The Series 12 runs the same App Store as the Series 9, 10 and 11, so no app is exclusive to it. What is new is underneath: a heart sensor that reads every 5 seconds, a daily Readiness score, and faster charging. That makes health and recovery apps the most interesting place to start. Games run the same as on last year's watch, and we say so for each one.
What's new on the Series 12
- S11 chip. Apple's newest watch chip. Readiness, the new daily score, only runs on watches with it.
- Heart rate every 5 seconds. The new Health Sensing System reads your heart rate every 5 seconds all day, and heart-rate variability (HRV) as often as every 5 minutes.
- Readiness score. A daily score from 0 to 10, built from your activity, sleep, vitals and recovery, with one of four suggestions: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready or Go For It.
- Same battery, faster charging. Still up to 24 hours, or 38 hours in Low Power Mode. A 15-minute charge now gives up to 12 hours of use.
- Tougher glass and a ceramic case. Aluminium models get Ceramic Shield 2. Titanium and ceramic models use sapphire. Ceramic is back as a case option, in pearl white and night blue.
- Price. From $399 for the 42mm aluminium model and $449 for 46mm. It went on sale on September 18, 2026.
What has not changed: the 24-hour battery, the display and the 64GB of storage are the same as the Series 11. If an app ran well on your old watch, it will run the same here.
Best apps for the Series 12
Health and recovery first, because that is where the Series 12 is actually different. Then the everyday apps worth a spot on any new watch.
1. Readiness, Vitals and Sleep (built in)
Price: Free
Before you install anything, look at what is already on the watch. Vitals checks your overnight heart rate, breathing rate, wrist temperature and blood oxygen, and Sleep gives each night a score out of 100.
On the Series 12: Readiness is the one feature here that a Series 11 cannot get. It needs the S11 chip, so Series 12 and Ultra 4 are the only watches that show it.
2. Athlytic
Price: Free, Pro $29.99/year
Athlytic turns your heart data into three numbers: Recovery, Exertion and Energy Battery. All three work as complications, and during a workout the watch shows your live heart-rate zones.
On the Series 12: Readiness now covers the basic idea for free. Athlytic is still worth it if you want the detail behind the score, such as how hard each workout was and how your recovery trends over weeks. The useful parts are in Pro.
3. Gentler Streak
Price: Free, Premium $39.99/year
Gentler Streak suggests how hard to work out each day based on your recent effort, and you can scale the suggestion up or down from the watch. Apple named it Apple Watch App of the Year in 2022.
On the Series 12: It pairs well with Readiness: Apple tells you whether today is a push day, and Gentler Streak suggests what to actually do.
4. AutoSleep
Price: $9.99 one-time
AutoSleep tracks sleep on its own, with no button to press. The watch app adds a smart alarm and complications that show last night's sleep on your watch face.
On the Series 12: The faster charging helps here. A 15-minute charge while you shower gives up to 12 hours, so wearing the watch to bed is easier than it used to be.
5. Strava
Price: Free, subscription $79.99/year
Strava records runs, rides and walks on the watch without your iPhone. Subscribers also get Live Segments on the wrist, which show whether you are ahead of or behind your best time on a stretch of road.
On the Series 12: Outdoor workouts now last up to 10 hours on a charge, which Apple says is 25% longer than Series 11.
6. Carrot Weather
Price: Free, Premium $19.99/year
Carrot lets you choose your forecast source, from Apple Weather to AccuWeather and Foreca. On the watch you pick exactly which data points show and follow incoming rain as a Live Activity.
On the Series 12: The always-on display keeps a weather complication readable with your wrist down. Complications need Premium.
7. Overcast
Price: Free, optional Premium
Overcast downloads podcast episodes to the watch or streams them over cellular, so you can leave the phone at home. Downloaded episodes keep Smart Speed and Voice Boost.
On the Series 12: Cellular Series 12 models support 5G RedCap as well as LTE, so streaming away from Wi-Fi works on the watch alone.
Best games for the Series 12
Watch games are small by design: a few minutes, a glance, a notification. None of them needs the S11 chip. These are the ones that are still on sale, have a real watch app, and suit short sessions.
1. Belly
Price: Free, optional cosmetics
A pixel cat that lives on your watch. You feed it, play with it and dress it up with hand-drawn outfits and backgrounds. It reads your steps from Apple Health, so walking keeps it happy. It runs on the watch alone, with no iPhone needed and no ads.
On the Series 12: Belly's complications put the cat on your watch face, and the always-on display keeps it there with your wrist down. Belly does not use Readiness or the new heart sensors; it only reads steps.
2. Lifeline
Price: $2.99
A text adventure told through notifications. A stranded astronaut messages you, and you choose what they do next. Hours can pass between messages, which is the point: it fits around your day.
On the Series 12: It is mostly reading, so it plays the same on any watch. The 46mm screen fits more text per message.
3. Trivia Crack
Price: Free
The popular quiz game, with a watch app for quick rounds when you have a minute.
On the Series 12: Free, and updated in October 2026, so it is actively maintained.
4. Tiny Armies
Price: $0.99
A small turn-based strategy game sized for the wrist. Battles take a few minutes.
On the Series 12: Updated in July 2026, and a one-time price with nothing else to buy.
5. 2048
Price: Free
The sliding-number puzzle, with a watch version you swipe on.
On the Series 12: A 4x4 grid is easier to swipe accurately on the larger 46mm screen.
6. Rules!
Price: $2.99
A fast puzzle game where the rules change every few rounds and you have to remember them all.
On the Series 12: Still on sale, but its last update was in March 2024, so it is not being actively developed.
Series 12 or Series 11?
If you already own a Series 11, apps are not a reason to upgrade. Everything on this page runs on both. The Series 12 is for people who want Readiness and the all-day heart sensing, or who are coming from a Series 9 or older and want the faster charging and tougher glass.
If you want the bigger battery and screen, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 has the same S11 chip and Readiness score, with up to 50 hours of battery.
How we picked
Every app and game here has a watch app, confirmed on its US App Store listing in October 2026, along with its price. Series 12 specs come from Apple's September 2026 announcement. We left out apps whose watch version only controls your phone. Prices can change.