October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsPC HealthRecommendedCrashes, freezes, slowdowns? Check your PC nowSpot repairable issues before they interrupt work.Check PCOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
WatchRanker
Search
For vendors
Blood Oxygen

How to Measure Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂) With a Galaxy Watch or Ring

Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring can track SpO₂ mainly during sleep. Follow the correct Samsung Health steps, improve sensor contact, and know when a fingertip oximeter or medical advice is more appropriate.

By WatchRanker Team 6 min read
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring can track blood oxygen (SpO₂), mainly during sleep. Your Galaxy phone usually displays and stores the wearable’s readings rather than measuring oxygen by itself. Daytime spot checks are model- and region-dependent, so a missing Blood oxygen option may be expected.

Before you start

  • Identify whether you have a Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Ring, or phone only.
  • Update Samsung Health, Galaxy Wearable, and the wearable software.
  • Pair the watch or ring with a compatible phone.
  • Remember that Samsung Health and Samsung Health Monitor are different apps with different model, software, country, and regulatory availability. Samsung’s compatibility details are at Samsung Health Monitor support.

Measure blood oxygen during sleep with a Galaxy Watch

Enable the feature on the watch

  1. Open Samsung Health on the Galaxy Watch.
  2. Swipe to or tap Settings.
  3. Turn on Blood oxygen during sleep.
  4. Wear the watch securely for the full sleep period.
  5. The next morning, open the Sleep tile and review the oxygen percentage. Where offered, tap Show on phone for more detail in Samsung Health.

These labels come from Samsung’s current U.S. instructions; menus can differ by model, country, and software version (Samsung’s Watch instructions).

Newer Watch7 and Watch Ultra phone path

  1. Open Samsung Health on the connected phone.
  2. Tap Sleep, then More options (⋮).
  3. Tap Advanced measurement.
  4. Enable Blood oxygen.
  5. Wear the watch overnight and return to Sleep the next day.

Samsung documents this route for Galaxy Watch7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra, not as a universal path for every watch (Samsung’s newer-model guide).

Measure blood oxygen with a Galaxy Ring

  1. Open Galaxy Wearable on your phone.
  2. Tap Sleep.
  3. Tap More options (⋮), then Advanced measurement.
  4. Enable Blood oxygen.
  5. Wear the ring while sleeping.
  6. Review the result in Galaxy Wearable or Samsung Health.

Galaxy Ring’s documented oxygen workflow is sleep tracking, not a guaranteed daytime spot check (Samsung Ring instructions).

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
#1 Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (2025), Graphite, 40mm, Bluetooth Smartwatch
  • WHY GALAXY WATCH8: Advanced health and sleep tracking features.* A lighter, more snug design for all day comfort.* Improved user interface.* Personal AI assistant for hands free help.⁴* 2-Year Warranty.
  • SLEEP SMARTER. LIVE BETTER: Energize your days with a great night’s rest using Advanced Sleep Coaching¹ - improved with even more ways to keep your nights on track. Plus, Bedtime Guidance² helps you find your optimal bedtime.
  • YOUR RUN, YOUR COACH: Step up your running routine with a Running Coach³ that analyzes your performance and gives you real-time feedback. Training for an event? Try specific programs built for 5Ks, marathons and more.
  • NEW DESIGN. LIGHTWEIGHT FEEL: Maximize your days with a minimalist design. The sleek, thinner-than-ever silhouette makes Galaxy Watch8 look as good as it functions. With a snug fit and sporty style, it gives you readings without getting in your way.
  • A PERSONAL ASSISTANT, RIGHT ON YOUR WRIST: Your Watch just became your personal assistant.⁴ Stay one step ahead of your day with a watch that helps you navigate your tasks and to-do lists.

Can you take a daytime SpO₂ reading?

Some Galaxy Watch models and regional software expose a manual reading. On the Galaxy Watch3, Samsung documents Samsung Health → Blood oxygen; follow the positioning and stillness prompts (Watch3 guide). This tile is not guaranteed on current watches. If you cannot find it, your model, region, software, or Samsung Health interface may not support manual measurement.

A Galaxy phone alone should not be assumed to measure SpO₂. Samsung describes compatible Galaxy wearables as the source of blood-oxygen tracking in Samsung Health (Samsung Health tracking overview). Without a supported wearable, use a suitable fingertip pulse oximeter instead.

Improve the quality of a reading

  • Keep still and relax the arm.
  • Wear the watch snugly, without painful pressure; keep the sensor against clean, dry skin and away from the wrist bone.
  • Warm cold skin before relying on a result.
  • Clean the sensor and skin. Movement, a damaged or dirty sensor, cold or very dry skin, tattoos, and hair can interfere with optical measurements (Samsung measurement guidance).
  • For a resting baseline, wait until after vigorous exercise.
  • Repeat an unexpected value rather than treating one isolated number as definitive.

The FDA also notes that circulation, skin pigmentation, skin thickness, temperature, tobacco use, and nail polish can affect pulse-oximeter readings (FDA pulse-oximeter basics). Those factors matter broadly to optical measurements, but they do not establish a specific accuracy rate for every Galaxy model.

Rank #2
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (2025), Silver, 40mm, Bluetooth Smartwatch
  • WHY GALAXY WATCH8: Advanced health and sleep tracking features.* A lighter, more snug design for all day comfort.* Improved user interface.* Personal AI assistant for hands free help.⁴* 2-Year Warranty.
  • SLEEP SMARTER. LIVE BETTER: Energize your days with a great night’s rest using Advanced Sleep Coaching¹ - improved with even more ways to keep your nights on track. Plus, Bedtime Guidance² helps you find your optimal bedtime.
  • YOUR RUN, YOUR COACH: Step up your running routine with a Running Coach³ that analyzes your performance and gives you real-time feedback. Training for an event? Try specific programs built for 5Ks, marathons and more.
  • NEW DESIGN. LIGHTWEIGHT FEEL: Maximize your days with a minimalist design. The sleek, thinner-than-ever silhouette makes Galaxy Watch8 look as good as it functions. With a snug fit and sporty style, it gives you readings without getting in your way.
  • A PERSONAL ASSISTANT, RIGHT ON YOUR WRIST: Your Watch just became your personal assistant.⁴ Stay one step ahead of your day with a watch that helps you navigate your tasks and to-do lists.

What the SpO₂ number means

SpO₂ is an estimate of peripheral blood oxygen saturation, shown as a percentage; many pulse oximeters also show pulse rate. The FDA says readings for most healthy people are commonly 95%–100%, although altitude and heart or lung conditions can produce lower personal baselines (FDA guidance).

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
  • 95%–100%: Common in many healthy people, but not a universal target.
  • Below your usual baseline: Repeat under good conditions and consider symptoms.
  • Persistently low, falling, or accompanied by serious or worsening symptoms: Contact a healthcare professional.

Do not diagnose hypoxemia, pneumonia, asthma or COPD deterioration, or sleep apnea from Samsung Health data. The FDA advises interpreting readings with symptoms and other clinical information.

Galaxy wearable versus a fingertip pulse oximeter

Option Best suited to Important limitation
Galaxy Watch Overnight trends plus smartwatch and fitness features Samsung states the watch is not approved by a regulatory body as a pulse oximeter.
Galaxy Ring Overnight sleep tracking in a less watch-like form Documented oxygen workflow is primarily during sleep.
Dedicated fingertip oximeter Daytime spot checks or clinician-directed monitoring Still has optical-sensor limitations and cannot diagnose a condition by itself.

Samsung’s sleep-apnea instructions say the feature uses relative overnight oxygen decreases to look for signs of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea; it is not a diagnosis or replacement for treatment or a sleep study (Samsung Health Monitor; U.S. instructions for use). The FDA lists Samsung’s sleep-apnea authorization entry, DEN230041, dated February 6, 2024, but authorization of that feature does not turn ordinary watch SpO₂ readings into clinical pulse-oximeter measurements (FDA device listing).

Rank #3
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (2025), Graphite, 44mm, Bluetooth Smartwatch
  • WHY GALAXY WATCH8: Advanced health and sleep tracking features.* A lighter, more snug design for all day comfort.* Improved user interface.* Personal AI assistant for hands free help.⁴* 2-Year Warranty.
  • SLEEP SMARTER. LIVE BETTER: Energize your days with a great night’s rest using Advanced Sleep Coaching¹ - improved with even more ways to keep your nights on track. Plus, Bedtime Guidance² helps you find your optimal bedtime.
  • YOUR RUN, YOUR COACH: Step up your running routine with a Running Coach³ that analyzes your performance and gives you real-time feedback. Training for an event? Try specific programs built for 5Ks, marathons and more.
  • NEW DESIGN. LIGHTWEIGHT FEEL: Maximize your days with a minimalist design. The sleek, thinner-than-ever silhouette makes Galaxy Watch8 look as good as it functions. With a snug fit and sporty style, it gives you readings without getting in your way.
  • A PERSONAL ASSISTANT, RIGHT ON YOUR WRIST: Your Watch just became your personal assistant.⁴ Stay one step ahead of your day with a watch that helps you navigate your tasks and to-do lists.

Troubleshoot missing or implausible results

“I cannot find Blood oxygen”

  • Check whether the Watch or Ring model supports the feature.
  • Look in the correct app: Samsung Health for many tracking features, Galaxy Wearable for Ring settings, and Samsung Health Monitor for separate supported functions.
  • Install software updates and verify pairing.
  • Check country and regional availability.
  • Some devices offer oxygen only during sleep, while others may expose a manual tile.

“There is no overnight data”

  • Confirm blood oxygen was enabled before sleep.
  • Wear the device for the sleep period with secure sensor contact.
  • Check battery level and whether charging interrupted tracking.
  • Sync the phone and wearable after waking.

“The value looks unusually low”

  1. Sit still and repeat it.
  2. Check fit, sensor cleanliness, skin temperature, and movement.
  3. Compare the result with your normal baseline and symptoms.
  4. If a spot check is important, use an appropriately labeled fingertip oximeter.
  5. Contact a healthcare professional when readings remain concerning or symptoms are serious or worsening.

Do not ignore symptoms because a wearable number appears normal. Conversely, do not diagnose an emergency from one Galaxy reading.

“My watch and oximeter disagree”

They may measure at different sites and times. Wrist fit, motion, and circulation can affect a wearable, while fingertip devices also have limitations. Repeat both at rest under comparable conditions. Persistent clinically important disagreement belongs with a healthcare professional, not a choice of the more reassuring number.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

When a phone, wearable, or clinical device is the right choice

  • Watch owner: Enable sleep tracking first; investigate a manual tile only if your model provides one.
  • Ring owner: Treat it as an overnight trend tool unless Samsung explicitly documents another mode for your model.
  • Phone-only user: A compatible wearable or separate pulse oximeter is needed for a supported oxygen measurement.
  • Medical monitoring: Follow prescribed equipment and clinical instructions for respiratory or cardiac disease, oxygen therapy, suspected sleep apnea, or treatment decisions.

When to seek medical help

Seek urgent medical care for serious or worsening symptoms such as severe breathlessness, chest pain, confusion, or bluish lips, regardless of what the Galaxy device reports. For persistent concerning readings without an emergency, contact a healthcare professional and bring the trend, measurement conditions, and symptoms. A Galaxy wearable is wellness and trend information, not a substitute for clinical assessment, blood-gas testing, sleep testing, or prescribed monitoring.

Rank #4
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic 42mm Smartwatch GPS Bluetooth WiFi - Black
  • Display: 1.2" (30.44mm) Circular Super AMOLED (396x396 pixels). Full Color Always On Display. Corning Gorilla Glass DX.
  • Exynos W920 Dual Core 1.18GHz
  • Sensor: Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor, Optical Heart Rate Sensor, Electrical heart sensor, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Sensor, Hall sensor
  • Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz
  • Wear OS Powered by Samsung. Compatible with Android 6.0 or higher
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Samsung Galaxy phone measure oxygen without a watch or Ring?

Do not assume it can. Current Samsung Health blood-oxygen tracking is generally supplied by a compatible wearable; use a suitable fingertip pulse oximeter if you need a standalone spot check.

Does every Galaxy Watch measure SpO₂?

No. Support, sleep-only versus manual modes, menus, and Samsung Health Monitor features vary by model, software, country, and region.

Can Galaxy Ring measure oxygen during the day?

Samsung’s documented Galaxy Ring workflow measures blood oxygen during sleep. Do not assume a daytime spot-check mode unless your current app explicitly provides one.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Best Value
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Bluetooth Smartwatch with ECG Heart Monitor, Tracker for Health, Fitness, Running, Sleep Tracking, GPS Fall Detection, US Version, SM-R860NZKAXAA, Black
  • BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS: Galaxy Watch4 is the first smartwatch to off body composition data right on your wrist, On your own schedule, now you can get readings on body fat, skeletal muscle, body water, basal metabolic rate, and Body Mass Index.Supported Application:Heart Rate Monitor,Sleep Monitor,Fitness Tracker. Connectivity technology:LTE,Bluetooth,GPS. Wireless comm standard:Bluetooth
  • BETTER SLEEP STARTS HERE: Wake up feeling refreshed and recharged with advanced sleep tracking; When you go to bed, your Galaxy Watch4 sleep tracker starts monitoring your sleep and SpO2 levels continuously
  • BE SMART ABOUT YOUR HEART: Take care of your heart with accurate ECG monitoring and keep an eye on possible atrial fibrillation, a common form of irregular heart rhythm; Share personalized readings with your doctor using the Samsung Health Monitor app on your compatible Galaxy phone
  • MAKE EVERY WORKOUT COUNT: Get the most out of every exercise session with advanced workout tracking that recognizes 6 popular activities, from running to rowing to swimming, automatically in just 3 minutes; Stay motivated by connecting to live coaching sessions via your smartphone or to dynamic Group Challenges with your friends
  • GO THE EXTRA MILE: Improve your runs with advanced running coaching technology; VO2 Max readings assess your oxygen levels to manage and track your heart and lung endurance

Is Galaxy Watch SpO₂ medically accurate?

Samsung says the watch is not approved by a regulatory body as a pulse oximeter. Treat readings as wellness or trend information, not a clinical measurement.

Does blood oxygen during sleep diagnose sleep apnea?

No. Samsung’s sleep-apnea feature looks for signs of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and does not replace diagnosis, treatment, or a sleep study.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Journal

Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.