Apple Ditches Health Coach for Individual Features

Apple Inc. is reportedly winding down its virtual health coach initiative, internally known as Health+, a project code-named Mulberry. This decision comes as the company rethinks its approach to the growing wellness services market. Features originally planned for the AI-powered coach will be rolled out individually over time within Apple's Health app.

This strategic pivot follows a leadership shift in Apple's health division, with services chief Eddy Cue now overseeing the area. Cue has reportedly expressed a need for Apple to accelerate its efforts and enhance competitiveness, noting that newer rivals offer more compelling features. Consequently, the company is considering changes to other services like Apple Fitness+.

Apple had invested years in developing the AI-driven service, aiming to provide detailed health reports and AI-driven recommendations. The initiative also included building a content studio in Oakland, California, for educational videos. Some of this video content and capabilities, such as suggestions based on existing Health app data, are expected to be repurposed and introduced as early as this year. Other features, like analyzing gait using the iPhone camera, remain in development.

Additional health efforts include an AI chatbot for user inquiries about well-being and integration of an advanced Siri chatbot with iOS 27 for health-related queries. The company also continues to develop health features for its devices and is working on a noninvasive glucose sensor.