fixes, including a fix for unresponsiveness when switching between watch faces.
Apple is rolling out watchOS 11.4 to all Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra users now. In addition, the company is rolling out iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, visionOS 12.4, tvOS 18.4, and fresh firmware for the AirPods lineup.
Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
