Apple released the seventh developer betas of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 on Monday. The new beta seeds include a redesigned Blood Oxygen Measurement 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 revamped Blood Oxygen Measuring feature debuted last week, alongside the release of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 to the public. The revamped feature is now available to beta testers of iOS 26 and watchOS 26.
The iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 updates include a workaround, where sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, with results being viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app, instead of providing a readout on the Apple Watch itself.
Apple disabled the feature in 2024, when the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) found that Apple violated blood oxygen sensing patents owned by Masimo and implemented a trade ban. At that time, Apple stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, although sales resumed after Apple disabled the blood oxygen monitoring feature in Apple Watch devices sold in the U.S. Later models sold in the U.S. – including the Apple Watch Series 9, the Apple Watch Series 10, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 – also had the feature disabled.
Apple Watch models sold before mid-January 2024, or those models sold anywhere outside of U.S. borders, were not affected by the ITC’s order and will still have the original Blood Oxygen app, which measured sensor data, calculated, and displayed its results directly on the Apple Watch.
