Apple Adds 10,000+ Recipes to News+

Apple has introduced a new feature that could shake up the recipe app industry: Apple News+ Food. Set to launch in April with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, this feature will provide Apple News+ subscribers with access to a curated collection of recipes from major publishers. The service will initially be available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia.

What Apple News+ Food Offers

Unlike third-party recipe apps that aggregate content from across the web, Apple News+ Food will focus exclusively on recipes from its publishing partners. The company plans to start with over 30 publishers, including Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Epicurious, Food & Wine, Serious Eats, and more. Tens of thousands of recipes will be available at launch.

Users will find a dedicated Food section within Apple News, featuring:

• A curated daily recipe selected by Apple’s editorial team.
• A collection of food and dining-related stories.
• Access to a broader recipe catalog and saved recipes.
• Various filtering options to refine recipe searches by meal type, difficulty, diet, and cooking time.

Apple is focusing on a clean, ad-free experience, which is a notable departure from the often cluttered and ad-heavy interfaces of many recipe blogs.

Seamless Cooking Features

Apple News+ Food includes several user-friendly features:

• Cooking Mode: Displays recipes in full screen with larger text and prevents the screen from turning off.
• Ingredient Quick View: Tap an ingredient in the instructions to see the amount needed.
• Auto Timer: Tap on cooking time to start a timer on your iPhone or iPad.

Limitations of Apple News+ Food

Despite its sleek integration, Apple News+ Food has notable drawbacks:

• No User-Added Recipes: You can’t add personal recipes or import them from other sources.
• No Third-Party Integrations: Recipes from the broader web, blogs, TikTok, or Instagram can’t be saved.
• Publisher-Only Content: Unlike traditional recipe apps that allow a mix of user-generated and professional content, Apple’s offering is restricted to established publishers.

Apple's Strategy: A Threat to Indie Developers?

This move is part of Apple’s broader strategy to expand its ecosystem, competing directly with third-party app developers. Unlike independent developers who must monetize through ads, in-app purchases, or subscriptions, Apple can sustain these features purely through its hardware business. This unfair advantage could hurt smaller recipe apps that rely on subscriptions or App Store purchases for survival.

Another potential issue is that Apple is not paying publishers directly for their recipes. Instead, it monetizes through ad revenue within their articles, taking a 30% cut of sales.

What's Next

Apple News+ Food is a polished, user-friendly addition to the Apple News+ ecosystem, offering an exclusive, premium recipe experience. However, it raises concerns about competition and Apple’s growing dominance in the app market. While major publishers might benefit from increased exposure, independent developers and food bloggers could see less traffic as Apple keeps users within its walled garden.

For those already subscribed to Apple News+, this is a nice bonus. But for those who enjoy discovering recipes across multiple sources, third-party apps still offer more flexibility.