Apple has rolled out the release candidate for watchOS 11.4, offering a preview of upcoming enhancements for the Apple Watch. While the update includes routine bug fixes, its most notable addition is a change to Silent Mode, enabling alarms to sound even when other notifications remain muted.
Current Silent Mode Functionality
Presently, activating Silent Mode on the Apple Watch ensures all alerts are delivered solely through haptic feedback. This feature helps maintain privacy, minimize distractions, and prevent unwanted sounds in quiet environments, such as meetings.
New “Break Through Silent Mode” Option
According to release notes, watchOS 11.4 introduces an option allowing Sleep Wake Up alarms to bypass Silent Mode. Users will find a toggle labeled “Break Through Silent Mode” for each alarm, including those set in the Sleep app. When enabled, both sound and vibrations will activate upon triggering the alarm, as reported by 9to5Mac.
Addressing a Common User Concern
While the change may seem contradictory to Silent Mode’s purpose, many users—even with haptics set to the strongest “Prominent” level—report sleeping through vibration-only alarms. Some have avoided using the Apple Watch for critical wake-up alerts to maintain Silent Mode, but this update could provide a practical solution.
