Why Apple Watch users in the US are finally seeing SpO2 again
Apple has found a way to re-enable the blood oxygen feature for some of its latest watches sold in the US. A software update rolling out today unlocks the functionality. But there’s a twist in how the data is displayed and where the data is processed.
What the update brings and who it affects
This change applies specifically to Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2 units that were purchased in the United States after January 17, 2024. These devices shipped without the SpO2 feature due to the long-running legal dispute between Apple and Masimo over pulse oximetry patents. That legal battle led to a US import ban that Apple temporarily dodged by disabling the feature in its domestic hardware.
Now, following a ruling by US Customs and Border Protection, Apple is pushing out watchOS 11.6.1 and iOS 18.6.1. Together, these reintroduce the blood oxygen feature, but in a legally adjusted form. Instead of showing readings directly on the watch, the measurements are now sent to the iPhone where they’re processed and displayed.
The results live inside the Respiratory section of the Health app, rather than appearing in the watch’s interface. So slightly less convenient, but few will notice it in practice.
That shift is likely part of the legal workaround. Apple has redesigned the feature in a way that technically avoids violating the disputed patents, since the processing is now happening off-device. Presumably, this all goes away in 2028 when the patent expires.
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This doesn’t affect units purchased outside of the US, nor does it impact watches sold before the ban took effect. Those devices retain the original on-watch version of the feature. But for users caught in the post-ban gap, this is at least a partial return of SpO2 tracking.
What’s missing and what to expect
It’s worth noting that the feature doesn’t yet work for users running beta versions of watchOS 26. Apple hasn’t said when that will change, but it seems likely the new model will be folded in before long.
What remains to be seen is how this workaround will integrate with the Vitals app. Blood oxygen had been one of the five core metrics highlighted in that app, alongside heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature and sleep duration. Whether SpO2 will return to that lineup in its offloaded form is unclear.
The other point of frustration for some users is that repairs and battery swaps for Apple Watches in the US can result in the permanent removal of blood oxygen functionality, even on older devices that shipped with it. This was already an issue raised by users earlier in the year, and this update does not appear to change that reality. Reddit threads show a number of users disappointed that their repair-replaced watches still have the feature disabled, with no option to re-enable it.
In the end, Apple’s update is a workaround, not a return to normal. But for affected users in the US, it’s better than nothing. The workaround does bring SpO2 readings back into the mix, and for those who track trends in respiratory health, that’s still useful data—even if it now lives only on the phone.
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