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Apple Watch adds an all-new Readiness app, here’s how it works

2026-09-15 | original

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Why This Matters

Apple is introducing a new Readiness app exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, leveraging upgraded health sensors to give users a daily fitness readiness score. This matters because it signals Apple's continued push into personalized health analytics, but also reinforces a strategy of tying new software features to hardware upgrades, pressuring consumers to buy the latest devices to access cutting-edge health tools.

Key Takeaways

The Readiness app is exclusive to Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 due to new sensor hardware, not available on older models even with watchOS 27.
The app scores users 0-10 across four categories—Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, and Go For It—based on activity, vitals, and sleep data.
This release highlights Apple's pattern of using hardware-software integration to encourage upgrades, a common strategy that could shape consumer purchasing decisions.

Worth a Look

Apple Watch Series 12 — This is the exact device needed to unlock the new Readiness app, thanks to its upgraded optical and electrical sensors. If you're excited about deeper health and fitness insights straight from your wrist, the Series 12 is the way to experience it firsthand.

See Apple Watch Series 12 on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.

Apple Watch is gaining an all-new health-related app called Readiness. Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s new fitness-focused Readiness app.

Readiness app for Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4

Apple’s new Readiness app is part of the upgraded Health Sensing System on Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4.

“Redesigned with more capable optical and electrical sensors and larger, more power-efficient green LEDs, the sensing system unlocks deeper health and fitness insights,” Apple says.

The new hardware helps inform Apple’s new Readiness app. For that reason, you’ll need to upgrade to a Series 12 or Ultra 4 to experience the new Apple Watch app.

The new watches are available to pre-order now ahead of release on Friday.

Before the Readiness app actually arrives, you can see it in action in a few places.

First, the App Store listing is already live. This is to support redownloading the pre-installed app on Series 12 and Ultra 4 watches in case the app is deleted.

However, you still need a new Apple Watch to unlock the app. It’s not included on Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3, or SE 3 and earlier, even with watchOS 27.

This is from the App Store description:

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