Apple is preparing to add native food logging to its Health app in the upcoming iOS 26.4 update. Garmin introduced its own built-in nutrition tracking a few days ago, and pretty soon Apple will follow with a similar set of features.
Reports suggest that food tracking will be a core part of the redesigned Health experience. The feature has been in the works for several years and is now approaching public release. Apple has so far stayed away from this territory, only offering manual entry of basic nutrition stats like caffeine or carbs. That’s about to change.
Apple is playing catch-up on nutrition tracking
While Apple was finalising the feature behind the scenes, others moved ahead. Most Garmin users relied on MyFitnessPal for years, until Garmin launched its own in-house nutrition logging tool at CES 2026. Now Apple appears ready to take a similar step. It’s a logical move, especially as competition heats up between health platforms and device makers.
The food tracking tools are expected to land alongside iOS 26.4. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, development is moving “full steam ahead.” Internally, the feature has gone through two phases, first under the codename Project Quartz, and more recently as Project Mulberry.
What’s expected is a built-in tracker that supports calorie and macro logging, structured around meal entries. This puts it in direct competition with services like MyFitnessPal and Noom. Apple’s advantage is simplicity. It can offer deeper integration with iPhone, Watch and Health app data, which means fewer workarounds and more seamless syncing.
AI will play a role in shaping habits
Apple reportedly plans to introduce an AI-powered health coach alongside the new food logging tools. This may carry the Health+ branding. The goal is not just to collect data, but to help users understand it. The system will give tailored suggestions for nutrition, weight management and activity adjustments.
The AI system is being trained on insights from Apple’s in-house team of medical professionals. The company has also set up a production studio in Oakland, California, where it is filming expert-led health videos.
One standout possibility is camera-based input. Apple is said to be testing features that let users point their iPhone at a meal to estimate portion size. The same tech might also provide guidance on exercise form using the rear camera.
A full Health app overhaul is coming
Food tracking isn’t arriving in isolation. The entire Health app is getting a redesign, with new category layouts and a simpler way to log key metrics. The aim is to make it easier to use daily rather than something users check once a week.
It’s all part of Apple’s larger push into health, which Tim Cook has repeatedly said is one of the company’s long-term goals. This shift from passive data collection to proactive coaching is what sets this phase apart.
Apple Watch has long been positioned as a health tool. With iOS 26.4, Apple wants the phone to take on more responsibility too. If done well, this could shift how users interact with the entire ecosystem. It won’t replace wearables, but it will help anchor daily health habits inside Apple’s native tools, no third-party apps neede.
iOS 26.3 is expected to launch in late January or early February. That is when we will probably get the Beta of iOS 26.4. So we are looking at late March or early April as the likely launch period of the food tracking feature.
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