iOS 26 beta 7 and watchOS 26 beta 7 bring the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature back to Apple Watch users in the US after an 18-month absence. Here’s how it works.
iOS 26 and watchOS 26 Beta 7 Bring Back Blood Oxygen Feature
Apple has released iOS 26 beta 7 and watchOS 26 beta 7 to developers, and the headline change is the return of the Blood Oxygen feature for Apple Watch users in the United States.
This update comes shortly after Apple officially reintroduced the feature in iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, following an 18-month absence due to a patent dispute with medical technology company Masimo. The redesigned version is now live for beta testers running iOS 26 and watchOS 26 on supported devices.
How the Redesigned Blood Oxygen Feature Works
Unlike the original implementation, Apple’s redesigned Blood Oxygen app splits the process between the Apple Watch and iPhone:
- Start a session in the Blood Oxygen app on your Apple Watch.
- The Watch’s sensors collect data during the session.
- Your iPhone processes the data and generates blood oxygen readings.
- Results are stored in the Health app, under the Respiratory section.
- Unlike before, readings are not displayed on the Apple Watch itself.
In addition to manual readings, the redesigned feature supports background measurements, allowing the Watch to gather data passively and send it to the iPhone for calculation.
Supported Devices
The updated Blood Oxygen feature works with:
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
Availability
The seventh developer betas of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 are available now through the Apple Developer Program. A corresponding public beta is expected later this week.
Apple is expected to ship the final versions of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 alongside the iPhone 17 lineup this fall.
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