Overview

• Apple released iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 on August 14 to reintroduce a redesigned Blood Oxygen workflow for U.S. Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2 units missing the original feature.
• The workaround collects sensor data on the watch but shifts all calculations to the paired iPhone, with results viewable in the Health app’s Respiratory section and support for on-demand and background readings.
• Updates apply only to U.S. watches sold after the ITC-mandated import ban—identifiable by part numbers ending in “LW/A”—while units purchased before the ban or outside the United States remain unaffected.
• The software redesign was made possible by a recent U.S. Customs decision that cleared Apple to import watches with the new workflow despite an ongoing import ban over Masimo’s patents.
• Apple continues to pursue its appeal of the ITC’s infringement ruling at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, leaving the feature’s long-term legal status unresolved.