MyFitnessPal regressive upgrade: Difference between revisions

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MyFitnessPal is a popular application for tracking diet and exercise. For years, paying subscribers used a stable version of the app with a consistent feature set. Many users integrated the app into their daily health routines.<ref name="report" />

On August 27, 2025, MyFitnessPal staff announced a "brand-new Food Diary page" and invited users to test the new design. User feedback on the announcement thread was overwhelmingly negative.<ref name="forum-announcement-test" /> Users criticized the inefficient design, with one commenting that it was a "terrible UI design that makes it harder to track" due to excessive scrolling.<ref name="forum-announcement-test" /> Another noted that positive features like "good visual separation between meals... have all been removed from the new layout."<ref name="forum-announcement-test" />

During this test phase, users discovered that the macro percentage pie chart, a core free feature, had been removed. After contacting support, one user confirmed the company's intention was to "[remove] this FREE feature and will allow you to hover over the new macro bar to see the macro percentage with a PAID subscription."<ref name="forum-announcement-test" />

Despite the feedback, MyFitnessPal staff indicated they would proceed with the changes, posting on October 3 that they would "be making changes over the next few weeks" based on feedback, just before the full rollout began.<ref name="forum-announcement-test" />

Starting around October 3, 2025, MyFitnessPal began forcing the update on its user base.<ref name="help-article-intro" /> The official announcement on October 15 described the update as a "thoughtfully reorganized for a better user experience" and a response to a "long standing feature request."<ref name="forum-announcement-rollout"><nowiki>{{cite web |title=Introducing the Brand New _Today_ Tab! |url=</nowiki>https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10950333/introducing-the-brand-new-today-tab |website=MyFitnessPal Community |date=2025-10-15 |access-date=2025-11-05}</ref> The comments section for this announcement was closed, preventing public discussion.<ref name="forum-announcement-rollout" />

The update removed several key features, including:<ref name="help-article-intro" />

To compound user frustration, the new interface for paying subscribers included a persistent advertisement to upgrade to a new "Premium+" subscription tier.<ref name="report" /> The company also moved the ability to view macronutrient percentages, a previously free feature, behind its Premium paywall.<ref name="help-article-intro" />

MyFitnessPal's official communications framed the update as an improvement based on user feedback, despite the negative reception during the public testing period.<ref name="help-article-intro" /> The company acknowledged the removal of features but offered only vague promises for their return, stating they were "being rebuilt" or "will be available again soon."<ref name="help-article-intro" /> For the removed "Copy Meals" feature, the company suggested a cumbersome workaround that did not replicate the original functionality, a suggestion users found unhelpful.<ref name="reddit-copy-workaround-fail">{{cite web |title=New MyFitnessPal layout sucks — can’t copy meals anymore?? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Myfitnesspal/comments/1o6ntd5/new_myfitnesspal_layout_sucks_cant_copy_meals/njojfho/ |website=Reddit |date=2025-10-15 |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref>

The company has been definitive that it will not roll back the change. In response to the question "Can I go back to the old design?", the official FAQ states, "The new Today interface is our path forward... We encourage you to give it some time."<ref name="help-article-intro" /> The company's announcement also directed users with issues to an FAQ or to contact their support team directly.<ref name="reddit-announcement-rollout" />

Users have observed that the previous, functional user interface still exists within the application's code, controlled by a feature flag. Some have reported that unsubscribing from the paid service causes the app to revert to the old interface. This suggests that a rollback for all users would be technically straightforward, but the company has chosen not to do so.<ref name="report" />

During the test phase, users expressed frustration that their feedback was being ignored, with one user asking, "Why go ahead with this change when you've had quite literally no positive feedback so far?"<ref name="forum-announcement-test" /> Another noted that the company had attempted a similar unpopular redesign in the past and had to revert it, asking, "Did they not read the forum from the last time they tried to change it and had to change it back because it was so bad??!!"<ref name="forum-announcement-test" />

Users on the company's official subreddit challenged the claim that the update was a "long standing feature request," with one asking, "Who, exactly, asked for all these changes?"<ref name="reddit-announcement-rollout" /> Another user criticized the decision to release an incomplete product: "If features that people use aren't ready for your upgrade, then the upgrade isn't ready."<ref name="reddit-announcement-rollout" /> One commenter stated, "MyFitnessPal needs to literally revert to the old build before all this new crap happened. Exactly zero people asked for any of this."<ref name="reddit-revert-build">{{cite web |title=Chronometer is… |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Myfitnesspal/comments/1oeddh7/chronometer_is/nl3ld4g/ |website=Reddit |date=2025-10-22 |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref> The update's negative reputation was so widespread that users who had not yet received it posted screenshots of the old interface, asking if they had the "version everyone hates." Other users would confirm they were still on the old version and warn them not to update, with one commenting, "I wish I could go back."<ref name="reddit-version-hate">{{cite web |title=Is this the version everyone hates? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Myfitnesspal/comments/1occygz/is_this_the_version_everyone_hates/ |website=Reddit |date=2025-10-21 |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref> A user with a 13-year history with the app stated, "MFP used to be so engaging and inspiring when I started... It feels so empty and broken."<ref name="reddit-13-years">{{cite web |title=Deleted my account |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Myfitnesspal/comments/1o7oo09/deleted_my_account/njq5t47/ |website=Reddit |date=2025-10-16 |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref> Another long-time user said, "I have used this app for 15 years and I'm seriously contemplating switching to something else."<ref name="reddit-hate-it">{{cite web |title=I hate it |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Myfitnesspal/comments/1o6q3qx/i_hate_it/njitt8b/ |website=Reddit |date=2025-10-14 |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref>

Due to the perceived decline in usability and the company's refusal to roll back the update, users began actively seeking and recommending alternative food tracking applications. One user, after receiving a refund, noted the end of their "700+ day logging streak" and recommended "Chronometer" as a free alternative.<ref name="reddit-refund" /> Another user, who had used the app for over ten years, announced they were deleting their account and moving to "LoseIt," describing the MyFitnessPal app as an "abusive partner."<ref name="reddit-deleted-account">{{cite web |title=Deleted my account |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Myfitnesspal/comments/1o7oo09/deleted_my_account/ |website=Reddit |date=2025-10-16 |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref> Another user who switched to LoseIt commented that it had a "MUCH better interface and half the cost."<ref name="reddit-loseit-better">{{cite web |title=Left for LoseIt |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Myfitnesspal/comments/1ok1bfd/left_for_loseit/ |website=Reddit |date=2025-10-30 |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref>