Night Mode on iPhone: Everything You Need to Know

How to Use and Troubleshoot Blood Oxygen Monitoring on Apple Watch Series 6

Apple introduced a new feature for monitoring the level of oxygen in the blood with the Apple Watch Series 6, using the LEDs at the back of the Apple Watch to calculate the amount of oxygen in the blood. A low level of blood oxygen may be indicative of a serious health condition which requires immediate attention.

It is very straightforward to take a blood oxygen reading, but there are automated measurement settings to be aware of as well as required tips to get an accurate measurement, all of which can be found in the below guide.

How Blood Oxygen Readings Work on Apple Watch

The ‌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.

This knowledge is used by Apple's algorithms to measure blood colour, which is an indicator of how much oxygen is in the blood. Bright red blood is well oxygenated, although less oxygen is found in darker blood.

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 Series 6 Blood Oxygen feature to be intended for medical use, so if a lower than normal blood oxygen level is detected, the Apple Watch will not send a warning.

Hardware Requirements

Using the monitoring function of Blood Oxygen includes an Apple Watch Series 6 to run the new watchOS version along with an iPhone 6s or later with the new iOS version. 

The Blood Oxygen app is available in almost all countries around the world, but it might not be in your country if you don't see it. Apple has a list here. 

Note that when an Apple Watch is combined with an iPhone using Family Configuration, the Blood Oxygen app is not accessible to users under 18 and it is not allowed.

Enabling Blood Oxygen Measurements

During the setup process, when you set up an Apple Watch Series 6, you will be asked if you want Blood Oxygen measurements allowed. If you tap "activate" when prompted, the feature will be automatically switched on and can be used with the Blood Oxygen app.

How to Take a Blood Oxygen Measurement on Apple Watch

1. 1.Make sure your ‌Apple Watch Series 6‌ is snug but comfortable on your wrist.
   
   
   
   
   
2. 2.Open the Blood Oxygen app on your Apple Watch.
   
1. 3.Keep still, and make sure your wrist is flat with the Apple Watch facing upwards.
   
   

2. 4.Tap Start, then keep your arm steady for 15 seconds.
   
   

3. 5.Wait for the measurement to be taken - you'll see the result when it's complete. Then tap Done.
   

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 Readings

The Apple Watch Series 6 takes automatic measurements of blood oxygen during the day, in addition to on-demand readings. As long as Blood Oxygen Measurements are switched on and activated, automatic blood oxygen measurements are activated, which is the default setting on the latest Apple Watch.

During the day, automated blood oxygen levels are rarely taken, so you can only see these measurements a few times during the day, a deviation from the frequency of heart rate measurements. Blood oxygen readings are not taken as much precisely because the wrist for a test has to be kept still and in a particular orientation.








Enabling Theater Mode Automated Blood Oxygen Readings

The Apple Watch has a Theater Mode that keeps the Apple Watch 's display dim to prevent it from becoming a nuisance in dark areas like movie theatres, and during Theater Mode, there is a blood oxygen setting that can enable or disable readings


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



1. 1.Open up the Settings app on the Apple Watch.
2. 2.Scroll down and tap on the Blood Oxygen app.
3. 3.Scroll down and tap the toggle next to "In Theater Mode" to turn the feature on or off.

Enabling Automatic Blood Oxygen Readings During Sleep

As with Theater Mode, when the Apple Watch is in Sleep Mode, Apple has an option to disable blood oxygen readings because the bright light could be distracting in the dark. Here's how to allow or disable Sleep Mode readings.



1. 1.Open up the Settings app on the Apple Watch.
2. 2.Scroll down and tap on the Blood Oxygen app.
3. 3.Scroll down and tap the toggle next to "In Sleep Mode" to turn the feature on or off.

4. Viewing Blood Oxygen Data

   If you have the app open, no blood oxygen details can be displayed on the Apple Watch outside of the reading you just took. On the iPhone, historical data needs to be viewed, and it can be a little bit difficult to locate.

   
   Here's the easiest way to get to your data.

   1. 1.Open up the Health app on the ‌iPhone‌.
   2. 2.Tap on Browse at the bottom of the app.
   3. 3.Tap on Vitals or at the top of the app, search for Blood Oxygen.
   4. 4.Tap on the reading that comes up.
   5. 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.

      
      

      In a high elevation setting or during sleep, tapping on "Display More Blood Oxygen Info" provides the latest reading, range over time, daily average, and readings if appropriate.
      
      

   6. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the app, you can tap on the "Display All Details" option to see all the measurements of blood oxygen that have been taken with precise date detail, barometric pressure, and more.

   7. 

      
      

      Turn Off Blood Oxygen Monitoring

      Don't want to use blood oxygen monitoring at all? It can be disabled in the Settings app.

      1. 1.Open up the Settings app on the Apple Watch.
      2. 2.Scroll down and tap on the Blood Oxygen app.
      3. 3.Tap on the toggle next to "Blood Oxygen Measurements" to turn the feature off.

      Only turn the toggle back on if you want to re-enable blood oxygen readings at a later date. When you set up an Apple Watch, it is enabled by default, so the only reason you would need to activate it is if you've previously disabled it.

   8. Blood Oxygen Troubleshooting

      On the Apple Watch, the sensors that calculate the amount of oxygen in the blood are highly sensitive and the reading would fail even if there is slight movement. If you get a "Unsuccessful Calculation" warning regularly, make sure to follow these measures.

      1. 1.With your fingers still resting open, keep your wrist flat and face up. If the arm is hanging down or if the fingers are in a fist, blood oxygen tests won't work.

      1. 2.Make sure the Apple Watch is snug against the wrist with a band that fits well and is not too loose or too tight.

      1. 3.Ensure that the Apple Watch is flat against the wrist and that it is not obstructed by the wrist bone. If it is above the wrist bone, adjust the position of the watch.

      1. 4.For more stability, put your wrist on a table or flat surface such as your lap.

      1. 5.Minimize all movement for 15 seconds. The stiller you are, the better.

      1. 6.Do not press the Apple Watch or otherwise play with it. A tap on the screen or tapping the Digital Crown will cause the reading to be interrupted by minute movement.

      2. 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.

         • Tattoos-Dark tattoos may cause the light that shines through the skin to calculate the amount of oxygen to fail to function properly in the region where the sensors are located. If there is a non-tattooed wrist region available, there's no workaround for this. Notice that the sensor does not interfere with lighter tattoos and it may also work with those that leave a good amount of visible skin.
         • Cold weather-It can influence how much blood passes through your arm at any given time if it's cold outside, which can in turn cause blood oxygen measurements to fail.
         • Skin perfusion-Often the blood flowing through the skin is slower, regardless of the temperature, and this can differ greatly from person to person. A element in how well the measures of blood oxygen function is skin perfusion.
         • Fast heart rate-The blood oxygen monitoring feature will not work if the heart rate is over 150 beats per minute at rest.
         • Motion-Blood oxygen measurements tolerate little or no motion at all, as described above, and arm position is a factor. With your fingertips out, keep the arm straight and try not to move if you're having trouble.