GoKawiilThe Apple Watch's blood oxygen sensor has been at the center of what feels like a never-ending tennis match of legal back-and-forth.
In 2020, the Apple Watch Series 6 launched with the sensor that measures your blood's oxygen saturation (SpO2), which is how much oxygen red blood cells pick up from your lungs and transport to the rest of your body. That same year, global medical technology company Masimo filed a lawsuit claiming that Apple's sensor infringed its patents.
In 2023, the US International Trade Commission sided with Masimo and imposed an import ban on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models. Apple later, in August 2025, circumvented this by relaunching the blood oxygen feature using a paired iPhone to analyze and display SpO2 sensor data.
However, on Friday, the ITC declined Masimo's request for another import ban on the Apple Watch and said it wouldn't review a preliminary ruling finding that the redesigned Apple Watch doesn't infringe Masimo's patents. This is a major win for Apple.
"We thank the ITC for its decision, which ensures we can continue to offer this important health feature to our users," an Apple representative told CNET. "For more than six years, Masimo has waged a relentless legal campaign against Apple, and nearly all of its claims have been rejected."
Unless Masimo decides to appeal the decision and wins that case, Apple can continue offering blood oxygen monitoring.
But based on the history of this case, it may not be the end of this match.
The history of Apple's blood oxygen ban
The ITC became involved in the Masimo and Apple legal battle in 2021, and in January 2023, it upheld that Apple violated Masimo's patents. Then, in December 2023, the ITC banned Apple from importing its watches, including the Series 9 and Ultra 2, into the US.
To avoid the ban, Apple disabled blood oxygen sensing on its devices.
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