How to find out if an Apple Watch Series 9 model has the blood oxygen feature available - 9to5Mac (2024)

How to find out if an Apple Watch Series 9 model has the blood oxygen feature available - 9to5Mac (1)

As of today, all new Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models sold by Apple do not support the blood oxygen feature. This is due to an ongoing patent dispute with Masimo. But if you are buying an Apple Watch from eBay or a third-party retailer right now, how do you know if your watch will have the blood oxygenfeature enabled or not?

To clarify, the new watch models being sold still have the blood oxygen sensor hardware inside them. In fact, the watches seem to be physically identical aside from updated part numbers. Rather than making permanent hardware changes, Apple has disabled the feature through the watchOS software.

The Blood Oxygen app will still show up on the home screen of impacted watches, but it will refuse to run a scan and instead an error message will say “The Blood Oxygen app is no longer available. Learn more in the Health app on your iPhone”.

Perhaps you are scrambling to buy a Series 9 today before the old stock runs out. But ahead of purchase, if the watches are identical, how can you tell for sure whether the model you are buying is affected?

How to find out if your Apple Watch Series 9 model supports Blood Oxygen?

The way to find out if the Apple Watch you are buying has blood oxygen feature disabled or not is by checking the part number. Apple says that new watches with blood oxygen disabled have part numbers that end with the string ‘LW/A’.

You can see this part number on the label of the Apple Watch box. It is an eight character code of capital letters and numbers, that also includes a slash before the last character.

How to find out if an Apple Watch Series 9 model has the blood oxygen feature available - 9to5Mac (2)

You can also check on the watch itself, if it is set up. Perhaps you are buying used from eBay. Open the Settings app on the Watch, go to General -> About and scroll down to where it says ‘Model’. By default, it will display the model number, like A2978, not the part number. Tap the text to toggle to view the part number.

This is also viewable through the Watch companion app on their paired iPhone. Go to General -> About -> Model Number, and you can also tap the text here to toggle between model and part number.

Does the ban affect my Apple Watch Series 9 if I already bought it?

No, the ban does not impact already sold watches. If you have an Apple Watch today and the Blood Oxygen feature is functional, it will continue working as normal. Only new watches sold with part numbers ending LW/A are affected.

As these new model watches still have the blood oxygen sensors inside the case, and it is merely disabled by software, it is possible that eventually the feature will be re-enabled. Apple is currently taking its patent infringement case with Masimo to the US Court of Appeals. But it could be many months before the court arrives at a judgement, and Apple isn’t guaranteed to win. It is also possible that Apple and Masimo agree to a private settlement at some point.

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How to find out if an Apple Watch Series 9 model has the blood oxygen feature available - 9to5Mac (3)

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How to find out if an Apple Watch Series 9 model has the blood oxygen feature available - 9to5Mac (2024)

FAQs

How to find out if an Apple Watch Series 9 model has the blood oxygen feature available - 9to5Mac? ›

How to find out if your Apple Watch Series 9 model supports Blood Oxygen? The way to find out if the Apple Watch you are buying has blood oxygen feature disabled or not is by checking the part number. Apple says that new watches with blood oxygen disabled have part numbers that end with the string 'LW/A'.

Which Apple Watch 9 has an oxygen sensor? ›

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will now be sold without their blood oxygen feature. Apple says the move will allow it to sell its high-end watches while staying in compliance amid an ongoing patent dispute with health tech company Masimo.

Which Apple Watch models have blood oxygen? ›

Apple Watch — Series 6 or later, excluding Apple Watch SE1 — is capable of measuring oxygen saturation of arterial hemoglobin (SpO2) for fitness and wellness applications.

Is the Apple Watch 9 blood oxygen ban? ›

The ability to measure blood oxygen is no longer available on Apple Watch units sold by Apple in the United States beginning January 18, 2024. These are indicated with part numbers ending in LW/A. Learn how to identify your Apple Watch.

How do I find the blood oxygen app on my Apple Watch? ›

If you still don't see the Blood Oxygen app on your Apple Watch, you can search the App Store on your Apple Watch for Blood Oxygen and download it. The Blood Oxygen app is installed during the setup in the Health app.

How to tell if series 9 has blood oxygen? ›

How to find out if your Apple Watch Series 9 model supports Blood Oxygen? The way to find out if the Apple Watch you are buying has blood oxygen feature disabled or not is by checking the part number. Apple says that new watches with blood oxygen disabled have part numbers that end with the string 'LW/A'.

Why is there no blood oxygen on my Apple Watch? ›

The latest Apple Watch will no longer be able to measure blood oxygen levels The ability to measure blood oxygen levels is dropping from the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2. Apple is making the change to comply with a ruling by the International Trade Commission.

What can you do with the series 9 Apple Watch? ›

Health
  • Watches out for your heart. With the ECG app, Apple Watch Series 9 is capable of generating an ECG similar to a single‑lead electrocardiogram. ...
  • Dream machine. The Sleep app doesn't just keep track of your time asleep. ...
  • Understand your cycle like never before. ...
  • Log your state of mind.

Why is Apple removing the blood oxygen sensor? ›

Apple will disable the blood-oxygen feature on premium watches sold in the US as part of a patent dispute. Apple says it will disable a blood-oxygen monitoring feature on its two most popular watches in the U.S. beginning Thursday to comply with a court-ordered revival of a sales ban stemming from a patent dispute.

Why was the Apple Watch 9 banned? ›

The ban is the result of a patent dispute with medical device maker Masimo. The ITC has ruled that the SpO2 sensor in Apple's smartwatches infringes upon Masimo's patents.

Why is the Apple Watch Series 9 no longer available? ›

Apple suspending sale of Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2 models amid dispute. Apple announced Monday that it will stop selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the United States. Neither watch will be available to order from the U.S. Apple website as of 3 p.m. ET Thursday.

What is the difference between the Apple Watch 8 and 9? ›

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 8 are nearly identical smartwatches, with the Series 9's upgraded S9 chip and the new Double Tap Gesture being the most substantial differences. But by and large, they function the same. Because of that, upgrading to the Series 9 is only for a select set of users.

Does the Apple Watch Series 9 have an oxygen sensor? ›

Apple removes blood oxygen sensor from Watch Ultra 2, Series 9 models.

Which Apple Watch models have oxygen sensors? ›

Use the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch Series 6 or later to measure the percentage of oxygen your red blood cells carry from your lungs to the rest of the body.

Does the Apple Watch Series 9 measure blood pressure? ›

How to Measure Blood Pressure With an Apple Watch. “At this time, the Apple Watch isn't equipped to measure your blood pressure alone,” says Dr. Bronstein.

Does the Apple Watch Series 9 have ECG? ›

With the ECG app, Apple Watch Series 9 is capable of generating an ECG similar to a single‑lead electrocardiogram. And with the Heart Rate app, you can get notifications for high and low heart rate as well as an irregular rhythm.

What changes does the Apple Watch Series 9 have? ›

Apple Watch Series 9 is more powerful than ever with the new S9 SiP, which increases performance and capabilities; a magical new double tap gesture; a brighter display; faster on-device Siri, now with the ability to access and log health data; Precision Finding for iPhone; and more.

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