Categories: Tech

Apple wins blood oxygen battle for watch owners

Apple Watch owners in the U.S. just got a big reason to update their devices. Apple just rolled out a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature to specific models, following a recent victory in a legal dispute. This change affects Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users who have been without the feature due to the ongoing battle.

Thanks to a U.S. Customs ruling, these users will soon be able to track their blood oxygen levels again, with a twist.

Instead of processing the data directly on the watch, the measurements will now be calculated on the paired iPhone and displayed in the Respiratory section of the Health app.

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Blood oxygen feature on Apple Watch (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to get the redesigned blood oxygen feature

Follow these steps to enable the updated Blood Oxygen tool on your Apple Watch:

1) Check your model

On your Apple Watch, open Settings.
Click General.
Tap About.
Look for the Model Name and confirm it says Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, or Apple Watch Ultra 2.
To make sure it’s a U.S. model, check your original purchase receipt or sign in to your Apple ID account and review your device details. U.S. models often have a model number ending in LL/A.

Steps to check your Apple Watch model (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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2) Update your iPhone

On your iPhone, go to Settings.
Tap General.
Click Software Update.
Tap Update Now to install iOS 18.6.1.

Steps to update your iPhone software (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

3) Update your Apple Watch

Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap General.
Click Software Update.
Install watchOS 11.6.1.

Steps to update your Apple Watch software (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Note: This update will not affect Apple Watches that already include the original Blood Oxygen feature, or watches purchased outside the U.S.

4) Restart both devices

After updating, restart your iPhone and Apple Watch to ensure the changes take effect.

Screenshot of watchOS 11.6.1 update (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

5) Open the Blood Oxygen app

Use the Blood Oxygen app on your watch to take a reading. Data will be processed on your iPhone and shown in the Respiratory section of the Health app.

On your Apple Watch, press the Digital Crown to see your apps.
Tap the Blood Oxygen app.
Sit still and hold your wrist flat, with the watch facing up.
Tap Start to begin the reading.
Wait for the measurement to finish. Your iPhone will process the data and display it in the Respiratory section of the Health app.
Tap Learn More to view details about your blood oxygen readings and how to interpret them.

Steps to use the Blood Oxygen app on your watch to take a reading (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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6) View your health information in the Health app

Your iPhone saves all blood oxygen measurements in the Health app, whether you take them on demand or in the background.

Open the Health app on your iPhone.
Tap the Browse tab on the bottom right.
Then select Respiratory
Click Blood Oxygen.

You can also filter your results to see only readings taken while sleeping or in a high-elevation environment. This makes it easier to track specific patterns over time.

Blood Oxygen data in the Health app on iPhone (Apple)

What this means for you

If you’ve been missing Blood Oxygen tracking on your Apple Watch due to the legal dispute, this is your green light to get it back. Updating today means you’ll once again have insight into your oxygen saturation, valuable for workouts, high-altitude trips and general wellness monitoring. This update ensures U.S. customers regain access to one of the watch’s most popular wellness metrics.

The Blood Oxygen app provides information for general fitness and wellness purposes only. It is not intended for medical use, self-diagnosis or consulting a doctor. Apple designed the Blood Oxygen app for users who are at least 18 years old.

Along with Blood Oxygen tracking, models like the Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2 offer irregular rhythm notifications, ECG, sleep apnea alerts, fall detection, temperature sensing and mindfulness tools.

Learn more about the Apple Watch by visiting CyberGuy.com/AppleWatch

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Apple’s persistence in fighting for this feature shows how important health tracking has become for wearables. By adapting the technology to work around legal restrictions, Apple has kept its promise to prioritize user health tools.

Do you think Apple’s workaround is a smart solution, or should the company push harder to restore the original watch-based tracking? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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