iOS 18.6.1 and Watchos 11.6.1 are there: available for iPhone and Apple Watch

Intermediate update for iOS and Watchos: The new operating system versions iOS 18.6.1 and Watchos 11.6.1 have been available for download on iPhones and Apple watch devices since last night. Apple had already announced the two updates on Thursday afternoon because they have a special meaning: they unlock a long -deactivated function again, even if it is limited.

A very special update

It is about the feature of the blood oxygen measurement (pulse oximetry) that Apple has been offering since the Apple Watch Series 6 of 2020, but has been blocking on computer clocks that have been intended for the US market since the beginning of 2024. The reason is a long-lasting legal dispute with the medical technology manufacturer Masimo, which led to the import trade supervision of the USA (US ITC) issued an import ban at the end of 2023. With the updates, Apple has now found a way to avoid this.

The trick: The calculation of the values whose raw data records the Apple Watch will take place on the iPhone coupled with the computer clock in the future and can only be read there. That seems to be enough to avoid Masimos patents. Technically, both are now implemented with iOS 18.6.1 and Watchos 11.6.1. Watch models from Series 9, Series 10 and the Ultra 2-all models with import ban or technical lock are covered.

What is in iOS 18.6.1 and Watchos 11.6.1

Apple only makes one specification for both updates: that the update enables a new “Blood Oxygen Experience” for US users. In the package insert, the models concerned are mentioned and the fact that the calculation takes place on the iPhone and the result ends up in the Health app-that’s it. The two updates obviously do not contain any further innovations that Apple communicates openly.

In terms of security patches, iOS 18.6.1 and Watchos 11.6.1 are Also bare: According to the Apple, both patch packages include “no published Cve-Inrds “, i.e. security-relevant changes. Both updates from the iPhone XS and the Apple Watch Series 6. The installation is also recommended to non-US users-apparently so that all devices are up to date. On an iPhone 15 Pro, the update was just under 470 MB.