The watchOS 27 Readiness app could be the Apple Watch’s most interesting new feature. It’s still hiding in unreleased beta code, with no interface in sight. But clues suggest it could reshape how your wrist tracks recovery.
The Readiness app is just one of the many finds recently pulled from watchOS 27’s code. Beta references also point toward deeper strength-training data and a possible storage bump for future Apple Watch models.
watchOS 27 Readiness app hints at a new health experience
Since its debut, Apple Watch has increasingly focused on health and fitness, evolving from a device primarily designed to display notifications and track activity into a powerful health companion. Apple has added features such as ECG, blood oxygen measurements, sleep tracking and the Vitals app, giving users a growing picture of their overall health and exercise habits.
A dedicated Readiness feature would be a natural next step in that evolution, helping users understand not just what they’ve done but how prepared they are for their next workout. The unreleased software was discovered by MacRumors forum member pdfu, who has a track record of digging through Apple’s beta code and discovering interesting nuggets. Internally, Apple is said to have referred to the project as both “Readiness” and “Cobalt.”
Apple seems to have built the Readiness app from the ground up. It’s separate from the existing Vitals app. In the watchOS 27 beta, it appears right after the Workout app in the default Home Screen layout.
But the app itself hasn’t shipped in any beta yet. That means nobody outside Apple knows what it does. Still, its placement next to Workout suggests it might have something to do with recovery.
The Readiness app could track training load or how ready your body is for the next session. Apple already offers some of that context through Vitals and Activity, but nothing this dedicated currently exists on the Apple Watch.
Strength workouts could get deeper tracking
Alongside Readiness, Apple appears to be rebuilding how the Watch logs strength training. Code changes suggest a single workout could store multiple sets, with each carrying its own weight, reps, equipment and duration.
However, the feature isn’t functional as of now. Developers cannot create these detailed workout records in the current builds. This means it may not be ready in time for the Apple Watch Series 12 launch on Wednesday.
128GB storage hints appear in Watch firmware, but stay skeptical
The watchOS 27 beta firmware also includes a storage profile tied to the T8320 chip. That chip has long been tied to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4. And it is labeled in such a way that it maps to roughly 128GB of storage.
But take this with a huge grain of salt. Last year’s watchOS 26 included both 64GB and 128GB storage profiles. Only the latter survived into watchOS 27. This could mean Apple settled on 128GB as the new baseline. Or it might simply mean Apple hasn’t finished testing yet.
Apple is expected to unveil the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 on September 9, alongside new iPhones. If any of these features are real, we won’t be guessing much longer.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
