Apple has started rolling out iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 to restore Blood Oxygen monitoring in the U.S. for Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2.
In late 2023, an import ban was implemented against Apple to prevent the sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 due to a violation of Masimo’s patents. Ever since then, Apple has had to disable the feature with software for units sold after January 2024 in order to resume sales.
Today, Apple announced on their newsroom that the feature is coming back for the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2. According to Apple, “Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app. This update was enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling.”
Watches sold on or before January 17, 2024, or sold outside of the U.S., have been and will continue to support his feature as normal, so this change does not affect these users.
If you have a unit that was sold in the U.S. after January 18, 2024, the only difference between the original Blood Oxygen feature and the new workaround is that you will not be able to view the results on your Apple Watch anymore, as the processing is done on your paired iPhone.
These updates come more than two weeks after the release of iOS 18.6 and watchOS 11.6, along with other software versions. Apple keeps refining the software experience with every update, whilst also fixing security issues.
iOS 18.6.1 is available for the following devices:
- iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPad Pro (2nd generation and later)
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (6th generation and later)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
watchOS 11.6.1 is available for the following devices:
- Apple Watch Series 6 and later
- Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2
It is highly recommended to update your iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest software for the best experience. Are you excited to try out this long-awaited feature? Let us know down in the comments or tweet to us on @appleosophy! Be sure to download the Appleosophy App from the App Store or visit our website to stay updated with the latest Apple news!
