Apple looks to dethrone MyFitnessPal and Noom with AI-powered food tracking

Apple is gearing up to challenge popular food-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal and Noom with some big upgrades to its Health app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter. Set to launch as soon as iOS 19.4 next year, Apple's new plan involves stepping into nutrition tracking in a big way, powered by AI and personalized guidance.

Right now, Apple's Health app only does the basics—things like tracking your caffeine or carbs. It’s pretty limited compared to apps like MyFitnessPal, known for detailed calorie counting and a huge food database, or Noom, which helps users lose weight by changing eating habits. Apple clearly wants a slice of this pie and is planning to make its Health app much smarter.

Here’s what Gurman says you can expect from Apple's upcoming food-tracking features:

• Easier and smarter food logging
• AI-powered meal ideas and personalized nutrition tips
• Engaging videos from dietitians and nutrition pros
• Seamless integration with data from your Apple Watch and iPhone
• Tailored advice based on your personal health and fitness goals

These new features, which are part of the internally known Project Mulberry, isn't just about counting calories—it's about using all your device data to give you genuinely helpful food advice. Apple wants the app to be more interactive, personalized, and actually connected to your day-to-day life, looking at everything from how active you are to how well you're sleeping.

To make sure this new nutrition focus is a success, Apple is even setting up a special facility near Oakland, California, to film expert content with top nutritionists and healthcare professionals. The idea is to give users friendly, informative videos that explain the nutritional guidance clearly and effectively.

Still, Apple has tough competitors. MyFitnessPal already has a loyal following because of its massive food database and active community support. Noom, on the other hand, has been successful by focusing on psychological aspects of dieting and behavior changes.

Considering Apple's previous ups and downs with health innovations, there's plenty of reason to stay cautiously hopeful. But if Apple nails this, it could seriously shake things up in the nutrition-tracking market. It'll be interesting to see if Apple’s famous easy-to-use approach combined with advanced AI can really deliver something fresh and exciting. Definitely worth watching as we get closer to next year's release.