Apple Restores Blood Oxygen Feature on US Apple Watches with watchOS 11.6.1

Apple has officially released watchOS 11.6.1, a significant update for Apple Watch users, particularly in the United States. While typical incremental updates focus on bug fixes and security patches, this release brings back a major health feature: the Blood Oxygen monitoring function, which has been unavailable on new Apple Watch models in the US for the past 18 months.

The restoration of this feature is a noteworthy development, marking a pivotal moment in Apple's prolonged patent dispute with medical technology company Masimo. The feature was initially removed from new Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models sold in the U.S. following a ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) that found Apple had infringed on Masimo's patents related to pulse oximetry technology.

The absence of the Blood Oxygen app was a significant drawback for new buyers in the U.S., as it removed one of the key health monitoring tools that Apple had heavily marketed. Users who purchased these devices after the ban went into effect found the feature disabled, even though the hardware was still capable of performing the measurement. This latest update reverses that restriction.

With the release of watchOS 11.6.1, users of the affected Apple Watch models in the United States can now access and use the Blood Oxygen app once again. This suggests a significant change or resolution in the legal battle, allowing Apple to re-enable the functionality for its customers. The update effectively restores the full suite of health features to the latest Apple Watch hardware.

For eligible Apple Watch users in the U.S., updating to watchOS 11.6.1 is straightforward. You can download the update through the companion Apple Watch app on your iPhone by navigating to General > Software Update. The watch needs to have at least 50% battery and be placed on its charger and within range of your iPhone to install the update.

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