Is your Apple Watch not tracking your steps? Or maybe it jammed up and won’t count and synchronize any of the steps you take?
The most common reasons include loose contact, clogged debris, outdated watchOS, wrong activity settings, and conflict with third-party fitness apps.
Wrist detection and location services may be off if the watch tracks steps but returns inaccurate results. In some cases, the default calibration may overestimate or ignore your steps altogether. And you can’t get up to date steps data if your Apple Watch isn’t in sync with your iPhone.
10 Ways to Fix Apple Watch Not Tracking Steps Problem
Not being able to count steps is one of the most common Apple Watch problems that I’ve experienced at least twice. To fix this problem:
1. Clean Your Apple Watch
Dirt and debris will more than likely collect and clog the sensors as you use your Apple Watch in constantly changing environments. And too much of it can prevent data transmission as you engage in a walking exercise.
A quick fix is to clean your Apple Watch to remove dirt and debris collected from days of use. Have a regular cleaning schedule if you use the watch for daily workout so that dirt, debris, and dust don’t affect the watch’s overall performance.
2. Update Your Apple Watch
It’s important to update your Apple Watch so that it runs on the latest watchOS version. As of this writing, Apple lets you install watchOS 11 updates on Apple Watch SE, Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, Series 9, Series 10, Ultra, and Ultra 2.
Updating your watch ensures it runs on the most recent and stable version of the Operating System, not to mention you won’t have an issue with step tracking thereafter.
3. Wear Your Apple Watch Correctly
The way you wear an Apple Watch is critical when it comes to motion detection and therefore step tracking.
Adjust the bands so the watch fits to a snug. This proper fit ensures the accelerometer and heart rate sensors at the back of the watch sit well on your skin to detect arm movement and motion, which is what the Apple Watch use to determine whether you’re moving or resting.
4. Enable Wrist Detection
If your Apple Watch uses a passcode, the wrist detection locks the watch automatically when it isn’t on your wrist.
So toggle the “Wrist Detection” option to enable the steps tracking feature whenever you wear the watch.
5. Enable Location Services
If your Apple Watch tracks steps but misses some, it’s possible that the watch isn’t able to use location services to measure distance and get accurate data.
A quick fix is to deactivate and reactivate the location service to get accurate stats based on the geographical locations you cover.
- Go to “Settings” on your iPhone.
- Choose Privacy.
- Go to Location Services.
- Enable Sharing.
6. Enable Motion Calibration and Distance
To do this:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Go to General.
- Select System Services.
- Activate Motion Calibration and Distance.
7. Restart Your Apple Watch
Cache buildup from extended period of use can cause a system glitch, which leads to inaccurate steps on your Apple Watch.
You should restart your Apple Watch to clear stored cache, free up memory, and fix system glitches.
8. Delete Third-Party Fitness Apps
Some third-party health and fitness apps can conflict with Apple Watch’s native Workout app by affecting the effectiveness of the sensors and health tracking system. Even worse, some competing apps can slow your Apple Watch down, affecting its overall performance.
For example, third-party sleep trackers and heart rate monitors cause miscommunication, which in turn hinders the smartwatch from accounting for the steps you take.
The best way to fix this issue is to delete the apps from your Apple Watch the moment you notice they cause performance issues, especially when left to run in the background.
Alternatively, you can close the apps if you really must have them on your Apple Watch, so they don’t run in the background when the native Workout app is in use.
9. Recalibrate Your Apple Watch
Your Apple Watch’s default calibration is wrong if it misses some steps or overestimates them.
You should recalibrate your Apple Watch to fix this problem and to improve motion detection and accuracy of your physical activities.
10. Unpair and Pair Your Apple Watch
You may be getting wrong steps data because your Apple Watch is not communicating with your iPhone.
Ideally, your Apple Watch counts the actual steps you take, but it doesn’t send that data to the Health app on your iPhone right away, making it seem as if the smartwatch is not tracking steps.
To fix this, un-pair the Apple Watch from your iPhone and then set up your Apple Watch again to get back on track. By completing these two steps, you set the two devices in sync for real-time data transfer.
How Does Apple Watch Track Steps?
An Apple Watch counts steps by using a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope. For the watch to count steps accurately, your personal information in the Health app has to be correct, location services should be active, and you should have fitness tracking enabled.
You’ll see the total steps walked, discovered, and calories burned – usually in real time.
How Do I Get My Apple Watch to Count Steps Accurately?
The best way to get your Apple Watch to count your steps accurately is to ensure your personal information in the Health app, such as gender, height, age, and weight, is up to date.
Your Apple Watch will use this information to learn your stride length, which is significant for improving the accurate of the steps you take.
In addition to enabling Location Services, you also need to ensure Motion Calibration and Distance is active on your Apple Watch.
