The seventh developer betas of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 include a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models sold in the U.S. since mid-January 2024.
The redesigned Blood Oxygen feature debuted last week with iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, and now it is available for iOS 26 and watchOS 26 beta testers too.
Apple said the feature has been “redesigned” on affected devices, with sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on the Apple Watch now measured and calculated on the paired iPhone. The results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app on the iPhone. Apple said this workaround was backed by a recent U.S. Customs ruling.
The feature had been unavailable on Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 models sold in the U.S. since early last year, as a result of a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) order stemming from a patent infringement lawsuit filed by health company Masimo.
Apple Watch models sold prior to mid-January 2024, and anywhere outside of the U.S., were never impacted by the ITC’s order and thereby still have the original Blood Oxygen app, with sensor data measured, calculated, and viewable on the Apple Watch directly. The feature was first introduced on the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020.
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