Apple with the Apple Watch Series 6 introduced a new feature for monitoring blood oxygen level, using the LEDs at the back of the Apple Watch to determine the amount of oxygen in the blood. A low blood oxygen level can be indicative of a serious health issue that needs immediate attention. Show
Taking a blood oxygen reading is rather straightforward, but there are automatic measurement settings to be aware of as well as necessary tips for getting an accurate measurement, all of which can be found in the guide below. How Blood Oxygen Readings on Apple Watch WorkThe Apple Watch Series 6 is equipped with green, red, and infrared LEDs that shine light onto the blood vessels in the wrist, with photodiodes measuring the amount of light reflected back. Apple's algorithms use this information to calculate the color of the blood, which is an indication of how much oxygen is in the blood. Bright red blood is well oxygenated, while darker blood has less oxygen. The Apple Watch Series 6 can measure blood oxygen levels between 70 and 100 percent. Most healthy people have blood oxygen levels that range from 95 to 100 percent, though those with COPD and other lung diseases may have a lower average percentage. Apple does not expect the Blood Oxygen function in the Series 6 to be intended for medical use, and so the Apple Watch will not send a notification if a lower than normal blood oxygen level is detected. Hardware RequirementsUsing the Blood Oxygen monitoring feature requires an Apple Watch Series 6 running the latest version of watchOS along with an iPhone 6s or later with the latest version of iOS. The Blood Oxygen app is available in almost all countries around the world, but if you're not seeing it, it might not be in your country. Apple has a list here. Note that the Blood Oxygen app is not available to users under 18 and it is not enabled when an Apple Watch has been paired to an iPhone using Family Setup. Enabling Blood Oxygen MeasurementsWhen you set up a Series 6 Apple Watch, you'll be asked during the setup process if you want to enable Blood Oxygen measurements. If you tap "enable" when asked, the feature will be turned on automatically and will be usable through the Blood Oxygen app. How to Take a Blood Oxygen Measurement on Apple Watch
You can view blood oxygen measurements taken over days, weeks, months, and years in the Health app on your iPhone. Simply search for "Blood Oxygen." Automatic Blood Oxygen ReadingsIn addition to on-demand readings, the Apple Watch Series 6 takes automatic blood oxygen readings throughout the day. Automatic blood oxygen measurements are enabled as long as Blood Oxygen Measurements are turned on and enabled, which is the default setting on the new Apple Watch. Automatic blood oxygen readings are taken infrequently during the day, so you may only see these measurements a few times throughout your day, a departure from the frequency of heart rate measurements. Blood oxygen readings aren't taken as often simply because the wrist needs to be held still and in a specific orientation for a measurement. Enabling Automatic Blood Oxygen Readings in Theater ModeThe Apple Watch has a Theater Mode that keeps the display of the Apple Watch dim to prevent it from being a nuisance in dark places like movie theaters, and there's a blood oxygen setting that can enable or disable readings during Theater Mode. Apple says that blood oxygen readings require the use of a bright red light, which has the potential to be distracting in a dark room. Here's how to enable or disable readings in Theater Mode.
Enabling Automatic Blood Oxygen Readings During SleepAs with Theater Mode, Apple has an option to disable blood oxygen readings when the Apple Watch is in Sleep Mode because the bright light might be distracting in the dark. Here's how to enable or disable readings for Sleep Mode.
Viewing Blood Oxygen DataNo blood oxygen data can be viewed on the Apple Watch outside of the reading that you just took if you have the app open. Historical data needs to be viewed on the iPhone, and it can be a little bit hard to find. Here's the easiest way to get to your data.
From here, you can see your average Blood Oxygen measurements by day, week, month or year, tapping on the chart to see specific information about each reading in day view or ranges for the other view options. Tapping on "Show More Blood Oxygen Data" provides the latest reading, range over time, daily average, and readings in a High Elevation Environment or during sleep if those apply. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the app, there's a "Show All Data" option that you can tap to see all of the blood oxygen measurements that have been taken with specific information on date, barometric pressure, and more. Turn Off Blood Oxygen MonitoringDon't want to use blood oxygen monitoring at all? It can be disabled in the Settings app.
If you want to reenable blood oxygen readings at a later date, just turn the toggle back on. It's enabled by default when you set up the Apple Watch, so the only reason you might need to enable it is if you've previously disabled it. Blood Oxygen TroubleshootingThe sensors that measure oxygen level in the blood on the Apple Watch are highly sensitive and the reading will fail even if there's minor movement. If you're frequently getting an "Unsuccessful Measurement" warning, make sure to follow these steps.
If you're following all of the above steps and are still having trouble, Apple warns that there are a few scenarios that can cause poor readings.
Guide FeedbackHave questions about blood oxygen monitoring on Apple Watch Series 6 or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here. Is Apple Watch 7 blood oxygen accurate?According to a recent study, the Apple Watch's blood oxygen reader is comparable to medical-grade pulse oximeters. Although Apple Watches shouldn't be used in lieu of official medical devices, it's nice to know that the readings they're displaying are accurate enough to be reliable.
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