Apple resumes blood oxygen feature on select watches after legal battle approval

• US Customs gives green light to reintroduce the feature, as long as it’s delivered through a software update rather than pre-installed hardware.

Apple has officially reinstated the blood oxygen measurement feature to several of its smartwatch models following approval from US authorities, ending a drawn-out legal standoff that has shadowed its wearable lineup for years.

Now, users with Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States can monitor their blood oxygen levels using their paired iPhones—thanks to a new software update.

The update comes on the heels of a prolonged dispute with rival medical device company Masimo, which previously accused Apple of poaching employees and misappropriating pulse oximetry technology after initial talks of a partnership went sour.

The legal wrangle escalated to a decisive victory for Masimo at the US International Trade Commission (ITC), resulting in an import ban on Apple’s watches bundled with the contested feature.

Faced with the ruling, Apple removed blood oxygen tracking from its recently shipped smartwatches, a decision that brought widespread attention from both consumers and the tech industry.

However, Apple pressed on, seeking a way forward through the appeals process. In a significant turn, US Customs gave the green light to reintroduce the feature, as long as it’s delivered through a software update rather than pre-installed hardware.

With the latest update, users can initiate a session in the Blood Oxygen app on their Apple Watch; the sensors then collect the relevant data, and the paired iPhone processes and displays the blood oxygen measurement.

The software-based workaround marks the first time since the Series 6 that American users can access this health tool, after its removal during the peak of the ITC dispute.

The contest between Apple and Masimo is still ongoing, with Masimo’s own W1 watch—launched in 2022—competing directly in the health-oriented tech market. Although the legal battle temporarily barred the import and sale of certain Apple models, strategic legal maneuvres allowed Apple to keep its products on shelves intermittently as the appeals played out.

Ultimately, this saga underscores both the complexity of global patent law and the high stakes involved in consumer health technology innovation.

Consumers, for now, can once again use their Apple Watches to track a key health metric, all while tech giants jostle in the legal and innovation arena.