Apple Wins Blood Oxygen Battle: A Game-Changer for Watch Owners

After months of uncertainty, Apple Watch users in the U.S. can finally breathe a sigh of relief—literally. Thanks to a favorable U.S. Customs ruling, Apple has reinstated its blood oxygen monitoring feature to certain watch models, putting health insights back in users’ hands.

A Controversial Hiatus

The blood oxygen feature, originally introduced with the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020, allowed users to measure their SpO₂ levels directly from their wrist—an asset during the pandemic and for fitness enthusiasts alike. However, a patent dispute with medical tech firm Masimo disrupted that convenience.

In late 2023, a U.S. International Trade Commission ruling found that Apple infringed on Masimo’s pulse-oximetry patents. As a result, Apple removed this capability from newly imported Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches sold in the U.S., causing frustration among health-focused users.

The Workaround: A Two-Device Solution

This August, with the release of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, blood oxygen tracking is officially back—but with a twist. Rather than processing the data on the watch itself, the Apple Watch will now capture raw sensor data and pass it to the paired iPhone, where the measurements are computed and displayed in the Health app's "Respiratory" section.

This technical workaround satisfies the Customs ruling, allowing Apple to comply without rebuilding its sensor hardware.

Who’s Affected—and Who Isn’t

The update applies exclusively to U.S.-based users of the following models:

• Apple Watch Series 9

• Apple Watch Series 10

• Apple Watch Ultra 2

If you bought your watch outside the U.S. or if it already had the blood oxygen feature enabled, you're mostly unaffected.

How to Reclaim the Feature

Activating blood oxygen tracking is straightforward:

• Update your iPhone to iOS 18.6.1 via Settings → General → Software Update.

• Update your Apple Watch via the Watch app → General → Software Update, installing watchOS 11.6.1.

• Restart both devices to ensure changes take effect.

• Use the Blood Oxygen app on your Watch to record data— once complete, it will appear on your iPhone's Health app under the Respiratory tab.

Why This Matters

This update is a big win for U.S. users who lost access to a key wellness metric. While it’s less seamless—requiring the iPhone to do the heavy lifting—the compromise restores functionality without sacrificing legality.

Looking Ahead

Analysts anticipate Apple will continue integrating health features into future Watch models, possibly unveiling new enhancements at its expected September event.