Apple has reworked how blood oxygen measurements function in iOS 26 and watchOS 26 beta 7. On affected Apple Watch models, Apple said the feature has been “redesigned” so that sensor data is now measured and calculated on the paired iPhone instead of directly on the watch. Users can view the results in the Respiratory section of the Health app on the iPhone.
This change is not about new health insights or improvements in accuracy. Instead, it is a workaround to keep blood oxygen functionality available on Apple Watch models impacted by ongoing U.S. patent disputes. Apple confirmed that the redesign complies with a recent U.S. Customs ruling, allowing the company to continue offering the feature without violating restrictions that previously led to sales bans of certain Apple Watch models in the United States.
Blood oxygen monitoring has been a key part of Apple Watch since the Series 6, but it became the center of legal challenges in the U.S. after Masimo, a medical technology company, claimed Apple infringed on its patents. The International Trade Commission had ruled against Apple in late 2023, forcing the company to disable or restrict the feature on new devices sold in the country.
Apple first rolled out the redesigned blood oxygen system with iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, ensuring continued access on supported models. It is now also part of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 beta 7. The compatible devices include Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
By moving the calculation and processing of blood oxygen data to the iPhone, Apple has been able to keep the feature available while meeting trade compliance requirements.
Apple has also not provided details on whether the redesigned blood oxygen feature will be introduced in additional regions or applied more broadly to other devices. For now, its main purpose is to keep the feature available in U.S. markets that were previously affected by legal disputes.
