Apple Restores Blood Oxygen Feature to Apple Watch in U.S. After Patent Dispute

After winning its legal battle with medical technology company Masimo last October, Apple has announced that it will restore the blood oxygen monitoring feature to Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models sold in the United States through a forthcoming software update. This “redesigned” version has been engineered to comply with the recent ruling by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, thereby avoiding renewed entanglement in Masimo’s patent dispute.

According to Apple, the updated blood oxygen monitoring capability will require both iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 to be installed. Unlike the previous implementation, where the watch itself handled all processing, the redesigned version shifts computation of blood oxygen data to the paired iPhone. The final results can then be viewed within the “Breathing” section of the Health app.

Apple emphasizes that this change applies solely to specified models sold in the U.S.; devices sold in other regions, as well as older models with the original feature, remain unaffected.

The return of blood oxygen monitoring follows a three-year legal dispute between Apple and Masimo. In 2021, Masimo accused Apple of infringing patents related to its blood oxygen technology. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in Masimo’s favor, and after then-President Biden declined to exercise a veto, Apple was forced to halt sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the U.S.

To comply with the court ruling, Apple initially removed the feature and reintroduced affected products to the U.S. market without it. However, after its recent court victory, Apple has re-enabled the function through a technical architecture change, ensuring it can be offered in a legally permissible form.

Blood oxygen monitoring has long been a cornerstone of Apple Watch’s health capabilities, providing real-time data during workouts, sleep tracking, and high-altitude activities—features that encourage continued daily wear.

The feature’s absence in the U.S. not only dampened Apple Watch sales but also gave rivals like Garmin and Samsung an opportunity to differentiate themselves. Its reinstatement is expected to reinforce Apple’s health-focused positioning in the premium smartwatch market.

Although the feature is making a comeback, Apple’s patent battle with Masimo is far from over. Future disputes over technical specifics and patent scope remain possible. Apple’s architectural shift clearly signals its intent to avoid further infringement claims.

For U.S. consumers, this update restores the full health monitoring experience. For Apple, it is a showcase of how to preserve product competitiveness under legal constraints—illustrating the delicate balance between patent law and innovation in the wearables market.

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