The Apple Watch Alarm Doesn’t Have to Be Quiet
On Monday, Apple released iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4 for compatible devices. But Apple Watch owners may have noticed that watchOS 11.4 is missing from the list. Apple pulled the update at the last minute , which is rare for a company that likes to release all software updates together.
But now the new watchOS update is finally available to everyone, and the slight delay was worth it. This update includes a feature that many Apple Watch users have long wanted: the ability to exit silent mode when an alarm goes off.
The iPhone already does this very well. You’re in Silent mode or Do Not Disturb is turned on, but your morning alarm is still sounding. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, did not have this option. So if you like to use silent mode to protect yourself from notifications and other sounds, you’ll have to make do with the vibration alert. Starting with watchOS 11.4, you can turn off notifications by relying on an audible alert to sound along with a slight vibration.
Which Apple Watches are supported?
This feature is only available to users with watchOS 11.4 or later. That means it’s only available for Apple Watch Series 6 and later, Apple Watch Ultra and later, and Apple Watch SE 2. If you like the original Apple Watch SE or the older Apple Watch Series 5, you’re out of the loop here.
If you have one of the supported Apple Watches, first update your iPhone to iOS 18.4 and then go to the Watch app. From the My Watch tab, select General > Software Update . Here, download and install the latest watchOS 11.4 update.
How to enable Break Through Silent mode for any alarm
This feature isn’t necessarily ideal since you’ll need to enable it for every alarm you set. The news is good if you rely on the same repeating alarm every day, as these settings are saved, but if you set new alarms frequently, make sure this setting is turned on every time. Let’s hope Apple creates a system-wide toggle for this, or even makes it a default option.
Go to the Alarms app on Apple Watch and select the alarm you want to set. Here, in the Edit Alarm menu, scroll down and turn on Silent Breakthrough .
How to Enable Break Through Silent Mode for Sleep Mode
If you wear your Apple Watch in bed, chances are you’re using sleep mode and an alarm that’s tied to your sleep schedule. If you want to exit Silent mode, you need to enable this feature separately.
On your watch, open the Sleep app and scroll down to your alarm schedule. Here you will see two alarms: one for setting your sleep time, the other for waking up. Select one of the alarms, and in the Edit Schedule view, scroll down and select Sound & Haptic . Here enable Break Through Silent Mode .