watchOS 9.4 Will Prevent You From Accidentally Silencing Your Apple Watch's Alarm While Sleeping

watchOS 9.4 includes a change that will prevent Apple Watch users from accidentally turning off their alarm while sleeping, according to Apple's release notes for the software update, which is in the final stages of beta testing.

Apple Watch Wake Up Alarm
Specifically, Apple says that a wake-up alarm set in a Sleep Focus mode will no longer be silenced with the "Cover to Mute" gesture starting with watchOS 9.4. This means if the palm of your hand happens to cover your Apple Watch's display for three seconds while sleeping, the alarm will no longer be silenced unintentionally.

watchOS 9.4 is expected to be publicly released as soon as next week. The small but useful change was highlighted on Reddit earlier today.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iphone 17 pro majin bu sky blue

iPhone 17 Pro Allegedly Coming in Sky Blue Color Used for MacBook Air

Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu. Concept mockup from Majin Bu Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
27 months ago
It's about time but I don't sleep with my Apple Watch Ultra strapped onto my wrist.

How do people go to sleep with their Apple Watch on? I need mine to be charged every night.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stiligFox Avatar
27 months ago
Oh this is amazing! About time - I would disable my alarm in my sleep at least once every couple weeks!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
27 months ago

With an Ultra?? I don't need to charge it daily, and I use it for min. 1-hour workout, walks, and everything else.
You could just take it off during dinner or lunch and it'll charge to 90%+ in a matter of 20–30 min.
I have the S8 and the fast charger. I wear mine all day and at night. The time I take to shower, get dried and dressed is enough time to charge from like 40% to 80-90%. Never had battery anxiety in the time I've owned it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Paul Shields Avatar
27 months ago

I got two older AWs for cheap so I can swap to the other one when one runs out of juice.
This is what I have. One for day, one for night.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BadMacRumours Avatar
27 months ago

It's about time but I don't sleep with my Apple Watch Ultra strapped onto my wrist.

How do people go to sleep with their Apple Watch on? I need mine to be charged every night.
Charging it while showering or having dinner.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
madeirabhoy Avatar
27 months ago

It's about time but I don't sleep with my Apple Watch Ultra strapped onto my wrist.

How do people go to sleep with their Apple Watch on? I need mine to be charged every night.
when i wake up i check how much charge it has, and most days stick it on the charger and by the time ive got up and got ready and am about to leave the flat its charged.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)