Apple is finally bringing back its popular blood oxygen feature to some of its newer Apple Watch models. The company announced on Thursday that a redesigned version of the tool is now available for Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 users. This comes after a long and costly patent battle with the medical technology company Masimo, which had forced Apple to remove the feature from its devices.
The whole issue started when the International Trade Commission ruled that Apple’s original blood oxygen sensors violated patents held by Masimo. The ruling forced Apple to pull some of its watches from shelves and later sell modified versions that didn’t have the blood oxygen feature at all. Now, Apple says a recent U.S. Customs ruling has cleared the way for this new, redesigned version to be released.
In a statement, Apple said its teams “work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features.”
Users who want the feature will need to update their iPhone to the latest software (iOS 18.6.1) and their Apple Watch to watchOS 11.6.1. The blood oxygen readings will then appear in the Respiratory section of the Health app. This move is part of Apple’s much larger push into the health and wellness space. The company recently launched a new sleep apnea detection feature and added hearing health tools to its AirPods, showing its commitment to making its devices powerful personal health monitors.
