- Apple has paused plans for a standalone AI health coach called Mulberry
- Features will now roll out gradually inside the Health app
- Stronger competition is pushing Apple to move faster in wellness software
- AI health tools and smarter Siri features are still coming over time
Apple has quietly pulled back from one of its most ambitious health initiatives yet. The company has scaled down plans for an AI driven virtual health coach that was once positioned as a major leap forward for its wellness ecosystem.
Instead of launching a standalone service, Apple is now choosing a slower, more modular path that reflects both growing competition and a change in leadership philosophy.
The project, known internally as Mulberry and later Health Plus, was designed to be Apple’s most comprehensive health service to date.
It would have combined data from Apple Watch sensors, lab reports, surveys, and behavioral patterns to generate personalized health insights and recommendations. That vision has not disappeared entirely, but its form has changed significantly.
A bold idea meets a more cautious reality
For years, Apple has expanded the health capabilities of its devices. Features such as heart rhythm notifications, sleep tracking, and alerts for potential medical conditions have helped position the Apple Watch as a powerful health companion.
The AI health coach was meant to go further by actively guiding users on how to improve their well being, not just alerting them when something might be wrong.
Internally, the service was expected to debut alongside a major iOS release, but delays piled up. Each postponement suggested that Apple was struggling to align the technology, regulatory concerns, and user expectations into a single polished product.
Ultimately, the company decided that the original plan was too slow and too rigid for a market that is moving quickly.
Rather than pushing out a large, unified launch, Apple will now break the service apart. Individual features that were meant to live inside the AI coach will appear gradually inside the existing Health app.
This approach allows Apple to test ideas in the real world while avoiding the risk of overpromising on a single headline feature.
Leadership changes and rising competition
The decision to scale back came shortly after a leadership shift within Apple’s health organization. With new oversight has come a sharper focus on speed and competitiveness. Apple is no longer content to rely solely on hardware advantages. Rivals are delivering faster innovation through software, subscriptions, and deeper insights.
Fitness and health platforms outside Apple’s ecosystem have become more sophisticated, especially on the iPhone. Some offer detailed recovery metrics, training readiness scores, and lifestyle guidance that users find immediately actionable. Compared to these services, Apple’s planned health coach began to look cautious and slow moving.
There is also renewed scrutiny on Apple Fitness Plus. While the service offers polished workout content, it faces pressure from platforms that feel more adaptive and data driven. Any future changes are likely to tie Fitness Plus more closely to personalized health insights rather than generic workout libraries.
What survives from the original vision
Although the headline project has been scaled back, much of the underlying work will still reach users.
Apple invested heavily in content production, including educational videos that explain medical conditions, training concepts, and wellness fundamentals in a clear and approachable way. That material is expected to appear inside the Health app over time.
Some technical features are also moving forward. One notable example is the use of the iPhone camera to analyze how a person walks, which could help detect mobility issues earlier.
Apple is also continuing work on an AI powered health chatbot that allows users to ask questions and receive context-aware answers based on their data.
Longer term, these efforts are expected to converge with a more conversational version of Siri. When that happens, health queries could become a natural extension of how users interact with their devices, rather than a separate app or subscription.
A strategic pause, not a retreat
Apple’s retreat from a single AI health coach launch should not be read as a loss of interest in health.
If anything, it shows a more pragmatic approach. Health is a sensitive, highly regulated space where trust matters as much as innovation. Rolling out features gradually gives Apple more control over quality, accuracy, and user confidence.
The company has always favored refinement over speed, but the market is now forcing a balance between the two. By folding AI driven features into existing products, Apple can stay competitive while keeping its trademark polish intact.
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