iPhone not tracking steps? 6 fixes for the Health and Fitness apps

The iPhone counts steps on its own with a motion sensor and a small processor that tracks movement. It does not need an Apple Watch. When the number sits at zero, or says No Data, a setting is almost always the reason. Work through these fixes in order.

Fix 2: Allow Health to read your steps

If Steps shows No Data, open the Health app and check Browse › Activity › Steps. Make sure the iPhone is listed under Data Sources & Access and that its switch is on. In the Health app, also check your profile: height and weight help the app estimate distance.

Fix 3: Check the data source order if you also use an Apple Watch

When you wear an Apple Watch, the Health app can use it as the main source and ignore the iPhone for the times you wore it. If your steps look too low, open Health › Browse › Activity › Steps › Data Sources & Access and look at the order. Make sure the source you use most is first. Our guide to an Apple Watch that will not pair helps if the Watch is not syncing.

Fix 4: Carry the iPhone where it can feel you walk

• Keep the iPhone in a pocket or on your body. In a bag, or in your hand while you push a stroller, it can miss steps.
• Steps count when you walk or run. Cycling and driving do not add steps.
• Shaking the phone does not count, and counts can differ a little between days.

Fix 5: Restart and update

Restart the iPhone, then check Settings › General › Software Update. A bug after an update can stop steps from showing. If the problem started after an update, see problems after an iOS update.

Fix 6: Add Steps to your Health summary

Sometimes steps are recorded, but you do not see them on the Summary screen. Open Health › Browse › Activity › Steps and tap the star to add it to Favorites. Then it shows at the top of Summary.

Still zero after all of this?

If steps stay at zero, the motion sensor may be damaged, for example after a drop. Try another step counting app to compare. If it also shows nothing, contact Apple Support. Before you do, make sure your iPhone is backed up. See how to back up an iPhone.

How the iPhone counts your steps

The iPhone has a motion sensor and a chip that measures movement all day. It estimates steps and distance from how you walk, and it writes them to the Health app. This only works if the phone moves with you, so a phone left on a desk, in a bag that swings, or in a stroller will under-count. It also needs permission for Motion & Fitness. A few hundred steps missing is normal, and the count is an estimate, not a precise measurement.

Check the Motion & Fitness switches

Open Settings › Privacy & Security › Motion & Fitness and turn on Fitness Tracking. Then open Health › Browse › Activity › Steps, and in Data Sources & Access check that your iPhone is listed and allowed. If the Health app says No Data instead of zero, the permission is the likeliest cause. In Location Services › System Services, the option Motion Calibration & Distance also helps accuracy on the iPhone.

Steps stopped after an update, new phone or restore

After an update or a move to a new iPhone, permissions can reset and the count can start again at zero. Reopen Fitness Tracking, check the data sources and give it a day. If you use iCloud for Health, your older history comes back on the new phone after it syncs. If you want to reset permissions, go to Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset Location & Privacy, then allow Health and Fitness again when asked. This does not erase your data.

Third party apps and mismatched numbers

Apps that read steps from Health, such as Google Fit or fitness trackers, only show what Health holds. If an app shows a different number, check Health › Sharing › Apps and make sure the app is allowed to read steps. If you wear an Apple Watch, the Health app can merge Watch and iPhone steps without double counting, and the Watch usually wins when both are on you. Move the data source order as explained in Fix 3 if the wrong one is on top.