iOS 14 Code Snippet Shows Apple Watch Blood Oxygen Monitoring Feature

It appears as though Apple is working towards developing a blood oxygen detection feature for the Apple Watch, as discovered by a snippet of code found in the iOS 14 update.

Discovered and reported by 9to5Mac, Apple appears to be including the blood oxygen monitoring feature for the first time in its Apple Watch device. Similar to other health systems Apple Watch offers, te blood oxygen monitor will send the user a notification if the saturation level is read as being too low.

Healthy reading of blood oxygen levels should land around 95 to 100%. This is the level where a user’s red blood cells are able to effectively transport oxygen around the body. A reading between 94 to 90% should be monitored closely. Afterwhich, a doctor’s consultation is suggested if a reading reaches below 90%, as it can lead to respiratory issues and cardiac arrest.



The report was unable to suggest which generation of Apple Watch will receive the feature via an iOS update. Depending on hardware requirements, Apple may include it in the Apple Watch Series 6, or perhaps the Apple Watch Series 7 upon its suggested release this fall.

Earlier this year, Fitbit released its blood oxygen monitoring feature to its Versa line, Ionic, and Charge wearables.

Additionally, the report suggests that Apple is working towards refining the ECG feature. While currently supported on the Apple Watch Series 4 and Apple Watch Series 5, users have found the readings to be inconclusive when reaching levels between 100 to 120 bpm. It appears as though Apple will also be releasing a Sleep app with sleep tracking features in the future.

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