Staying active and healthy through walking is made easier with smartphone assistance. Learn how to track your daily steps using your Android or iPhone. Today, many smartphones come equipped with step-tracking sensors, eliminating the need for a smartwatch. Here’s how to track your steps and set daily goals right from your smartphone. Let’s dive in.
But first, turn on steps tracking
Before we delve into tracking steps on iPhone and Android, let’s first enable steps tracking on your smartphone. It’s advisable to activate these settings initially, ensuring your smartphone can effortlessly count your steps. Here’s how to do it on both Android and iPhone.
Enable Motion & Fitness on iPhone
Step 1: Install Apple Health if you don’t have it. Then, open the Settings app and tap Privacy & Security.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap Motion & Fitness.
Step 3: Enable the toggle for Fitness Tracking and ensure that the toggle for Health is also turned on.
Give Permission to Google Fit on Android
Step 1: Install Google Fit. Once done, launch the Settings app and tap Apps.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap on Fit.
Step 3: Tap Permissions.
Step 4: Now, tap Physical activity.
Step 5: Tap Allow, and that’s it.
How to Track Steps on iPhone and Android
Now that we know how to enable step tracking, let’s move on to the next part: tracking steps with your Android smartphone or iPhone. The process is effortless. Let’s look at the steps to take.
Step 1: Put your iPhone or Android smartphone in your waist or hip-level pocket.
Tip: If you don’t have a waist pocket, consider keeping your smartphone in your handbag or shirt pocket. However, be aware that the accuracy of tracking might be slightly lower compared to a waist-level pocket.
Step 2: Simply start walking, and your phone will automatically count your steps.
Note: You don’t need to open the app to track your steps; your phone will do it automatically.
How to View Your Step Count
Achieving your daily step goal contributes to a healthy lifestyle. You can easily view your step count on both Android and iOS devices. Here’s how:
On iPhone
Step 1: Open the Apple Health app on your iPhone and navigate to the Browse tab at the bottom.
Step 2: Select Activity from the Health Categories.
Step 3: In this section, you’ll find your current day’s step count. For more details, tap on “Steps.”
Step 4: From here, you can view your step counts for the current day, week, month, and beyond by selecting options like “D,” “W,” “M,” “6M,” and “Y.”
Viewing steps can be streamlined by adding the step count to Favorites in Apple Health. Here’s how:
Step 5: Open the Apple Health app, navigate to the Summary tab, and tap “Edit” below your profile picture.
Step 6: Locate the star next to “Steps” and tap on it to select it.
Step 7: Tap Done.
Step 8: Now, view your daily step count from the Summary tab by tapping it.
On Android:
Step 1: Upon opening the Google Fit app, the steps are displayed in blue numerics on the home page. Alternatively, tap “Steps” for a detailed overview.
Step 2: Choose between Day, Week, or Month to view your step counts according to your preference.
Set a Daily Step Goal
If you’ve recently started walking as a healthy habit, setting and achieving a daily goal can help you establish this routine. Notifications will remind you when you meet your daily goal, providing motivation to continue. You can also customize the goal. Here’s how:
On iPhone:
Unlike some devices, iPhones don’t offer a direct option to modify the daily step goal. However, you can adjust the daily calorie burn goal, as more steps typically equate to more calories burned. Here’s how to change the daily move goal on your iPhone:
Step 1: Install and open the Fitness app on your iPhone, then tap your profile picture.
Step 2: Tap Change Move Goal.
Step 3: Tap the + or – button to increase or decrease the daily move goal target.
Step 4: Once done, tap Change Move Goal. And that’s it.
On Android
Step 1: Launch the Google Fit app and tap the Profile tab.
Step 2: Tap Steps under the Activity goals section.
Step 3: Tap the + or – button to increase or decrease the daily step goal target.
Step 4: Once done, tap Set goal.
Is Step Tracking Accurate on iPhone and Android?
Step tracking accuracy on your iPhone or Android device is generally good but not perfect. They may occasionally provide slightly more or fewer steps than you actually took. This margin of error is common among most smartwatches as well. Typically, they offer accuracy ranging from 70% to 90%, depending on various factors. However, you can rely on them for a rough estimate.
One observation I’ve made while using step tracking is that it’s best to wait a moment after your walk to check your steps. It often takes some time for the Google Fit or Apple Health app to update and reflect the current step count accurately.
Note: Step tracking on your Android phone or iPhone may be less accurate if you’re running instead of walking.
Track Your Steps and Improve Fitness
The phrase “Sitting is the new smoking” underscores the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting on long-term health. It’s crucial to combat sedentary behavior by incorporating regular walking breaks into your routine. Regardless of the phone in your pocket, prioritize your health, set achievable goals, and commit to staying active to improve your overall fitness.
