Apple is bringing back the blood oxygen monitoring feature to its latest smartwatch models in the United States as part of a new software update. The update, available for the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, allows users to run oxygen level checks. The return of this feature follows regulatory approval in the United States, where Apple had previously disabled it.
Here’s how Apple Watch update will help US users the most
Apple has announced that its blood oxygen monitoring feature will once again be available on its newest smartwatch models in the United States. It follows official clearance from U.S. authorities.
The function, which had been restricted amid an ongoing patent dispute, will return through a software update to the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. With this update, users in the U.S. can access the Blood Oxygen app to initiate readings. There, the watch’s sensors collect oxygen data that is transferred to and displayed on a paired iPhone.
The decision comes after a lengthy dispute with Masimo, a medical technology company based in Irvine, California. Masimo had accused Apple of misappropriating its pulse oximetry technology and hiring key staff after preliminary talks about a potential partnership.
In 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in Masimo’s favor, leading to a block on importing watches with the contested feature. However, the order only applied to newly sold models in the United States. This means that earlier owners and international users were unaffected.
Apple had first introduced blood oxygen tracking with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Masimo debuted its own blood oxygen tracking wearable, the W1 watch, in 2022.
Apple temporarily removed the function from its newest U.S. models while appealing the ITC ruling. They recently confirmed that U.S. Customs had cleared the reintroduction of the feature through a redesigned software update.
Beyond this update, Apple is also pursuing broader health initiatives. This includes research into noninvasive glucose monitoring.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on Mandatory.
