Apple has recently unveiled the initial public beta of iOS 26.4, which brings a variety of updates and fresh features, especially within the Health app. This article emphasizes two major alterations: upgrades to the Vitals metric and advancements in sleep tracking.
### Apple Health Introduces Two New Insights with iOS 26.4
In January 2024, Apple eliminated the Blood Oxygen feature from the Apple Watch due to a legal conflict with health tech firm Masimo. Following this, a redesigned variant of the feature was released in August 2025, enabling users to obtain Blood Oxygen measurements on their Apple Watch and review the outcomes on their iPhone, though not directly on the watch.
Notwithstanding this redesign, Blood Oxygen measurements were excluded from the Vitals overview within the Health app, where users could only view it as an isolated metric. With the arrival of iOS 26.4, Apple has reinstated Blood Oxygen measurements within the Vitals graph, empowering users to track five essential metrics: heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen, and sleep duration, all in a single comprehensive chart.
### Enhancements in Sleep Tracking
Alongside the updates to the Vitals metric, iOS 26.4 introduces a novel sleep tracking capability. Users can now view a breakdown of their bedtime over the last two weeks. This new Sleep Highlight feature offers an average bedtime as well as a comparison to the previous night’s bedtime, helping users gain a clearer insight into their sleep patterns.
For further details about the updates in iOS 26.4 beta 1, users can consult the complete guide available for developers and public beta testers.
These improvements to the Health app demonstrate Apple’s continued dedication to enhancing user health monitoring and delivering valuable insights into personal wellness.