Apple Watch users in the United States are finally seeing Blood Oxygen readings return after a nearly year-long absence. Apple was forced to disable the feature on new Apple Watch hardware sold in the US following a patent dispute with medical technology company Masimo.
The fix, released throughout this week and last week, is a practical solution that works well, especially in helping the Apple Watch stay competitive with the health and fitness-focused Whoop brand.
With the release of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 and iOS 26 beta 7 and watchOS 26 beta 7, Apple introduced a redesigned version of the Blood Oxygen monitor. Instead of processing the data entirely on the watch, the sensor readings are integrated by the Apple Watch and processed by the paired iPhone. The results are displayed in the Health app on the iPhone instead of viewing directly.
This “redesign” is only required in the United States, and only for some Apple Watch Series 9 models sold after a certain date, as well as all Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 models.
It’s not as seamless as the first method on the device, but it does bring back an important metric that many Apple Watch owners have previously discarded.
Whoop worked while the Apple Watch couldn’t
When the Apple Watch couldn’t track blood oxygen, Whoop was the end of me. The band’s health specs are solid, and it’s still a good option if you prefer to wear an analog watch or don’t have a screen at all on your arm. Sleep and recovery tracking is particularly strong, and in my experience, Whoop still beats Apple in this area. Apple may plan more with sleep tracking analytics in the future.
However, since the Apple Watch automatically re-enters SpO2 data, the balance changes. My first new result appeared in the Health app before I started reading in person, which shows that Apple’s redesigned approach continues to work passively in the background.
Other than checking to make sure it’s working, there’s really no situation where I think I’d check with my SpO2 reading. Background reading is important.
The Apple Watch still has a lot of work to do
I’m glad to see modern Apple Watches also offer the health metrics that have been around since the Series 6. While the Whoop excels at analyzing sleep and recovery, the Apple Watch is still a very complete device. It offers everything from fitness tracking and health metrics to notifications, payments, and a handy periodic app.
As mentioned earlier, there is reason to believe that Apple will improve in one area where Whoop leads. A recent leak suggests that Apple is preparing more advanced sleep tracking features in future watchOS updates. If that fails, the Apple Watch can fill the gap in sleep data.
Here’s how it looks in watchOS 26:
The return of Blood Oxygen monitoring makes the Apple Watch a powerful option again for many people who enjoy wearable health metrics. The Whoop remains a valuable solution if you want intensive training and data retrieval without committing to a smartwatch, but Apple’s wearables are back to offer a wider package. It also works without registration, unlike Whoop.
With its restored Blood Oxygen feature, the Apple Watch regains the edge over the Whoop and cements its position as the most powerful health device on your wrist. It may also help to convince some Apple Watch users with the old upgrade method now that the feature won’t be missing.
FTC: We use auto affiliate links to earn income. More.
