With watchOS 11.4’s release on Wednesday, April 1, 2025, comes a few updates that enhance the everyday Apple Watch experience. For someone like me who relies on alarms for everything from waking up to remembering I have to pick up my dry cleaning, this update brings a new feature in the Silent Mode that was much needed.
Along with a few new emojis and smart home controls, let’s dive into what’s new and why this update matters.
What’s New in Apple Watch watchOS 11.4
Alarms Can Now Break Through Silent Mode
Listen, even if all hell breaks loose, my phone and my Apple Watch are never not in Silent Mode. I’m also the kind of person who needs 10 alarms for every task. So, how does this work? Not good.
Fortunately, the watchOS 11.4 update introduced a “Break Through Silent Mode” toggle for alarms. When enabled, my alarms will play a sound even in Silent Mode. You see, until now, Silent Mode on the Apple Watch meant exactly how it sounds- silent! No sounds, even for alarms.
While haptic-only alerts are great for not disturbing me, they are certainly not strong enough to wake heavier sleepers like me. This setting can be customized per alarm, meaning I can set a haptic-only wake-up alarm at 7 a.m. and a backup audible alarm at 7:30 a.m., because I know one alarm isn’t enough.
Also, this feature only works while wearing the watch. So if you don’t wear your watch to bed, haptics-only will still apply, just like before, but the Break Through Silence Mode will not work. Either way, this works for the million alarms I set for my daily tasks, so I’m all set!
New Emojis
Eight new emojis have been introduced on the Apple Watch with watchOS 11.4, syncing up with iOS 18.4 on iPhone. The new arrivals may be a small addition, but it sure is a fun way to spice up the communication over an already tiny watch screen.
Siri Can Now Command Your Robot Vacuum
The new watchOS 11.4 also comes with Siri being compatible with vacuuming my house. Yes, if you have a robot vacuum added to the Home app on your iPhone, just say, “Hey Siri, clean the living room,” and your Apple Watch will send the command straight to your vacuum.
Siri is already a great help when my hands are full, and its compatibility with the Home app makes it even better.
Wrap Up
WatchOS 11.4 might not be a total reinvention of the Apple Watch operating system, but it smooths out some rough patches I had in my Apple Watch experience. The new alarm setting is such a welcome change for many. Which watchOS 11.4 feature are you most excited about?
