Apple today pushed the watchOS 9.4 RC update (build number: 20T253) to Apple Watch users. This update is 62 days after the last release. The RC Preview Candidate marks the final version of the software that will be available to the public in the near future.
watchOS 9.4 can be downloaded by going to General > Software Update from the dedicated Apple Watch app on your iPhone. To update to the new software, the Apple Watch needs to be 50% charged and must be on the charger and within range of the iPhone it is paired with.
watchOS 9.4 gains support for new emoji, including donkey, goose, blackbird, bobblehead, hyacinth, pea pod and more, for a total of 31 new emoji available.
According to Apple, the watchOS 9.4 update also prevents wake-up alarms from masking the mute gesture mute to prevent accidental cancellation during sleep. It also brings AFib history to several other countries/regions, including Colombia, Malaysia, Moldova, Thailand and Ukraine, in addition to adding cycle tracking for menstruation in Moldova and Ukraine.
watchOS 9.4 includes improvements to Apple Watch and brings the following features to new regions.
Wake alarms are no longer muted by covering the mute gesture to avoid accidental cancellation during sleep.
Cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation prediction and cycle deviation alerts is now supported in the Moldova and Ukraine regions.
AFib History is now available in the Colombia, Malaysia, Moldova, Thailand and Ukraine regions.
With iOS 16.4, this update adds support for Web push notifications sent to the iPhone, allowing notifications to be set for websites added to the iPhone home screen.
watchOS 9.4 has undergone multiple rounds of Beta testing and is expected to be released to the public in the spring along with iOS 16.4.
