With a pedometer, you can keep track of exactly how many steps you take in a day. Useful if you want to keep track of whether you are getting enough exercise. Your iPhone, such as the new iPhone 15, also has a built-in pedometer. Here you can read exactly how it works and how you can use it.
How does the pedometer work on your iPhone?
Counting steps with your iPhone is possible thanks to a small chip. This motion sensor collects data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and digital compass in your iPhone.
This way your phone knows whether you are walking, running, cycling, or in the car. The advantage of this is that it does not consume much battery. This is the case with many pedometer apps. The pedometer works best if you carry your phone in your pocket all day.
Set up and use a pedometer iPhone
Do you want to use the pedometer? Then you have to turn it on first. That’s how you do that:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to Privacy and choose Exercise & Fitness.
- Slide the Track Fitness switch to the right so it turns green.
Now your iPhone keeps track of how many steps you take every day. You can view this via the Health app:
- Open the Health app.
- Go to Data and tap Activity.
- Tap Steps and you’ll see your steps by day, week, month, or year.
You can immediately see whether the number of steps you took was more or less than last month. And the average of the past few days.
Adjust step length pedometer
The number of steps you take is measured by your step length. The distance between your front foot and your back foot when you walk.
The step length varies per situation. For example, your steps become smaller when you walk up a mountain. Or if you have an injury.
Your iPhone automatically records your step length. Do you think it’s wrong? Then you can adjust your step length yourself. This is how you do it:
- Open the Health app.
- Go to Data and tap Mobility.
- Tap Step Length and at the top right tap Add Details.
- Here you can change the number of centimeters per step.
View number of km instead of steps
Do you want to know how many kilometers you have walked instead of the number of steps you have taken? This is also possible in the Health app.
- Open the Health app.
- Go to Data and tap Activity.
- Tap Walk and run distance.
- Here you can see how many kilometers you have walked.
iPhone pedometer not working: what now?
Do you feel that your pedometer is not working properly? Which can. For example, if you carry your iPhone in your bag, the measurements will be less accurate.
Just like when you leave it on your desk when you go get coffee or go for a walk. Try keeping your iPhone in your pocket all day and then see what happens.
Useful pedometer apps
With the iPhone pedometer, you cannot see which route you have taken. Or how long a specific walk was. This is possible with other free pedometer apps for your iPhone. Such as Runkeeper and Map My Walk.
