Apple Watch update brings back blood oxygen tracking — here’s what US users get

Apple is bringing back the blood oxygen monitoring feature on its newest Apple Watch models in the United States through a new software update. The update is available for Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

With this update, US users can run oxygen level checks using the Blood Oxygen app, which collects data from the watch’s sensors and shows it on a paired iPhone. The feature was previously disabled in the US due to regulatory and legal reasons. The return of the feature follows official approval from US authorities, as per the report by Game Revolution.

Apple watch blood oxygen feature returns

The blood oxygen function was restricted earlier because of a patent dispute with Masimo, a medical technology company from Irvine, California. Masimo had accused Apple of misusing its pulse oximetry technology and hiring key Masimo staff after talks about a possible partnership.


In 2023, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in Masimo’s favor, which temporarily blocked the import of Apple Watches with the contested feature. The ITC order only affected newly sold models in the US, so earlier Apple Watch owners and international users were not affected, as stated by Game Revolution.

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Health tracking and future updates

Apple first introduced blood oxygen tracking in the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Masimo launched its own blood oxygen wearable, the W1 watch, in 2022. Apple temporarily removed the feature from new US models while appealing the ITC ruling.

Recently, Apple confirmed that US Customs cleared the reintroduction of the feature through a redesigned software update. Beyond blood oxygen tracking, Apple is also working on broader health initiatives, including research on noninvasive glucose monitoring, as reported by Game Revolution.

FAQs

Q1. Which Apple Watch models get the blood oxygen feature back in the US?
Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US now have the blood oxygen feature.

Q2. Why was the blood oxygen feature removed before in US Apple Watches?
It was removed due to a patent dispute with Masimo and regulatory restrictions, but now it is back.