Apple is scaling back Mulberry, its Health+ ambitions, moving toward integrating health features into the Health app over time rather than launching a standalone Health+ service.

Leadership aims for faster, practical updates to stay competitive with rivals like Oura and Whoop, while reevaluating Fitness+ under new priorities and leadership.

A content studio in Oakland will repurpose health videos and training guidance, including AI-driven health reports and recommendations, with launches as early as this year.

Regulatory and safety concerns, FDA guidance on Clinical Decision Support, and privacy/explainability issues contributed to the pause and informed a more cautious path.

Mulberry was once a top priority, but leadership changes shifted priorities away from the initial plan.

There are ongoing leadership reflections on long-term succession and who will helm the health initiatives.

Apple has not publicly commented; Bloomberg notes internal planning shifts and fragmented projects.

The approach seeks to balance subscription fatigue with free upgrades in some areas while keeping subscriptions viable for others.

Regulatory context and expert commentary suggest high compliance costs and uncertain FDA oversight, guiding Apple toward trust and safety over speed.

Apple’s shares slipped about 0.2% in premarket trading on the news, reflecting market reaction.

Analysts view the move as a test of Apple’s services strategy, given the large potential base of Apple Watch users and a premium subscription angle.

The report relies on Bloomberg sources and notes that details are subject to confirmation as Apple continues health and ML-driven software work.