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Sync fix

iPhone not counting steps: how do I fix it?

Updated · 4 min read

Apple WatchWrites to Apple Health
Not syncingSyncing
Apple HealthOn your iPhone
biomonReads Apple Health
  • Steps
  • Cardio
  • Heart
  • Sleep
Data from Apple Watch stops on its way to Apple Health until the steps below fix it. Biomon reads Apple Health.

Short answer

In Settings > Privacy & Security > Motion & Fitness, turn on Fitness Tracking and Health, then carry your iPhone as you walk and check Health's step sources.

If Apple Health on your iPhone shows no steps, turn on Fitness Tracking and Health in Settings then Privacy & Security then Motion & Fitness, and carry your iPhone as you walk. Then check that Health lists your iPhone in Data Sources & Access for Steps and, if you wear an Apple Watch, that the watch's own Fitness Tracking switch is on in Health.

See the 4 steps

Turn step counting on

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Privacy & Security then Motion & Fitness.

    Step 1

    Where to tap

    1. Privacy & Security
    2. Motion & Fitness
  2. Turn on Fitness Tracking. How-To Geek says that with this switch off, no apps can access your iPhone's movement sensor data.
  3. In the list of apps below it, turn on Health. Apple says that this list shows the apps that requested access. How-To Geek says that when the Health switch is off, the Health app cannot access your movement sensor data.
  4. Carry your iPhone with you when you walk. Apple's Fitness guide says that when you carry your iPhone, its motion sensors track your steps.

On Apple Community, Apple's support forum, one member's Health app did not count steps in June 2022. Another member said to make sure Motion & Fitness is enabled, and the first member replied "That was the issue".

Check that Health lists your iPhone

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone. Tap Browse then Activity then Steps.

    Step 1

    In the Health app

    1. Browse
    2. Activity
    3. Steps
  2. Scroll down to Options. Tap Data Sources & Access: the list of apps and devices that write steps to Health.
  3. Find your iPhone in the list. Only the sources that contribute steps show there. If your iPhone is not in the list, check the switches in steps 2 and 3, then carry your iPhone as you walk.
  4. Look at the order. When several sources write steps, the source at the top takes priority over the others. To change the order, see how to change data source priority in Apple Health.

Where your steps show

Where you look What it shows
Health, Browse then Activity then Steps Steps from your iPhone and your Apple Watch, in one member's report on iOS 26
Fitness, with no Apple Watch Your iPhone's steps
Fitness, with an Apple Watch Only the steps taken with the watch on, in the same report

If it still doesn't work

  • Health shows your steps, but Fitness doesn't

    See the last row of the table above. Check the day in Health instead (step 5).

  • Health shows No Data instead of a number

    iPhone Life, a site of iPhone tips, says that you have likely not allowed the Health app to access your steps in your Privacy settings. Turn on Fitness Tracking and Health (steps 2 and 3). iPhone Life says that you should then see zero instead of No Data, and that your steps do not show up at once.

  • Health shows no steps from your Apple Watch

    In the Health app, tap the Profile button. Tap Devices. Tap your Apple Watch. Tap Privacy Settings. Turn on Fitness Tracking. Apple gives this check for when Health doesn't track steps.

  • The count stopped with both switches on

    In a thread posted on December 31, 2023, one member's iPhone on iOS 17.2.1 recorded 0 steps for a week, after a restart and with Fitness Tracking and Health both on. 788 members marked "Me too". iPhone Life says that if your step counter still shows zero, it may be a hardware issue, and to contact Apple Support. Add the missing steps by hand (next bullet).

  • Steps are missing for a day

    In the Health app, tap Browse then Activity then Steps. Tap the Add Data button in the upper corner. Enter the date, the time and the steps. Tap Done.

  • A page told you to turn off Low Power Mode

    Apple's Low Power Mode page lists the features that it limits, such as Background App Refresh and email fetch, and does not name step counting. Check the switches in steps 2 and 3 first.

  • A page told you to turn on Motion Calibration & Distance

    If you wear an Apple Watch, open the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Privacy & Security then Location Services then System Services. Make sure Motion Calibration & Distance is turned on. Apple gives this as a check so that your Apple Watch gets the information it needs.

  • Health shows some steps, but fewer than you expect

    See why step counts don't match on iPhone, Apple Watch and Oura.

Why this happens

Apple requires apps to ask your permission before they use the iPhone's motion and fitness sensors. One member of Apple Community says that while you wear an Apple Watch, the watch is the main source for counting steps, not the iPhone.

Questions

Can my iPhone count steps without an Apple Watch?

Yes. Apple says that built-in sensors on your iPhone capture the number of steps you take. To see them in the Fitness app, tap Summary, then tap Step Count.

Will deleting and reinstalling the Health app delete my steps?

No. Apple says that when you delete the Health app, your Health data remains on your iPhone.

Sources

  1. 1Intro to Health data on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  2. 2See your activity summary in Fitness on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  3. 3Control access to information in apps on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  4. 4Control access to hardware features on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  5. 5Manage Health data on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  6. 6View your data in Health on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  7. 7Use Low Power Mode to save battery life on your iPhone or iPad, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  8. 8Calibrate your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  9. 9How to Stop Your iPhone From Tracking Your Steps, How-To Geekhowtogeek.com (opens in a new tab)
  10. 10Fitness App Not Tracking Steps? Change This One Setting, iPhone Lifeiphonelife.com (opens in a new tab)
  11. 11Health app not counting steps, Apple Communitydiscussions.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  12. 12Health app stopped counting steps, Apple Communitydiscussions.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
  13. 13Fitness App tracks watch, but not phone steps, Apple Communitydiscussions.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
Guides

Related guides

Two devices, one place

Why don't my step counts match on iPhone, Apple Watch and Oura?

Each device counts steps its own way. In Health, drag the device you want used first to the top (Browse > Activity > Steps > Data Sources & Access).

Apple WatchOuratoApple Health
Sync fix

Why is Apple Watch not counting steps on a walking pad or stroller?

Apple Watch's Activity app relies on arm motion; forum members report missed steps with a still arm. Swing it or carry your iPhone, which counts steps.

Apple WatchtoApple Health
Two devices, one place

How do I change data source priority in Apple Health?

On iPhone, open Health (Browse > category > data type > Data Sources & Access), tap Edit and drag a source to the top. Health uses the top source first.

Apple WatchOuratoApple Health