Apple Releases watchOS 10.4 With Fix for Ghost Touch Bug

Apple today released watchOS 10.4, the fourth update to the watchOS 10 operating system that was released in September. watchOS 10.4 comes over a month after watchOS 10.3, a minor update that brought a new watch face.

watchOS 10 Launch Feature
‌watchOS 10‌‌.4 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on an iPhone running iOS 17 or later by opening it up and going to General & Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery and it needs to be placed on a charger.

watchOS 10.4 adds support for new emoji characters that were also added to the ‌iPhone‌, including lime, edible brown mushroom, phoenix, broken chain, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), and shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake).

There is also a Setting to disable the Double Tap feature on Apple Watch when using Vision Pro, and an option to double tap to show an expanded notification. Apple also included a fix for a bug that could cause some users to experience "ghost touches" on the display, a problem that was affecting the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

Apple's release notes for the update are below:

watchOS 10.4 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:
- Tap to Show Full Notification setting now allows you to double tap to expand the notification
- Using Apple Pay with Confirm with AssistiveTouch will require a passcode for additional security and will not support double clicking the side button
- Resolves an issue that causes some users to experience false touches on the display
- Fixes an issue that prevents contacts from syncing to Apple Watch for some users

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

More on the features that have been added in watchOS 10 to date can be found in our dedicated roundup.

Related Roundup: watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

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 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...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
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 ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
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...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...

Top Rated Comments

srknpower Avatar
15 months ago
Takes forever to prepare…
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iStorm Avatar
15 months ago
I agree the watch is slow to update, but does anyone start the update while still wearing the watch to "save" time?

Step 1: Initiate the update while you're wearing it. This can be done from your phone or watch and it'll do the download and preparing stages. This can take about 15-20 minutes or more. The watch (and phone) is still fully functional while this is happening, so carry on about your day or do something else.

Step 2: When the above is completed, pop the watch on the charger to do the install. It'll automatically start right away if the battery is above 50%...no need to go back into settings to start the update again. This could be done later when you get home (even hours later), when you hop in the shower, or when you have some time to spare.

This is how I've always updated my watch and I'm only without my watch for 5-10 minutes while it's on the charger.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuzzball84 Avatar
15 months ago
I hope they added new Emoji too... thats critical. Emoji are important.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sjsharksfan12 Avatar
15 months ago
This is so slow. It's been suck on preparing for the last 20 minutes. I really hate updating the watch. There has to be a better way.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
denleschae Avatar
15 months ago
Finally! They fixed the crown button opening the app list. Instead of taking you to the top of the list every time it returns you to the previous position like it was pre watchOS 10.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notai Avatar
15 months ago

yep mine still in preparing.
seriously.. you can update all your apple devices at once to latest OS in less time than the watch. somethings not right in the world of watchOS updates
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)