Apple will restore its blood oxygen measurement feature on select Apple Watch models after U.S. Customs approved a revamped version of the underlying technology tied to a patent dispute with Masimo.
The company said a software update will restart the Blood Oxygen app on certain US watches, including the Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2. The feature had been removed in January 2024 following a court ruling that Apple infringed Masimo’s pulse oximetry patents.
Masimo, a California-based medical technology company, had accused Apple of patent infringement and pursued action with the International Trade Commission. A court ruling in 2023 favored Masimo. Masimo did not respond to a request for comment.
Rather than discontinue sales, Apple sought and received permission to keep selling the watches after removing the feature, and it developed a software update designed to restore the capability without infringing Masimo’s patents. The company needed and obtained U.S. Customs approval to begin shipping the updated software.
What this means for users is that owners of Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 watches in the United States should see the Blood Oxygen feature return via the forthcoming update.
Context and implications: Masimo helped pioneer pulse oximetry and has long asserted ownership over key patents in the field. Apple’s revamp demonstrates how tech firms can navigate IP disputes by modifying software to reintroduce a feature within a new patent-compliant framework, rather than permanently removing it. The dispute has been a drawn-out one, with both sides remaining relatively reserved in public comments so far.
Outlook: The restored feature is a positive development for health-minded users who rely on SpO2 monitoring. Whether the issue will resurface depends on future patent developments and any further actions from Masimo, but for now Apple’s watch lineup gains back a capability that was previously pulled from sale. Summary: Apple’s Blood Oxygen feature is back on select US Apple Watch models after Customs approval of a non-infringing software revision, restoring SpO2 monitoring for Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2 users.