MyFitnessPal’s daily calorie counting is a key component of the app, with the barcode scanner offering a shortcut to finding nutritional value for a specific food item in the app’s vast database of food. Much of that database is user-generated, with both free and premium users able to add any food by entering the nutrition facts and barcode off a label. Once October 1st rolls around, free users will still be able to search the database for their food entries, but the barcode scanner will cost $19.99 per month or $79.99 for an annual plan, along with other premium features. And any new users that create a free account on or after September 1st will be shut out from scanning barcodes even earlier unless they pay.
This stark move comes after MyFitnessPal redesigned its app in May, which put more helpful information on the home screen for premium users while adding more scrolling through ads and pop-ups for free users. While losing the handy barcode scanning feature is a bit of a shock to longtime MyFitnessPal users, perhaps it’s not too surprising the app is sacrificing the user experience to maximize ROI after it was sold by Under Armour in 2020 to venture capital firm Francisco Partners.
I never used it, but I know plenty of people that do. I don’t think many of them will pay.