Blood Oxygen Active Again On Watch Series 10 After Update

[NewToAMBP]

I would like to know if this has occurred for anyone else yet too?

I have an Apple Watch Series 10 and for me to see the blood oxygen level it told me to check my iPhone to see it. Well I updated the OS on it to the Watch OS 11.6.2 as I have not updated my phone or watch to OS 26 and I went to go check my blood oxygen and it just popped up on the watch and worked like it used to without having to get a phone involved.

Did this change also occur for those running Watch OS 26? Just seems odd, as I don't remember seeing this posted anywhere.

 

[jz0309]

I would like to know if this has occurred for anyone else yet too?

I have an Apple Watch Series 10 and for me to see the blood oxygen level it told me to check my iPhone to see it. Well I updated the OS on it to the Watch OS 11.6.2 as I have not updated my phone or watch to OS 26 and I went to go check my blood oxygen and it just popped up on the watch and worked like it used to without having to get a phone involved.

Did this change also occur for those running Watch OS 26? Just seems odd, as I don't remember seeing this posted anywhere.

Yea, this was introduced like in Jun or so last year ...

 

[BigBlur]

Yea, this was introduced like in Jun or so last year ...

I think you misread the post… You can check the blood oxygen level on the watch itself now? Without using an iPhone?

 

[jz0309]

I think you misread the post… You can check the blood oxygen level on the watch itself now? Without using an iPhone?

That is supposedly coming with 26.4, well, not sure the rumor last week said that bloodox will show in the vials section of the health app on the phone, no mention of it being displayed on watch...
I just checked on my U2 and it says you can check it in the phone, running 26.3 on both devices

 

[NewToAMBP]

I think you misread the post… You can check the blood oxygen level on the watch itself now? Without using an iPhone?

Yep, phone is no longer needed, does it on the watch all by itself like on the old ones I was used to.

 

[3Rock]

U2 with 26.3….. Still requires an iPhone to read.

 

[FSMBP]

I would like to know if this has occurred for anyone else yet too?

I have an Apple Watch Series 10 and for me to see the blood oxygen level it told me to check my iPhone to see it. Well I updated the OS on it to the Watch OS 11.6.2 as I have not updated my phone or watch to OS 26 and I went to go check my blood oxygen and it just popped up on the watch and worked like it used to without having to get a phone involved.

Did this change also occur for those running Watch OS 26? Just seems odd, as I don't remember seeing this posted anywhere.

Mine still requires my iPhone to read the results (Apple Watch 10, on 26.3 software)

 

[FreakinEurekan]

U3 here also requiring the phone.

I know that originally, the feature worked "As normal" for phones purchased prior to when the patent judgement was in effect, and "not at all" for those purchased when it was. Then when the "On the phone" system was developed to work around the patent, that affected all devices.

Perhaps only those devices that "would have" worked normally prior to the new system, can now work that way again? My U3 was purchased well after the patent judgement was in effect.

 

[babalougots]

The Blood O2 app on My Series 7 Ti has always allowed viewing the results on the watch itself since the ban did not cover Series 6, 7 and 8 watch models. At least Apple has a workaround for those with Series 9/Ultra or newer. I'm sure when the ban expires (2027 or 2028?), the feature will return to those models affected.

 

[BigBlur]

Yep, phone is no longer needed, does it on the watch all by itself like on the old ones I was used to.

Yeah, that shouldn't be how it works on a Series 10 sold in the US.

Just to confirm, you're using a US Apple Watch? The model would end with LW/A. (Go to Settings > General > About > Model Number)

 

[NewToAMBP]

Yeah, that shouldn't be how it works on a Series 10 sold in the US.

Just to confirm, you're using a US Apple Watch? The model would end with LW/A. (Go to Settings > General > About > Model Number)

Yep, USA model and bought in the USA. I was in shock when it showed me the results and did not tell me to go check my iPhone to see it.

I have uploaded a video too, sorry its hard to record and use the watch at the same time, its shaky.

https://imgur.com/a/Ag9OfIk

 

[jz0309]

Yep, USA model and bought in the USA. I was in shock when it showed me the results and did not tell me to go check my iPhone to see it.

I have uploaded a video too, sorry its hard to record and use the watch at the same time, its shaky.

https://imgur.com/a/Ag9OfIk

what iOS version on you phone?
can you tell us the ending of the model number, eg mine ends in W/A (Settings, General, About)

This is what I get (Ultra refry mid Nov '25)

 

[NewToAMBP]

what iOS version on you phone?
can you tell us the ending of the model number, eg mine ends in W/A (Settings, General, About)

This is what I get (Ultra refry mid Nov '25)
View attachment 2607463

18.7.2 iPhone 16 MYAP3LL/A

Yea, that was the message I was used to getting.

https://imgur.com/a/6Ue1okv

 

[jz0309]

18.7.2 iPhone 16 MYAP3LL/A

Yea, that was the message I was used to getting.

https://imgur.com/a/6Ue1okv

What's the model number of your watch please?

 

[NewToAMBP]

What's the model number of your watch please?

MWWD3LW/A

https://imgur.com/a/E4IDocj

 

[jz0309]

MWWD3LW/A

https://imgur.com/a/E4IDocj

Thanks, that's indeed the model number for the non-bloodox version (ever since it was disabled due to the import ban), just had to double check.
Marino sued Apple for the workaround (bloodox on phone vs watch) and I have not seen any info yet that it was resolved, one way or another. Not am I aware that Masimo settled or any further ruling against those patents.
And as you can see, multiple responses with folks on 26.3 and it's the workaround version still.
So I can only conclude that the OS versions you have installed actually contain a "bug" that reenables original bloodox functionality.
Quite bizarre tbh

 

[Howard2k]

I would like to know if this has occurred for anyone else yet too?

I have an Apple Watch Series 10 and for me to see the blood oxygen level it told me to check my iPhone to see it. Well I updated the OS on it to the Watch OS 11.6.2 as I have not updated my phone or watch to OS 26 and I went to go check my blood oxygen and it just popped up on the watch and worked like it used to without having to get a phone involved.

Did this change also occur for those running Watch OS 26? Just seems odd, as I don't remember seeing this posted anywhere.

Have you travelled outside of the United States?

 

[NewToAMBP]

Thanks, that's indeed the model number for the non-bloodox version (ever since it was disabled due to the import ban), just had to double check.
Marino sued Apple for the workaround (bloodox on phone vs watch) and I have not seen any info yet that it was resolved, one way or another. Not am I aware that Masimo settled or any further ruling against those patents.
And as you can see, multiple responses with folks on 26.3 and it's the workaround version still.
So I can only conclude that the OS versions you have installed actually contain a "bug" that reenables original bloodox functionality.
Quite bizarre tbh

Ok, I will consider this a good "bug" then! No complaints from me lol! Now, I hope they dont see this and now I probably wont update if another Watch OS update of 18 version arrives.

Have you travelled outside of the United States?

Nope, have not.

 

[bhagemann]

Watch 10 (gps) bought in early Jan... 26.4 beta 2 now installed. The blood oxygen app runs and then I get the message about how I can view it in the health app on my phone. I can't begin to express how f'n frustrating this is -- that Apple with ALL their legal and financial resources has let this continue. WTF is the point. Just buy them out.

 

[goldmac2006]

Ok, I will consider this a good "bug" then! No complaints from me lol! Now, I hope they dont see this and now I probably wont update if another Watch OS update of 18 version arrives.


Nope, have not.

That’s quite interesting! Are you using any of the watchOS betas? It looks like your Series 10 might not be fully updated to watchOS 26.3.

Also, do any other Series 9-11 and Ultra 2/3 LW/A users have the ability to see their blood oxygen levels on their watch without needing to use their iPhone to see it? If you do, I’d love to hear your experiences and what iPhone, Apple Watch, and version numbers you’re using.

 

[jz0309]

That’s quite interesting! Are you using any of the watchOS betas? It looks like your Series 10 might not be fully updated to watchOS 26.3.

Also, do any other Series 9-11 and Ultra 2/3 LW/A users have the ability to see their blood oxygen levels on their watch without needing to use their iPhone to see it? If you do, I’d love to hear your experiences and what iPhone, Apple Watch, and version numbers you’re using.

did you actually read the first post? and several replies? the answers to your questions are all in this thread already.

 

[goldmac2006]

did you actually read the first post? and several replies? the answers to your questions are all in this thread already.

Yes sir but the beta question is a different one. Sometimes betas have bugs that may cause the region locking to be a little different and it would still show results on his watch

 

[NewToAMBP]

That’s quite interesting! Are you using any of the watchOS betas? It looks like your Series 10 might not be fully updated to watchOS 26.3.

Also, do any other Series 9-11 and Ultra 2/3 LW/A users have the ability to see their blood oxygen levels on their watch without needing to use their iPhone to see it? If you do, I’d love to hear your experiences and what iPhone, Apple Watch, and version numbers you’re using.

Nope, never have done a Beta on the Watch or iPhone.

 

[goldmac2006]

Nope, never have done a Beta on the Watch or iPhone.

Had you had a pre-series 9 watch, such as an apple watch series 6, 7 8 or 1st generation ultra paired with your iPhone before your series 10 or simultaneously with it?

Those watches had blood oxygen before the ban. This also includes launch day series 9s and ultra 2s before January 2024 at date of manufacture.

 

[BigBlur]

Yep, USA model and bought in the USA. I was in shock when it showed me the results and did not tell me to go check my iPhone to see it.

This is an interesting bug. Supposedly, the workaround for the ban is that the watch would send the data to the phone, and the phone would do the calculations. But since no phone is involved here, I wonder if the phone is even doing the calculations for the rest of us. What if the calculations are still being done on the watch and only the result is sent to the phone to be displayed. That would be crazy and still be violating the patent.

If you haven't already, do you feel daring enough to restart your watch and iPhone to see if it still behaves this way after a reboot?

Had you had a pre-series 9 watch, such as an apple watch series 6, 7 8 or 1st generation ultra paired with your iPhone before your series 10 or simultaneously with it?

I'm not who you asked, but I have a S7 and S10 paired to my iPhone. The S7 does not require an iPhone to see the blood oxygen level; the S10 does. Everything is on the latest version of OS 26.