Step counter app without a smartwatch: use the phone you already have

Can your phone count steps without a smartwatch?

Yes. Your phone has motion sensors that pick up the regular rhythm of your steps. It turns that motion into a step count in the background, even when the screen is off and you're not using any app. A step counter app uses that count to show your daily total, your history and your progress toward a goal.

On iPhone, steps are counted automatically and show up in the built-in Health app. On Android, it depends on the phone. Many phones have a built-in step sensor, and the phone maker's health or fitness app usually shows your steps. A step counter app from Google Play can use the same sensor once you give it permission.

• What you get with just a phone. A daily step count, a history of past days and a simple way to set goals, with no extra device to buy or charge.
• What a smartwatch adds. It counts steps even when your phone is on a desk or charging, and it can track things like heart rate. That's useful, but you don't need it to track your walking.

How accurate is a phone step counter?

When the phone is in your pocket, it's quite accurate. In a 2015 study published in JAMA, 14 adults walked a set number of steps on a treadmill while carrying phones in their pants pockets. The phone apps came within about 7% of the true count, sometimes a little high and sometimes a little low. Wrist-worn devices tested at the same time were off by more, and one counted more than 20% too few steps.

In everyday life, phones usually show fewer steps than you really take, mostly because they aren't always with you. In a study of 54 adults who carried their own iPhones as usual for a week, the iPhone counted about 12% fewer steps than a pedometer worn on the waist: about 9,250 steps a day versus 10,530. The gap was largest for people who said they seldom carried their phones, at about 3,000 missed steps a day, and smallest for those who almost always did, at about 900.

So the biggest thing that makes a phone step counter accurate isn't the app. It's keeping the phone with you.

How to turn on step counting on iPhone and Android

Step counting is usually on by default, but it's worth checking, especially if your count shows zero or stops going up.

1. iPhone: check Motion & Fitness. Open Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then Motion & Fitness, and make sure Fitness Tracking is turned on.
2. iPhone: find your steps. Open the Health app and search for Steps to see your daily total and history.
3. Android: allow Physical activity. When a step counter app asks for the Physical activity permission, tap Allow. Without it, apps can't use your phone's step sensor. You can change this later in your phone's Settings, under Apps, then the app's Permissions. Menu names vary by phone maker.
4. Android: check battery settings. Some phones limit apps in the background to save battery. If your count stops updating, make sure your step counter app isn't restricted.
5. Walk and check. Carry your phone as you normally would for a few hours, then open your app to make sure the steps are adding up.

How to make sure more of your steps get counted

Because phones mostly miss steps when they're left behind, a few small habits make a big difference.

• Keep it on you at home. Trips to the kitchen, the laundry room and up the stairs add up. These are the steps most often missed when your phone sits on a table or charger.
• Use a pocket when you can. In the lab study above, phones were carried in pants pockets, where they move with every step.
• Take it on every walk. It sounds obvious, but a walk without your phone won't show up in your total.
• Stick to one source. Different devices count a little differently, so compare yourself with your own past days on the same phone or app.
• Look at your weekly average. Daily numbers swing with your schedule. An average over 7 days shows your real trend better than any single day.

What to look for in a step counter app

Your phone already counts your steps, so a good app is mostly about making that number useful and keeping you motivated.

• No extra hardware. It should work with your phone's own step count, so you don't have to buy a wearable.
• Clear permissions. It should ask for motion or physical activity access to count steps, and explain why it needs anything else.
• History and goals. Seeing today's steps next to your past week helps you spot trends and set a goal that fits you.
• A reason to keep going. Reminders, challenges or rewards can make it easier to walk on days when motivation is low.

How many steps a day should you aim for?

Once you can see your steps, a target helps. A large analysis of 15 studies with more than 47,000 adults found that taking more steps a day was linked to a lower risk of death from any cause. For adults 60 and older, the benefit leveled off at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day. For adults under 60, it leveled off at about 8,000 to 10,000.

Start from your own average rather than a fixed number. If you take about 4,000 steps a day now, adding a short walk on most days is a good next step. If weight loss is one of your goals, see how many steps a day it takes to lose weight and why food matters too.

If you have a health condition, joint pain or haven't been active for a while, talk with your doctor before you start a new walking routine.

Count your steps and get rewarded with AHEALTH

AHEALTH, formerly Moneywalk, is a free iPhone and Android app that uses your phone's own step count, so you don't need a smartwatch or fitness tracker. You earn points as you walk, up to a daily limit, plus random bonus points along the way.

In the U.S., you can also earn points for logging your sleep, water and meals, for logging medication doses and for quick daily habits such as squats counted by your phone's motion sensor, stair climbing and brisk walks. Point amounts differ by habit and can change over time.

You can redeem your points in the app's Gift Shop for email gift cards from brands such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and Starbucks. See how AHEALTH rewards work, or read our guide on how to get paid to walk.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• One app that rewards sleep and stepsWhy sleep and steps belong in the same app, how AHEALTH rewards both along with water and meals, and a simple daily routine that ties them together.
• Easy rewards app for seniorsWhat makes a health app easy for older adults, what the CDC recommends for people 65 and older and how to set gentle goals that earn small rewards.
• How many steps a day to lose weightWhat research says about daily steps and weight, how to set a step goal that fits you and why walking works best with small changes to what you eat.

All AHEALTH guides