Apple Watch users in the U.S. are seeing their blood oxygen level readings return for the first time in nearly a year. Apple was forced to disable this feature on new Apple Watch hardware sold in the US following a patent dispute with medical technology company Masimo.
The fix, released between this week and last week, is a practical solution that specifically helps the Apple Watch remain competitive with health and fitness-focused Whoop products.
With the release of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, iOS 26 beta 7 and watchOS 26 beta 7, Apple introduced a redesigned version of Blood Oxygen Monitoring. Rather than processing data entirely on the watch, sensor readings are collected by the Apple Watch and processed by a paired iPhone. Results don’t appear directly on your Watch, but in the Health app on your iPhone.
This “redesign” is only required in the US, and only for some Apple Watch Series 9 models sold after a certain date, and all Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 models.
While this isn’t as seamless as the original on-device approach, it restores important metrics that many Apple Watch owners previously lost.
Whoop worked even when Apple Watch wasn’t working
When my Apple Watch couldn’t track my blood oxygen, Whoop became my fallback. The health insights on this strap are strong, and it’s still a good option if you prefer to wear an analog watch or don’t want a screen on your wrist at all. Sleep tracking and recovery insights are particularly good, and in my experience Whoop still beats Apple in this area. Apple may have more plans for sleep tracking analysis in the future.
Regardless, the balance has shifted now that the Apple Watch is automatically recording SpO2 data again. My first new results appeared in the Health app before triggering a manual read, indicating that Apple’s redesigned method continued to work passively in the background.
There are essentially no scenarios in which you would consider manually checking SpO2 readings other than testing to make sure it’s working. Background reading is important.
Apple Watch still has practicality
We’re excited to announce that the latest Apple Watch is once again offering health metrics that have been around since Series 6. Whoop is great at sleep and recovery analysis, but the Apple Watch is still a more complete device. It offers everything from fitness tracking and health metrics to notifications, payments, and the occasional useful app.
As mentioned earlier, there is reason to believe that Apple will improve on the one area where Whoop is leading. Recent asset discoveries suggest that Apple is preparing more advanced sleep tracking features in upcoming watchOS updates. If it works, the Apple Watch could also fill in the gaps in sleep insights.
In watchOS 26 it looks like this:
The return of blood oxygen monitoring makes the Apple Watch once again a strong choice for most people who value health metrics in a wearable. Whoop remains a valuable solution if you want deeper insights into your training and recovery without relying on a smartwatch, but Apple’s wearables have returned to offering a broader package. Also, unlike Whoop, it works without a subscription.
With blood oxygen restored, Apple Watch regains its edge over Whoop and strengthens its position as the most capable wrist-based health device. It could also help convince some Apple Watch users who are using older methods to upgrade because they won’t be missing any features.
