MacRumors

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the sixth beta and more than two months after the new update was unveiled at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

The macOS Big Sur beta can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, subsequent betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

macOS Big Sur introduces a refreshed design to the Mac operating system, overhauling the entire look from the curvature of the window corners to the dock icons to the system sounds. Everything feels fresh but familiar, with a lighter and more modern appearance. There's a new customizable Control Center that mirrors the Control Center on iOS devices, putting key system controls right at your fingertips.

The Notification Center has been redesigned with iOS-style widgets that are available in multiple sizes, plus there are more interactive notifications that are now grouped by app to make it easier to see what's going on. Safari is faster and more battery efficient, plus there's a new start page that can be customized with wallpapers and sections that include Reading List and iCloud Tabs, which makes Safari more tailored to your individual usage needs.

Tabs have been redesigned, there's a built-in language translation feature, Chrome and Firefox Extensions can be ported to Safari, and YouTube supports 4K video playback. There's also an option to choose which sites an extension works with for greater privacy. Speaking of privacy, a new Privacy Report feature lets users know the trackers Safari is blocking when you visit websites.

Messages is more similar to the Messages app on iOS with support for pinned conversations, mentions, inline replies, and Memoji creation, plus the built-in search feature has been overhauled to make it easier to find links, photos, and conversations in the app.

Apple redesigned the Maps app to add support for Look Around, indoor maps, and Guides, which are lists of notable attractions, restaurants, and more created by trusted sources. Maps can also be used to generate directions for cycling routes and electric vehicle trips that can be sent to iPhone, and shared ETA updates are now viewable on the Mac.

Photos includes a better Retouch tool, Apple Music's For You section has been replaced with a Listen Now section, HomeKit Secure Video cameras support Face Recognition and Activity zones, and Siri can answer a wider range of questions than before.

In the future, the macOS Big Sur App Store will help users better understand privacy practices with clear info on the information that an app collects, and after installing macOS Big Sur, you'll see faster updates that begin in the background and then finish more quickly to make it easier to keep your Mac up to date.

Apple in the third beta of macOS Big Sur changed the battery icon for the Battery section in System Preferences, refining the design to make it look more clean and streamlined. The beta testing period also brought a new design for the Music app icon (it's red), and some color changes to the buttons and icons inside the music app.

For more on everything that's new in macOS Big Sur, make sure to check out our roundup.

Apple on Tuesday introduced the Apple Watch Series 6 and the Apple Watch SE, and orders kicked off on the same day.

The first Apple Watch Series 6 and SE deliveries are expected on Friday, and orders in the United States, UK, and other countries have begun shipping out ahead of tomorrow's delivery date.

Not all of those who purchased an Apple Watch on Tuesday will be getting their new watches this Friday because many Apple Watch Series 6 combinations featured delivery estimates of September 25 to September 29 from the time that orders kicked off.

In the United States, some of those who have estimates of September 25 to September 29 may get their orders somewhat early, as there are reports on the MacRumors forums from users who are able to track their shipments using reference numbers (typically a phone number or an order number) or advanced tracking features offered by FedEx and UPS.

Apple Stores that are open may have some Apple Watch Series 6 and SE stock available starting tomorrow as tomorrow is the official launch date, but no in-store availability is listed as of right now.

Many orders placed today for new Apple Watch models will see delivery dates in early October.

The Apple Watch Series 6 introduces blood oxygen monitoring for the first time, adding new LEDs and infrared light to detect the percentage of oxygen in the blood. Low blood oxygen can be a sign of a medical emergency that needs immediate attention.

There's also a new S6 chip, improvements to the Always-On display, new blue and (PRODUCT)RED aluminum colors, and new Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop band options that fit over the wrist with stretch and have no clasps. The Series 6 is priced starting at $399.

The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ is Apple's new low-cost Apple Watch. It's identical in design to the Series 6, but it does not have blood oxygen monitoring, it cannot take ECGs, it has a slower S5 chip, and it is available in aluminum only. The SE is priced starting at $279.

Sometimes you might not want certain pictures shot on your iPhone or iPad to be visible in your Photo Library, but for whatever reason, you might not want to outright delete them either. That's why Apple's Photos app includes an option to hide certain photos from the main library.

Prior to iOS 14, this option would hide pictures from the ‌Photos‌ and For You sections of the ‌Photos‌ app, but they would still show up in the Albums section under an album called "Hidden," which wasn't exactly an inconspicuous way of squirreling away private pictures.

With that in mind, Apple has added an option in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 that allows users to hide the Hidden album from the ‌Photos‌ app, quite literally. The following steps run you through the process of hiding a picture and then making sure the Hidden album is concealed in the ‌Photos‌ app.

Once you've completed the steps, the Hidden album won't show up in the ‌‌Photos‌‌ app; just be aware that you'll still see the Hidden album when you use the image picker in third-party apps, so it's not completely invisible from prying eyes.

How to Hide a Photo

1. Launch the Photos app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
2. Tap Select in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Tap the pictures you want to hide.
4. Tap the Share button in the bottom-left corner of the screen. (It looks like a square with an arrow pointing out.)
5. In the Share Sheet's actions menu, select Hide.
   
   

6. Tap the prompt that appears at the bottom of the screen to confirm.

Again, this hides the photo from the general album view, but conspicuously places the photo in an album called "Hidden". To hide that "Hidden" folder in iOS 14:

How to Hide the 'Hidden' Folder in Photos

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and select Photos.
3. Make sure the switch next to Hidden Album is in the grey OFF position.
   

If you ever want your Hidden album to appear in ‌Photos‌ again, go to Settings -> Photos and then toggle the switch next to Hidden Album so that it's in the green ON position.

Note that while the album is hidden in the ‌Photos‌ app, it can appear in the photo picker from 3rd party apps. At best this just makes it harder for casual snoopers from running across your private photos.

Apple this week refreshed its online store with a variety of new products and accessories, including the Razer Kishi gaming controller for iPhone, new wireless charging stands and battery packs from Mophie, and more.

Created in partnership with Gamevice, the Razer Kishi is a dual-sided game controller that attaches to the top and bottom of the iPhone. The controller plugs into the Lightning connector, allowing it to be powered by the iPhone rather than a battery, and this also provides for a low-latency connection.

Priced at $99.95, the Apple-certified controller features a directional pad, two thumbsticks, A-B-X-Y buttons, and shoulder bumpers.

Apple's new Mophie offerings include a 2-in-1 wireless charging stand for an iPhone and Apple Watch, a 3-in-1 wireless charging stand for an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods case, and a few Powerstation battery packs.

Apple is now selling Logitech's Keys-To-Go, a portable Bluetooth keyboard designed for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Retailing for $69.95, the keyboard features a fabric design with soft and silent keys, an attachable iPhone stand, a full row of iOS shortcut keys, and up to three months of battery life on a single charge.

Other accessories added to Apple's online store this week include the Square Stand, the HidrateSpark brushed stainless steel bottle, the JOBY GorillaPod mobile vlogging kit, and more.

After Apple announced its Apple One service bundles at its "Time Flies" event earlier this week, there was uncertainty among some users with older Apple IDs about whether Apple One would work with multiple Apple IDs.

Some users have two Apple IDs, often split between one for iCloud services and one for purchases and subscriptions. This is a result of the fact that the iTunes Store account and Apple's various cloud service accounts were originally separate. As these accounts were eventually upgraded into modern Apple IDs, it left many users with two different Apple IDs. Although Apple allows users to use both accounts on their devices with various workarounds, the problem has never been fully addressed and Apple does not allow users to consolidate multiple accounts.

MacRumors reader Richard raised a potential issue with ‌Apple One‌ and multiple Apple IDs following the announcement of the new service:

I actually have a question after the announcement of the new Apple One subscription. I, like many older Apple users, have two Apple IDs — one for all of my iCloud services and one for all of my purchases, Apple Music subscription, etc.

We all know Apple has failed to allow any type of merging, but has continued to support two Apple IDs. My question for them is, how will that change with Apple One? Because the subscription service offers a subscription for iCloud storage and my other subscriptions, which span across two Apple IDs...

Since ‌Apple One‌ includes subscriptions to services such as Apple Music, which some users will have registered to the Apple ID that was originally their iTunes Store account, and a subscription to ‌iCloud‌ storage, which some users will have registered to the ‌Apple ID‌ that was originally for Apple cloud services, it was not immediately clear if Apple will support multiple Apple IDs for ‌Apple One‌.

Microsoft's Senior Cloud Advocate Christina Warren raised the question on Twitter, and received a reply from Apple's Chris Espinosa, which was spotted by 9to5Mac.

Espinosa, who was Apple's eighth employee and pioneered Apple's Family Sharing feature, which deals with multiple Apple IDs within a family, confirmed that ‌Apple One‌ will manage users with multiple Apple IDs. It is unclear if this will involve any new consolidation of accounts, but the news will placate many users who were concerned about being excluded from ‌Apple One‌.

The launch date of ‌Apple One‌ is as yet unconfirmed, but the service bundles are expected to arrive this fall.

The Apple Watch SE is set to start shipping Friday, September 18, but the first hands-on reviews of Apple's lower-cost wearable are now appearing online. Several journalists and media outlets were provided with review units, and so far Chris Velazco from Engadget and Victoria Song from Gizmodo have shared their opinions after 24-hours with the wearable.

Given that the Apple Watch SE is a lower-cost option that does not introduce any new features, reviews have focused on the balance of features that Apple chose to include in the device. Nonetheless, the Apple Watch SE is being treated as a welcome, good value-for-money option. Song outlined the features that the Apple Watch SE is lacking:

For starters, you're not getting the electrocardiogram app for atrial fibrillation detection or the new blood oxygen-monitoring sensor. You're also not getting the always-on screen that was introduced with the Series 5, the Series 6's faster S6 chip, or the U1 Ultra Wideband chip. From a charging standpoint, the Series 6 will also go from zero to 100% a bit faster at 1.5 hours versus the Watch SE at 2.5 hours. For wifi, the Series 6 supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz, while the SE only supports the former.

In spite of these drawbacks, she was positive about the Apple Watch SE's performance, and said that "you're not giving up as much as you might think."

The S5 chip is, so far, still snappy. I have zero complaints about downloading or launching apps. I'm sure the S6 chip is faster, but the S5 is better than simply "fast enough." So far, the tilt-to-wake responsiveness for the Watch SE's display is also pretty great. I’m not sure if it’s just my memory failing me, but it feels faster than I remember it being on the Series 2, 3, and 4. Perhaps it's the S5 chip?

In terms of performance and battery life Velazco was similarly positive:

In other words, you can expect performance that's in line with what was -- up until just recently -- Apple's flagship wearable. I haven't had the SE long enough to fully test its battery life, but I easily got a full day of use from the Series 5 when it launched, and the SE might last a little longer since it doesn't have an always-on display to worry about.

Song also commented on the lack of always-on display found on the Apple Watch Series 5 and Series 6, but said "I don't feel cheated by not having an always-on display."

Unsurprisingly, the reviews tended to convey some disappointment about the Apple Watch SE lacking advanced health features such as ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, but ultimately resolved that they were not of vital importance. Song said:

ECG and atrial fibrillation notifications are wonderful innovations. But unless you have a heart condition, or are in the at-risk age range for Afib, it's not the most necessary feature. Lacking ECG doesn't mean you won't get the potentially life-saving warnings if your heart rate suddenly skyrockets or plummets beyond your normal range. That's something that comes with watchOS—even the Series 3 has that capability. As for blood oxygen-monitoring... this is also a cool innovation that, generally speaking, wearables companies haven't figured out how to implement in a truly meaningful way just yet... you won't be missing out on the vast majority of what makes an Apple Watch great if you don't have blood oxygen-monitoring.

Velazo echoed the sentiments, saying that Apple Watch SE "still has most of the health-focused features Apple has rolled out in the past few years, like fall detection, alerts for excessive ambient noise, and non-ECG-based heart rate monitoring."

Overall, Velazco described the SE as "a mixed bag of the best parts and features from the last few years of Apple Watch history," and notes that it is "surprisingly similar" to the high-end Apple Watch Series 6. Song said that the Apple Watch SE "feels like an extremely good deal... Apple may have a real affordable winner on its hands."

More detailed, longer-form reviews of the Apple Watch SE will be arriving soon.

First impressions of the Apple Watch Series 6 have now been shared by select media outlets and YouTubers, providing a closer look at the device's new features, including blood oxygen measuring and a brighter always-on display.

Starting with blood oxygen measuring, Engadget's Valentina Palladino noted that the Apple Watch needs to be worn in a certain way to get a successful reading:

It took at roughly seven attempts of fiddling with the placement before I got it to work. Data came most often when the Watch was as far up my arm as my small/medium sports band would allow when secured on the third notch. Apple provides guidelines in the blood oxygen app that explain proper placement, and one of the things it advises is not to position the Watch too low on the wrist.

Palladino suggested that the new Solo Loop band may have been Apple's way of addressing this matter, as it kept the Apple Watch flush against her skin for accurate blood oxygen readings. Apple says the Solo Loop comes in nine sizes to provide an "ultracomfortable" fit, with a wrist sizing guide available on its website.

TechCrunch's Brian Heater was disappointed that the Series 6 continues to have the same advertised 18 hours of battery life as previous models, especially with the addition of sleep tracking. However, during its Time Flies event this week, Apple indicated that the Series 6 can charge 20 percent faster than the Series 5.

The Verge's Dieter Bohn said his favorite new feature is the brighter always-on display, which he described as "very bright." Bohn also offered praise for the new (PRODUCT)RED finish option, which looks quite vibrant in his photos.

Powered by a new S6 chip, Apple says the Series 6 is up to 20 percent faster than the Series 5. Rolling Stone's Brandt Ranj said that in real-world use, the Series 6 feels "incredibly fast," noting that apps load more quickly, Siri feels more responsive, and animations like the closing of Activity rings look a lot smoother.

Additional Impressions:

• David Phelan at Forbes
• Brenda Stolyar at Mashable
• Todd Haselton at CNBC
• Jake Krol at CNN
• Stuart Miles at Pocket-lint

For more, we've also rounded up Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE unboxing videos.

A few days after Apple announced new iPads and Apple Watches, some of these devices have started appearing in the hands of reviewers. In regards to the 10.2-inch iPad, so far Scott Stein from CNET and Chris Velazco from Engadget have shared their opinions on the latest low-cost ‌iPad‌.

Given that this ‌iPad‌ lacks the complete design overhaul seen on the 2020 iPad Air, it's come off as a bit underwhelming in these first hands-on previews. That still doesn't undermine what Velazco described as welcome "extra power" under the hood for the 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌.

That's because of the biggest new addition to the ‌iPad‌: the A12 Bionic chip, leading to a performance boost that was "noticeably smoother" to Velazco, even when gaming.

Multitasking on the 2019 model could feel a little choppy at times, but I haven't noticed any of that yet, even when running two apps side by side with a third in a floating window.

I've also tried a handful of games over the past day, including Redout and Oceanhorn 2 -- two titles that gave last year's model some trouble. Thankfully, none of the little hiccups I ran into with that earlier model have shown up here yet, but that’s not to say they won’t. The A12 packs a redesigned GPU alongside more raw compute power than the A10 Fusion found in last year's iPad, so it’s no surprise that this iPad runs with less fuss.

Stein echoed similar sentiments, noting that while there's not a lot to say about the new ‌iPad‌, the A12 is a "big difference" in comparison with the previous generation. He noted that if you have an ‌iPad‌ that's a few years old, this could definitely be a solid upgrade, particularly if you don't care about the more pro-level features of an iPad Pro or ‌iPad Air‌.

Stein did note a few ongoing gripes with the ‌iPad‌, relating to the lack of USB-C and the lack of compatibility with Apple Pencil 2 (it only supports ‌Apple Pencil‌ 1). Despite these woes, Stein said that this will still likely be the ‌iPad‌ to buy for most consumers, given its cheaper entry point.

Apple's fancy iPad is still a few weeks off. Do you wait for that? It depends on whether you're willing to spend more and you think you'll need the extra processing oomph. The new Air may have a sharper design and could be the best all-around iPad, but it's hard to beat what's essentially last year's iPad Air right in front of me for just $329.

I haven't spent more than a day with the new iPad, so more impressions to come. But there's nothing I've seen so far that changes my previous advice. For most people, this is the iPad to buy.

More hands-on impressions of the newest ‌iPad‌ and Apple Watch models should be coming soon. If you're curious about unboxing videos for the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, we've accumulated some of these right here.

Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE unboxing videos and first impressions have hit the web.

Apple Watch Series 6 is the new high-end model with blood oxygen tracking, a faster S6 chip, a brighter always-on display, a next-generation always-on altimeter, and new casing options like blue aluminum and graphite stainless steel. Pricing starts at $399.

Starting at $279, the lower-cost Apple Watch SE features the same design as the Series 6, but with some features missing, including an always-on display, blood oxygen tracking, and the ECG app for detecting atrial fibrillation. Apple Watch SE is also powered by the previous-generation S5 chip from the Apple Watch Series 5.

Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE share a handful of features, including fall detection, a compass, an always-on altimeter, Emergency SOS with international emergency calling, high and low heart rate notifications, irregular heart rhythm notifications, water resistance up to 50 meters, the Noise app, and compatibility with watchOS 7.

Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE are available to pre-order now and will begin arriving to customers and select stores on Friday.

For a more detailed look at the Apple Watch Series 6, read our reviews roundup.

Twelve South today added a new iMac stand to its product lineup, this one called the "Curve Riser," matching the aesthetic of the company's existing Curve MacBook stand. The new accessory is priced at $79.99.

The Curve Riser is made out of metal and includes a fixed-height structure with a shelf for accessory storage. The stand can accomodate an ‌iMac‌, ‌iMac‌ Pro, or external display.

Twelve South noted that thanks to the Curve Riser's ventilated design, it's perfect for storing powered hubs, external drives, a Mac mini, and more.

Previous Twelve South ‌iMac‌ stands, like the HiRise Pro, included a front panel to hide its internal shelf, and let users adjust the height of the ‌iMac‌. The Curve Riser doesn't support these features, and is being sold at a cheaper price to reflect its more simple design.

You can purchase the Curve Riser today on Twelve South's website for $79.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Twelve South. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

On Apple Watch models running watchOS 7 and later, Apple includes a Battery Health feature that's similar to the one found on iPhones and iPads running iOS 11.3 and later.

In basic terms, Battery Health provides information about the state of the device's battery and includes an option called "Optimized Battery Charging," which is designed to extend the total battery life of your Apple Watch.

When enabled, Optimized Battery Charging learns from your personal device habits and waits to finish charging all the way up until you need your ‌Apple Watch.

For example, if you regularly charge up your watch at night while you're asleep, the device may opt to limit its charging to the 80 percent mark, and then wait for an hour or so before you wake up to charge the remaining 20 percent.

This keeps your watch at an optimal capacity for battery health by reducing the amount of time that it's sat on the charger at 100 percent charged, which can reduce its life over time.

Optimized charging is designed to activate only in locations where you spend the most time, such as your home and place of work. The feature doesn't turn on when your usage habits are more variable, such as when you travel.

Make Your Watch Fully Charge Before It's Scheduled to Do So

You can make your watch charge to full before it's scheduled to do so by following these steps.

1. Make sure your Apple Watch is connected to its charger.
2. Tap your watch to show the charging screen, then tap the circle with the green or yellow charging icon.
3. Tap Charge to Full Now.

How to Turn Off Optimized Battery Charging

Optimized Battery Charging is enabled by default on an Apple Watch running watchOS 7. If you need your Apple Watch fully charged sooner than normal and you want to disable Optimized Battery Charging, follow these simple steps.

1. Press the Digital Crown on your Apple Watch to bring up the App View.
2. Select the Settings app.
3. Scroll down and select Battery.
   
   

4. Scroll down and select Battery Health.
5. Tap the switch next to Optimized Battery Charging to turn it to the grey OFF position.
6. Tap Turn Off or Turn Off Until Tomorrow.
   

To re-enable Optimized Battery Charging on your Apple Watch at any time, simply repeat the above steps and toggle the switch to the green ON position.

Checking the Health of Your Apple Watch Battery

Notice that the Battery Health screen contains useful additional information about the status of your Apple Watch battery, which you can use to decide if it needs replacing.

The "Maximum Capacity" percentage gives you a measure of battery capacity compared to when your battery was brand new. If the maximum capacity percentage falls, you'll likely get less usage out of your Apple Watch between charges. In other words, it's an indicator of how your battery is performing overall and directly correlates with how long your ‌watch will last on a single charge.

• How to Optimize Battery Charging on iPhone and iPad

Help Optimized Charging Identify Locations

Optimized charging is designed to activate only in locations where you spend the most time, such as your home and place of work. The feature doesn't turn on when your usage habits are more variable, such as when you travel.

To help Optimized Battery Charging identify situations where it shouldn't be used, turn on the following location settings in the Settings app on your Apple Watch:

• Privacy -> Location Services -> Location Services
• Privacy > Location Services > System Services > System Customization
• Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations > Significant Locations

The location information for this feature remains on your watch and none of it is sent to Apple.

Apple on Wednesday released watchOS 7 to the public, and the latest operating system for compatible Apple Watch models also brought ECG and irregular heart rhythm notifications to users in Colombia, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for the first time.

‌Apple Watch‌ Series 4, 5, and 6 users can generate an ECG waveform in just 30 seconds by placing their finger on the Digital Crown. The idea is that you can take this information to your doctor, if the results are abnormal, and use it as a basis to discover if you have any larger issues at hand.

The irregular rhythm notification feature also intermittently checks heart rhythms in the background and sends a notification if an irregular heart rhythm is identified that could potentially be atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Atrial fibrillation is a health condition that often goes undiagnosed, so ECG app and heart rhythm alerts on Apple Watch will be highly useful for detecting early signs of disease. ECG readings also normally require a full ECG machine and a visit to the doctor, which is far less convenient than a reading taken with the Apple Watch.

Apple routinely has to gain approval from government health agencies before marketing the ‌Apple Watch‌'s ECG feature in different countries. Apple won U.S. FDA clearance to promote the function when the ‌Apple Watch‌ Series 4 launched in 2018.

Apple in iOS and iPadOS 14 is allowing third-party apps to be set as alternatives to the default mail and browser apps on iPhone and iPad, and developers with of browser and mail apps are implementing support now that the updates are available.

Privacy-focused browser DuckDuckGo is now able to be set as the default browser app on the ‌iPhone‌ and the ‌iPad‌, serving as an alternative to Safari. With DuckDuckGo set as the default, links that you tap on an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ will open in DuckDuckGo instead of Safari.

In a blog post, DuckDuckGo says that setting the DuckDuckGo browser of default will provide protection from trackers by blocking third-party tracking requests outright as well as offering greater privacy for web searches and browsing.

DuckDuckGo can be set as the default browser app by installing DuckDuckGo from the App Store, opening up the Settings app, selecting DuckDuckGo in the apps list, and then tapping on Default Browser App.

Chrome and Microsoft Edge have also implemented support for iOS 14 and can be set as default browser apps as well.

There's also a new DuckDuckGo search widget that can be installed on the Home Screen of the ‌iPhone‌.

Apple yesterday announced the Apple Watch Series 6 with a new sensor that enables blood oxygen monitoring capabilities, but Apple did not clarify which countries the feature would be available in.

Some health capabilities, like ECG and irregular heart rate notifications, have been limited in availability because of regulatory requirements, but it appears that those requirements don't apply to the blood oxygen monitoring feature.

According to the Apple Watch Feature Availability page, blood oxygen monitoring is available in more than 100 countries, suggesting there are no health-related regulatory issues that Apple has to overcome. A support document on using blood oxygen monitoring does mention that it's only available in "certain countries and regions," however, so there may be some omissions.

Those who are interested in purchasing an Apple Watch Series 6 specifically for the feature should double check the availability page to make sure blood oxygen monitoring is supported in their country.

Measuring blood oxygen with the Apple Watch Series 6 is done through the new Blood Oxygen app. It uses a series of red and green LEDs and infrared light to measure the amount of light reflected by the skin, with advanced algorithms using this data to calculate the color of the blood to derive the blood oxygen level. Bright red blood has more oxygen, while darker red blood has less.

The Apple Watch Series 6 is available for purchase from Apple's online store, with orders set to arrive starting this Friday.