Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2.

watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1
watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.

With watchOS 11.4, Apple has added an option for a Sleep Wake Up alarm to break through Silent Mode, so you can have your Apple Watch make a sound in addition to haptic tapping when a morning alarm goes off. There's also support for Matter-compatible robot vacuum cleaners in the Home app.

This update includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:
- Matter-compatible robot vacuum cleaners can be added to the Home app as well as used in scenes, automations, or simply say "Siri, clean the living room."
- An option to allow Sleep Wake Up alarm to break through Silent Mode
- An issue where face selection may become unresponsive when switching faces
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100

More of the features available in watchOS 11 can be found in our watchOS 11 roundup.

Related Roundup: watchOS 26
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Friday January 16, 2026 12:12 pm PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models

Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States. A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...

Top Rated Comments

Icehawk Avatar
11 months ago
Maybe one day they'll let us use our custom tones from our phones on it.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JackieTreehorn Avatar
11 months ago
You sure this time around?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
infinitedreams Avatar
11 months ago
I thought we’re on watchOS 24.4



Attachment Image
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigBlur Avatar
11 months ago

It’s data over Bluetooth so not far off.

Kind of amazing we got stuck with this technology that works just well enough nobody can replace it but everyone also knows it mostly sucks.
The watch can update over Wi-Fi. You actually don't even need to use your phone either. If it's downloading slowly, then turn Bluetooth off to force it to use Wi-Fi.

I started the update at 2:39pm, and it was done at 3:00pm...so ~20 minutes total for my S10.



Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yukari Avatar
11 months ago

Where is this new setting found?

This the sound one? To me it looks like it’s just on. In Sounds & Haptics, right under the Silent Mode toggle it says “Silent mode will not mute alarms and timers while the Apple Watch is charging.” So, just looks like it’s gotta be charging, so no sleep tracking.
It's on your Apple Watch.
1. Open Sleep App on the Apple Watch.
2. Scroll down to the bottom (or rotate the dial until you get to the bottom screen).
3. Click on "Wake Up"
4. Scroll down to "Sound & Haptics" and click on it.
5. There you will find "Break Through Silence". Toggle the switch to "ON"
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macamazing Avatar
11 months ago

build number is 22T251 - which is strange. that's the same build number that was pulled!
Maybe the problem was not with the build but something on the server side, etc.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)