Blood oxygen monitoring is returning to the Apple Watch — sort of. Starting today, Apple is rolling out a software update that enables a redesigned version of the feature for the Apple Watch Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2 that circumvents the import ban imposed by the International Trade Commission.
To get around the ban, blood oxygen data collected on the Watch will now be measured and calculated on the iPhone that it’s paired to. While users won’t be able to view the data on their wrist, they’ll be able to view it in the iPhone’s Health app under the Respiratory section. Apple’s announcement states that US customs has ruled that the company will be able to import watches with this redesigned feature.
This redesign only covers Apple Watches sold after January 17th, 2024, once the ITC import ban took full effect. It doesn’t impact models sold before that date or watches sold outside the US, all of which still have the original blood oxygen feature. You can tell if you have a covered model by checking if the serial number ends with LW/A. To get the redesigned feature, people with Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2 watches will have to update their devices to watchOS 11.6.1 and their iPhones to iOS 18.6.1.
Apple has been in a lengthy legal dispute with Masimo, a medical device maker known for its pulse oximeters. Masimo alleged that Apple had infringed on several of its patents, filing a suit in 2020 accusing the company of stealing trade secrets. Masimo separately filed a case with the ITC in 2021, which culminated in an import ban in December 2023. Apple has also lodged suits against Masimo over its smartwatches, which it claims are Apple Watch clones. It also filed a 916-page appeal of the ITC ban. That appeal is currently ongoing and Masimo’s patents are set to expire in 2028.
