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Incident · Regulatory action

Apple disabled Blood Oxygen on US Apple Watch to comply with a Masimo ITC exclusion order

After the ITC found the Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2 pulse-oximetry infringed two Masimo patents (Section 337 limited exclusion + cease-and-desist; effective Dec 26 2023), Apple shipped US units from Jan 18 2024 with the Blood Oxygen (SpO2) feature DISABLED in software to keep selling. The feature was RE-ENABLED in the US on Aug 14 2025 via a redesign that offloads SpO2 processing to the paired iPhone, after CBP cleared the change (Aug 1 2025; iOS 18.6.1 / watchOS 11.6.1).

A new ITC investigation into the redesign opened Nov 14 2025; an ALJ found NO infringement (Mar 19 2026) and the ITC closed it (~Apr 17 2026); the redesigned feature remains live. Apple's load-bearing disabled-feature exemplar.

Occurred 2024-01-18 · Apple Watch at Global · Apple · Global · Biometric wearables

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Incident records on DEPLOY are compiled from public sources (regulatory filings, news reports, and operator disclosures) and reflect what has been reported and tracked to date. They are not legal findings, determinations of fault, or safety ratings, and may be updated as new information is verified. See the sources below for the underlying references.
Track Apple disabled Blood Oxygen on US Apple Watch to comply with a Masimo ITC exclusion order

Machine-readable surfaces

Outcomes (1)

  • regulatory actionverified

Revision history (1)

  • 2026-06-05 · outcome_class

Outcome rows carry verification_posture independently. Revision events carry basis (verified_court_filing, verified_insurance, reported_press, estimate, undisclosed). The framework records outcomes only when verifiable; absence is honest absence, not a claim of no-impact.

Sources (3)

  1. STAT · https://www.statnews.com/2023/12/26/apple-watch-itc-import-ban-masimo-pulse-oximetry/
  2. Apple · https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/08/an-update-on-blood-oxygen-for-apple-watch-in-the-us/
  3. https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2023/337/er_december_2023.htm

Common questions

What happened in Apple disabled Blood Oxygen on US Apple Watch to comply with a Masimo ITC exclusion order?
After the ITC found the Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2 pulse-oximetry infringed two Masimo patents (Section 337 limited exclusion + cease-and-desist; effective Dec 26 2023), Apple shipped US units from Jan 18 2024 with the Blood Oxygen (SpO2) feature DISABLED in software to keep selling. The feature was RE-ENABLED in the US on Aug 14 2025 via a redesign that offloads SpO2 processing to the paired iPhone, after CBP cleared the change (Aug 1 2025; iOS 18.6.1 / watchOS 11.6.1). A new ITC investigation into the redesign opened Nov 14 2025; an ALJ found NO infringement (Mar 19 2026) and the ITC closed it (~Apr 17 2026); the redesigned feature remains live. Apple's load-bearing disabled-feature exemplar.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on January 18, 2024 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
What robot was involved in Apple disabled Blood Oxygen on US Apple Watch to comply with a Masimo ITC exclusion order?
Apple Watch by Apple is the recorded robot involved in this incident at Global.
Has anyone responded to Apple disabled Blood Oxygen on US Apple Watch to comply with a Masimo ITC exclusion order?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of Apple disabled Blood Oxygen on US Apple Watch to comply with a Masimo ITC exclusion order?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (1 primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-21

Verification posture

Verified

High confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-21

Sources by quality tier

2
unclassified
Unclassified source
1
primary-itc-ruling
ITC ruling

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Apple disabled Blood Oxygen on US Apple Watch to comply with a Masimo ITC exclusion order.

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Canonical ID 0e168005-0846-438c-8c29-c3217a72dce0