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Apple released watchOS 11.4 on April 1, 2025. The update supports Apple Watch Series 6 and later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and all Apple Watch Ultra models. It added support for Matter-compatible robot vacuums in the Home app, introduced an alarm-related option for Silent Mode, and included bug fixes and security updates.
It is no longer the current Apple Watch software release. Apple’s update documentation has moved on to newer watchOS versions, while later watchOS 11 releases—including watchOS 11.6 and 11.6.2—superseded 11.4. If you are checking for an update today, install the newest version Apple offers for your watch and paired iPhone.
What was new in watchOS 11.4?
Matter robot-vacuum controls in Home
The headline feature was support for Matter-compatible robot vacuum cleaners in Apple’s Home app. With a compatible vacuum and a correctly configured Apple Home setup, users could control the vacuum, include it in scenes, and use it in automations. Siri commands such as asking it to clean a room could also be available.
This does not make every robot vacuum compatible. The vacuum must support Matter, and setup or advanced controls may still require the manufacturer’s app. Availability can also vary by region, language, home configuration, and accessory.
#1 Best Overall
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416RQ0rtsUL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Apple’s feature summary is available in its watchOS 11 update documentation.
An alarm option related to Silent Mode
Contemporary coverage of the release reported an alarm-related option that lets users decide whether an alarm should sound when Silent Mode is enabled. The practical effect is greater control over alarm behavior, rather than a blanket change making every alarm behave identically.
The exact options and behavior can depend on the alarm type and software configuration, so check the wording shown on your watch rather than assuming all alarms will override Silent Mode. MacRumors’ release coverage provides contemporary context for this change.
Bug fixes and security updates
Apple described watchOS 11.4 as including improvements, bug fixes, and important security updates. Its security bulletin lists fixes involving components including AirDrop and AirPlay.
Rank #2
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Light Blush Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31caPPnRysL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
For example, an AirDrop permissions issue could allow an app to read arbitrary file metadata, while an AirPlay issue could allow an attacker on the local network to cause an unexpected app termination. The AirDrop issue is identified as CVE-2025-24097. These entries describe vulnerabilities addressed by Apple; they do not establish that every Apple Watch owner was targeted by an actively exploited attack.
See Apple’s watchOS 11.4 security content for the affected components and technical details.
Compatible Apple Watch models
Apple’s official compatibility designation is Apple Watch Series 6 and later. In practical terms, watchOS 11.4 supports:
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- Apple Watch Series 7
- Apple Watch Series 8
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
- Apple Watch Ultra
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
It does not support Apple Watch Series 5 or earlier, or the first-generation Apple Watch SE. Apple also notes that features can vary by device, country, region, language, and accessory, so compatibility with watchOS 11.4 does not guarantee access to every watchOS 11 feature.
Rank #3
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31YiTby0pOL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
Apple’s security-release archive lists the supported-device designation and subsequent watchOS 11 releases.
Do not confuse watchOS 11.4 with the original watchOS 11 release
watchOS 11.4 was a relatively small maintenance update, not a second launch of watchOS 11. Features such as the Vitals app, training load, the Tides app, Check In, the redesigned Smart Stack, and sleep-apnea notifications belong to the broader watchOS 11 generation and should not be presented as new in version 11.4.
The original watchOS 11 release arrived in September 2024. Apple’s watchOS 11 overview describes that major release separately.
How to install watchOS 11.4
If your watch was eligible and watchOS 11.4 was the update being offered, the standard installation process was as follows.
Rank #4
![Apple Watch SE 3 [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band - S/M. Fitness and Sleep Trackers, Heart Rate Monitor, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31Gq8SToFJL._SL160_.jpg)
- GET SMARTER HEALTH INSIGHTS—Apple Watch SE 3 is an advanced health tracker that helps you better understand your body. The smartwatch sends alerts for an irregular heart rhythm, or an unusually high or low heart rate.* You can view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app,* track your sleep score, and get sleep apnea notifications.*
- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
Update using the paired iPhone
- Update the paired iPhone to the iOS version required by the watchOS release.
- Connect the iPhone to Wi-Fi.
- Place the Apple Watch on its charger.
- Make sure the watch has at least 50% battery.
- Keep the iPhone and Apple Watch close together.
- Open the Apple Watch app on the iPhone.
- Tap My Watch, then General, then Software Update.
- Tap Download and Install and enter a passcode if requested.
- Leave the watch on its charger until it restarts and completes the installation.
Apple says an update may take several minutes or up to about an hour, depending on the devices and connection. Do not restart either device, quit the Apple Watch app, or remove the watch from its charger while installation is in progress.
Update directly on the Apple Watch
For watches running watchOS 6 or later:
- Open Settings on the Apple Watch.
- Tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
- Tap Install if an update is available.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Keep the watch connected to Wi-Fi and on its charger during the process. Apple’s current Apple Watch update guide contains the installation requirements and recovery steps.
What you need before updating
- A compatible Apple Watch.
- A compatible paired iPhone running the required iOS version.
- A Wi-Fi connection.
- The watch connected to its charger.
- At least 50% battery on the watch.
- Enough free storage for the download and installation.
The exact iPhone and iOS requirement should be taken from the update offered by Apple rather than assumed from the original watchOS 11 launch requirements. Major watchOS updates can require a newer iPhone or iOS version than an older watch previously used.
If watchOS 11.4 does not appear
- Check the model. Series 5 and earlier, and the first-generation SE, cannot install watchOS 11.4.
- Update the iPhone. Install any required iOS update and reconnect the phone to Wi-Fi.
- Restart both devices. Restart the iPhone and Apple Watch, then check Software Update again.
- Charge the watch. Put it on the charger and keep it near the iPhone during an iPhone-assisted update.
- Check storage. In the Apple Watch app, go to My Watch → General → Storage and remove unnecessary content if space is low.
- Delete a partial update. If a downloaded update is stuck or corrupted, delete its update file from the Storage section, restart the devices, and try again.
- Check beta software. A beta profile can affect the normal update path. Remove the beta profile according to Apple’s instructions, restart both devices, and check again.
Managed iPhones may also restrict software updates. If the phone belongs to an employer or school, an administrator may need to approve the installation.
Best Value
![Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 42mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - S/M. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41s72HIk5TL._SL160_.jpg)
- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Should you install watchOS 11.4?
For someone using watchOS 11 on April 1, 2025, installing watchOS 11.4 was generally sensible: the feature additions were modest, but the release also included bug fixes and security patches that Apple recommended.
For a reader checking in now, the right choice is different. Do not try to locate watchOS 11.4 as though it were the current release. Open Apple Watch app → My Watch → General → Software Update, or use Settings → General → Software Update on the watch, and install the newest version Apple offers for that specific watch. If the watch cannot run the newest overall watchOS version, Apple’s update screen should offer the latest compatible version instead.
That approach matters because a watch may receive a later maintenance release from the watchOS 11 branch—or a newer major watchOS generation—rather than 11.4. Apple’s release archive confirms that watchOS 11.4 was followed by later updates.
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watchOS 11.4 was a real public Apple Watch release from April 1, 2025, with Matter robot-vacuum support, an alarm-related Silent Mode option, and security fixes—but it is now an older watchOS 11 update, not the current Apple Watch software version.
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