On February 5, 2026, reports emerged that Apple has significantly scaled back its ambitious plans for a standalone AI health coach, internally code-named “Project Mulberry” (previously known as Quartz).
While not an outright cancellation of all its features, the project has been “wound down” as a unified, subscription-based service (often referred to as Health+). Instead, Apple will reportedly pivot to a more gradual, integrated approach within the existing Health app.
1. Why the Shift? “The Eddy Cue Factor”
The decision followed a major leadership shake-up. After the retirement of longtime COO Jeff Williams, oversight of Apple’s health division shifted to Eddy Cue, Senior VP of Services.
- Competitiveness: Cue reportedly told colleagues that Apple’s planned service wasn’t “compelling enough” to challenge rivals like Oura and Whoop, which already offer deep, AI-driven personal insights.
- Speed to Market: Cue expressed a desire for Apple to move faster. By folding features into the existing Health app rather than launching a brand-new platform, Apple can deploy updates incrementally.
- Subscription Fatigue: There were internal concerns about launching yet another paid service in a market already saturated with fitness and wellness subscriptions.
2. What’s Being “Repurposed”?
Apple spent years developing content and technology for Mulberry, much of which will still see the light of day as standard features in iOS 27 and beyond:
- Educational Video Suite: Apple built a dedicated studio in Oakland, California, to produce professional videos explaining medical conditions and wellness tips. This content will now be released as a library within the Health app.
- AI Chatbot: Apple is still developing an AI health chatbot (based on its “World Knowledge Answers” technology) to allow users to ask specific questions about their well-being.
- Gait Analysis: A feature that uses the iPhone camera to analyze how a person walks is still in active development for a future update.
3. Regulatory and Technical Hurdles
Beyond leadership changes, the project “hit a wall” due to two major external factors:
- FDA Scrutiny: Apple’s legal and medical teams flagged that offering “proactive” medical advice (like a doctor would) could trigger FDA medical-device classification. This would involve years of rigorous clinical trials and regulatory oversight that Apple wants to avoid for a consumer app.
- Reliability Concerns: Internal testing reportedly revealed challenges with the accuracy of AI-generated health recommendations. Apple decided to prioritize “trust over speed,” opting for more conservative, data-backed insights over a fully autonomous “AI doctor.”
4. Future Roadmap: Siri and Integration
The core of Apple’s health AI strategy is now shifting toward Siri.
- iOS 27: Expected in late 2026, the revamped Siri will be the primary interface for health queries, pulling data from the Health app to provide personalized (but likely less “prescriptive”) wellness feedback.
- Unified Ecosystem: Instead of a standalone coach, Apple is focusing on a “unified wellness ecosystem” that merges Apple Fitness+ and the Health app more seamlessly.
Conclusion: A Strategic Retreat
Apple’s 2026 health strategy has shifted from “Revolution” to “Refinement.” By retreating from the standalone Health+ coach, Apple is avoiding a regulatory minefield while still upgrading the Health app into a more proactive tool. The message to users is that your iPhone will still help you get healthier, but it won’t be “replacing your doctor” anytime soon.
