By Sophie Lane
Hi everyone! I’m Sophie, and I’ve been using MyFitnessPal for over 2,000 days now. That’s almost six years of tracking my food every single day! I love this app because it has helped me stay healthy and reach my fitness goals. But lately, I’ve been getting really frustrated with one big problem: the app is so slow!
If you’ve been using MyFitnessPal and noticed it takes forever to load, you’re not alone. Many people are having the same problem, and I want to share what I’ve learned about why this happens and how to fix it.
What Do I Mean by “Slow”?
Before I explain why MyFitnessPal is slow, let me tell you what “slow” looks like:
- Taking 30 seconds or more to open the app and log in
- Waiting forever when switching between different pages in the app
- Scrolling that feels like molasses – it moves super slowly even on new phones
- The app freezing or getting stuck when you try to add food
- Long waits just to enter your daily weight
Imagine trying to write in a notebook, but every time you turn a page, you have to wait 30 seconds. That’s what using MyFitnessPal feels like sometimes!
The Main Reasons MyFitnessPal Is So Slow
After dealing with this problem for months and researching what other people are saying, I found several reasons why MyFitnessPal has become so sluggish:
1. App Updates Made Things Worse
| Problem | When It Started | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard slowness | June 2023 | Very slow scrolling |
| General lag | Recent updates | 30+ second load times |
| Freezing issues | After major updates | App gets stuck frequently |
Many users, including me, noticed that MyFitnessPal got much slower after they updated the app’s design2. The new dashboard (the main page you see when you open the app) looks fancier, but it’s much slower than the old simple version.
It’s like they gave the app a fancy new outfit, but now it can barely walk because the outfit is too heavy!
2. Too Much Stuff Happening at Once
The new version of MyFitnessPal tries to show you lots of information all at once:
- Ads and commercials (which take time to load)
- Pretty graphics and pictures
- Social media features
- Fancy charts and graphs
All of this extra stuff makes your phone work harder, which slows everything down. It’s like trying to carry too many heavy backpacks at once – you’re going to move much slower!
3. Server Problems
Sometimes the problem isn’t your phone – it’s MyFitnessPal’s computers (called servers). When millions of people try to use the app at the same time, their computers can get overwhelmed.
Think of it like a busy restaurant. If too many people want to eat at once, everyone has to wait longer for their food.
4. Your Phone’s Memory Is Full
If your phone doesn’t have enough storage space or memory, apps will run slowly. MyFitnessPal saves lots of information on your phone, including:
- Your food history
- Pictures of foods
- Cached data (temporary files)
When your phone gets too full, it’s like trying to run with a backpack full of rocks – everything slows down!
Common Performance Issues I’ve Experienced
Here are the specific problems I’ve noticed, and I bet you’ve seen them too:
Loading Problems
- App takes 10-30 seconds to open
- Login screen gets stuck
- Food database takes forever to search
Navigation Issues
- Extremely slow scrolling (especially on the dashboard)2
- Long delays when switching between pages
- Buttons don’t respond when you tap them
Data Entry Problems
- Adding food takes multiple attempts
- Weight entry kicks you back to the main page2
- Barcode scanner works slowly or not at all
How to Fix MyFitnessPal’s Slowness?
Good news! There are several things you can try to make MyFitnessPal faster. I’ve tried all of these, and some really helped:
Quick Fixes (Try These First)
- Close and reopen the app
- Swipe up and close MyFitnessPal completely
- Wait a few seconds, then open it again
- Restart your phone
- Turn your phone off and on again
- This clears temporary files and gives your phone a fresh start
- Check your internet connection
- Make sure you have strong WiFi or cellular signal6
- Try turning airplane mode on for 5 seconds, then off again
Medium Fixes (If Quick Fixes Don’t Work)
| Fix | How to Do It | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Clear app cache | Settings > Apps > MyFitnessPal > Storage > Clear Cache | Removes temporary files slowing down the app |
| Update the app | App Store/Play Store > MyFitnessPal > Update | Gets the latest bug fixes |
| Free up phone storage | Delete old photos, unused apps | Gives your phone more room to work |
Big Fixes (Last Resort)
- Delete and reinstall the app67
- Warning: This will erase your app data!
- Make sure your food diary is saved online first
- Go to MyFitnessPal.com to check your data is there
- Then delete and reinstall the app
- Use the website instead
- Go to MyFitnessPal.com on your phone’s browser
- Often faster than the app
- Has all the same features
What MyFitnessPal Says About the Problem
MyFitnessPal knows about these speed issues. On their support forums, they’ve said:
“We are aware some of our users may be experiencing an issue with the new dashboard having less than smooth scrolling vertically on some devices. Our team is investigating the issue and hope to have it resolved as soon as possible.”
But here’s the frustrating part – they said this in 2023, and many people are still having problems in 2025. Some users with over 2,500 days of logging are so frustrated they’re thinking about switching to different apps!
My Personal Solutions That Actually Work
After months of dealing with slow performance, here’s what has helped me the most:
What Works Best for Me:
- Using the website more often
- MyFitnessPal.com loads faster than the app
- Easier to search for foods
- No scrolling problems
- Clearing the app cache weekly
- Keeps the app running smoother
- Takes 30 seconds to do
- Force closing the app daily
- Prevents it from getting sluggish
- Like giving it a mini-restart
What Didn’t Help Much:
- Upgrading to premium – Even paying users report slowness2
- Getting a newer phone – People with iPhone 13 and 15 still have issues
- Complaining to customer support – They know about the problem but haven’t fixed
Alternatives If MyFitnessPal Stays Slow
If you’re as frustrated as I am, here are some other apps that work faster:
Quick Comparison Table
| App | Speed | Food Database | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyNetDiary | Much faster | Smaller but accurate | Less expensive |
| Cronometer | Very fast | High quality data | Moderate cost |
| Lose It! | Fast | Good selection | Free with ads |
I’ve started using MyNetDiary as a backup, and it’s noticeably faster than MyFitnessPal. The app opens in 3-4 seconds instead of 30!
Tips to Make Any Food Tracking App Faster
Whether you stick with MyFitnessPal or switch to something else, these tips will help any food tracking app run better:
Phone Maintenance Tips:
- Keep at least 1GB of storage free on your phone
- Restart your phone once a week
- Close apps you’re not using
- Update your phone’s operating system
App Usage Tips:
- Log food right after eating instead of waiting
- Use recent foods instead of searching every time
- Pre-log meals when possible
- Sync your data regularly to prevent loss
The Bottom Line: Is MyFitnessPal Worth the Frustration?
After using MyFitnessPal for almost 2,000 days, this is a hard question for me. The app has helped me stay healthy and build good habits. But the slowness is really testing my patience.
Reasons to Stick With MyFitnessPal:
- Huge food database – you can find almost any food
- Your long history is valuable data
- Habit formation – if you’re used to it, switching is hard
- Community features – friends and support groups
Reasons to Consider Switching:
- Wasted time – slowness adds up to hours per month
- Frustration – makes healthy habits feel like work
- Better alternatives exist – faster, cleaner apps available
- No clear timeline for fixes from MyFitnessPal
My Final Recommendation
If you’re dealing with a slow MyFitnessPal app, try the fixes I mentioned first. Clear your cache, restart your phone, and update the app. These simple steps helped me a lot.
But if the app is still too slow after trying everything, don’t feel bad about switching to something faster. Your health journey should be supported by tools that work well, not frustrated by apps that waste your time.
Remember, the best food tracking app is the one you’ll actually use every day. If MyFitnessPal’s slowness is stopping you from tracking your food, then it’s not doing its job anymore.
I hope MyFitnessPal fixes these speed issues soon because, despite the frustration, it’s still a powerful tool for staying healthy. But until then, we all deserve apps that work as hard as we do on our fitness goals!
Sophie Lane is a longtime MyFitnessPal user with nearly 2,000 days of consecutive food logging. She enjoys helping others navigate health and fitness apps and sharing practical solutions to common problems. When not tracking her meals, Sophie loves trying new healthy recipes and exploring fitness technology.
