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Apple Watch · Blood Oxygen region

Blood Oxygen not on your Apple Watch? It might be your country

The Blood Oxygen app requires Apple Watch Series 6 or later (excluding some SE models) and is not available in all countries. Apple removed or restricted this feature in certain regions due to patent and regulatory issues. If the app disappeared after a watchOS update, your region is likely the cause.

Why did the Blood Oxygen app disappear from my Apple Watch?

In some regions — most notably the United States, following the Masimo patent ruling — Apple has disabled the Blood Oxygen app entirely. This is not a setting you can toggle. It is a hardware-model-level restriction. This restriction is enforced at the device-activation and region level. It is not affected by changing your device location — the restriction is baked into the hardware-model/sku and region pairing.

Blood Oxygen: a hardware feature gated by region

Unlike ECG which requires regulatory clearance, Blood Oxygen is primarily restricted by patent enforcement in specific markets. Apple Watch models sold in affected regions have the feature disabled in hardware.

If you purchased your Apple Watch in a supported country and the feature later disappeared, check whether you may have changed your Apple ID country to an unsupported region.

  • Series 6 or later required (not SE)
  • Patent-related restrictions in some markets
  • Feature can be disabled at the hardware-model level

Frequently asked questions

Can WLOC re-enable the Blood Oxygen app?

Unfortunately not. Blood Oxygen restrictions are baked into the device model and region pairing — this is not a location check that any tool can influence. WLOC cannot override a hardware-level feature flag.

Which countries still support Blood Oxygen?

Apple's feature-availability page lists current supported countries. The list has changed due to ongoing legal proceedings — check the official page for the latest status.

Sources