You Don’t Need the Apple Watch’s Blood Oxygen Monitoring Feature Anyway
Apple Watches sold in the US may no longer come with the ability to measure blood oxygen levels. According to reports , the removal of this feature is Apple’s response to an ongoing lawsuit with another company, Masimo. But was this feature even that useful? Probably no.
Apple previously suspended sales of watches with blood oxygen measurement functions at the end of 2023 . Pulse oximetry, as the technology is called, measures oxygen saturation in the blood. If you’ve ever used a finger-clip pulse oximeter, the Apple Watch (or one of the other smart devices with similar features) is designed to do the same thing in a more convenient format.
Is my Apple Watch losing my blood oxygen readings?
If you already have a Series 6 or newer watch that measures blood oxygen levels, it is expected to continue to work with the same functionality , so as far as we know, the features will not be removed in the update. This may only affect future sales of new watches.
Apple still sells watches that measure blood oxygen , although it’s unclear if or how soon they will be pulled from the market. If you really want an Apple watch with a blood oxygen sensor, you might want to buy one now.
The lawsuit concerns only the United States and does not directly affect sales in other countries. Masimo, a maker of pulse oximeters, sued Apple in 2020 for allegedly stealing its trade secrets. Ultimately, the US International Trade Commission sided with Masimo, ruling that Apple could no longer import watches with this feature.
This is what led to the suspension of sales of Apple Series 9 and Ultra 2 in December . Shortly thereafter , another court decision allowed the company to sell the watches again while the trial continued. In the most recent development, Apple said it would redesign its watches to remove the blood oxygen measurement feature, and the courts agreed that the updated watches could be imported . (Apple hasn’t said whether the redesign involves removing the sensors or simply disabling the feature in software.)
But the court case is not over yet. According to the AP , Apple plans to continue to appeal the decision and ask that watches with oxygen sensors be allowed to be sold during the process. This could mean watches that measure blood oxygen levels will remain on shelves for another year if Apple gets its way.
How useful is a pulse oximeter on your watch?
Wearable technology companies have struggled to add blood oxygen sensors to their products since pulse oximeters became popular due to the COVID pandemic . But as tempting as it may sound (one more sensor is always good, right?), users haven’t gotten much practical use out of it.
Here’s an informal survey of two people: Lifehacker senior technology editor Jake Peterson told me that he has a blood oxygen measurement feature on his Apple watch, but he “[didn’t] use it often.” And if you want to hear my opinion as our senior health editor, I have another wearable device that detects blood oxygen levels (the 3rd generation Oura ring) and I actually turn that feature off in the ring settings. This feature isn’t useful enough to justify the slightly increased battery drain.
In short, while there are certainly Apple Watch users who loved this feature and would be disappointed if it went away, I don’t think most of us will miss it. Wearables are unlikely to ever be as accurate as hospital-style pulse oximeters, and the watches provide little guidance on what should actually be done with the data.
A 2023 study of the accuracy of blood oxygen sensors in smartwatches found that the Apple watch tested (Series 7) was more accurate than its competitors, and that skin color didn’t seem to affect accuracy—which is good news. But the study also notes that pulse oximeters tend to be less accurate when we’re moving or when skin perfusion is low (including times when actual blood oxygen levels are below 90%). These limitations may mean that you don’t actually get accurate readings at the times when it would be most useful.
Apple itself notes that readings are most accurate if you can take them while sitting while reading, with your arm extended in front of you, the watch pointing upward, and your hand not clenched into a fist. They also include instructions on how to adjust your watch band for better reading. Automatic background measurements are possible, but they are unlikely to be taken under such conditions.
Why You’re Likely to Miss Blood Oxygen Data
Besides accuracy, another big question is what you do with this data. Cardiologist Nauman Mushtaq told CNET : “Frankly, I don’t think it does anything clinically meaningful for the average person.”
This is where blood oxygen readings differ from some of the other data provided by smartwatches. For example, your heart rate during exercise can tell you whether you completed the workout as intensely as you intended, and your cardio performance can give you a measure of your progress as your heart health and endurance improve. These metrics may not always be as accurate or useful as we hope , but they can still provide some guidance since we understand what to do with them.
But blood oxygen is not like that. If you see an unexpectedly low number, you’ll have to see a doctor to find out if something is really wrong—and they’re unlikely to use smartwatch data to figure it out anyway. For example, if you think you may have sleep apnea, you can get tested without having to first monitor your blood oxygen levels using your smartwatch. And if your blood oxygen levels seem high and you feel terrible, that shouldn’t stop you from seeing a doctor.