How to Track Steps on Apple Watch

How to Check Your Steps on Apple Watch

To check your steps on Apple Watch, use the Activity app:

1. Open the Activity app on your Apple Watch.
2. Turn the Digital Crown past the Move, Exercise and Stand rings to see your total steps, total distance and flights climbed.

Keep scrolling to reach your activity history. The Weekly Summary button shows a daily average and weekly total of your progress toward closing your rings.

How to See Your Steps on iPhone

Your step count also appears in the Fitness app on iPhone:

1. Open the Fitness app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Summary, then tap the Step Count or Step Distance area.

The Summary screen is editable: scroll down and tap Edit Summary to add, move or remove metric cards.

How to Turn On Activity Tracking

Activity tracking starts with the Activity app's setup screens. The watch offers them while you set it up; if you skipped them, open the app:

1. Open the Activity app on your Apple Watch.
2. Use the Digital Crown to read the Move, Exercise and Stand descriptions, then tap Get Started.

If you told the watch you use a wheelchair, the Stand ring becomes the Roll ring. It shows how many times in the day you rolled for at least one minute per hour, and Apple measures brisk activity in brisk pushes.

Settings and Habits That Affect Step Tracking

Apple says the Activity app "relies on arm motion and an accelerometer to track movement". Its measurement tips cover three things you control: Wrist Detection, arm swing and calibration.

Keep Wrist Detection On

With Wrist Detection off, Apple says some Activity measurements are unavailable and the watch can't track your Stand progress. To check it, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, then Passcode, and make sure Wrist Detection is on. On the watch itself, it sits in Settings under Passcode.

Let Your Arm Swing (Wear It the Way Apple Recommends)

On walks, let the arm with your Apple Watch swing naturally. Apple gives this tip for earning Exercise credit, with the example of walking a pet: the watch arm swings while the other hand holds the leash. Wear the watch snug but comfortable, on the top of your wrist, where Apple says the sensors work. For walks where your hands are busy, start a workout instead; see how to add a workout on Apple Watch.

Calibrate Your Apple Watch

Calibration helps the watch learn your fitness level and stride, and Apple says it improves your distance, pace and calorie measurements:

1. On iPhone, open Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then Location Services and make sure it's on. Scroll down, tap System Services and turn on Motion Calibration & Distance.
2. Wearing your watch, go to a flat, open outdoor area with good GPS reception and clear skies.
3. Open the Workout app, tap Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run, and walk or run at your normal pace for about 20 minutes.

You can split the 20 minutes across several outdoor Workout sessions. If you walk or run at different speeds, Apple says to calibrate for 20 minutes at each speed.