How does the step counter work and how can I improve its accuracy?Updated 3 hours ago
👟 How does the step counter work?
Your watch has a motion sensor that measures the movement of your wrist. It estimates your steps from the rhythm of your arm swing while you walk. It does not detect your footsteps directly.
- Steps: counted from the movement of your wrist.
- Distance: calculated from the number of steps and your step length.
⚠️ Why can the count differ from reality?
Fewer steps than you actually took
The watch counts fewer steps when your arm hardly moves, for example when you:
- hold your phone, a bag or a coffee in your hand
- push a stroller or a shopping cart
- hold a handrail or walk with your hand in your pocket
More steps than you actually took
The watch can add steps when your wrist moves without walking, for example when you:
- drive or type on a keyboard
- cook, do housework or brush your teeth
- make hand gestures while talking
Other causes
- The watch is worn too loosely.
- The step length entered in the app does not match your real step length (this affects the distance).
🧮 How to calculate your step length
Where to enter it
Open the app of your watch and go to the profile information. Check that your height, weight, age and sex are correct, then enter your step length in centimeters (cm).
Estimate it from your height
- Men: step length (cm) = height (cm) × 0.415
- Women: step length (cm) = height (cm) × 0.413
Examples: a man of 170 cm has a step length of about 70.5 cm (170 × 0.415 = 70.55). A woman of 165 cm has a step length of about 68.1 cm (165 × 0.413 = 68.145).
Measure your real step length
- Mark a distance of 10 m.
- Walk it at your normal pace and count your steps.
- Step length (cm) = 1000 ÷ number of steps.
Example: 14 steps for 10 m gives a step length of about 71.4 cm.
Check the distance
Distance (m) = step length (cm) × number of steps ÷ 100. Example: 70.5 cm × 1000 steps ÷ 100 = 705 m.
✅ How to improve accuracy
- Wear the watch well fitted, about one finger width above the wrist bone.
- Swing your arms naturally while walking.
- Check your profile information and your step length in the app.
- Keep the watch connected to the app and synchronize it regularly.
🧪 Test your watch
Test 1: 100 steps
Walk 100 steps, counting them aloud, with a natural arm swing. Compare your count with the number shown by the watch.
Test 2: steps added while you are not moving
Put the watch on a table, completely still, for 10 minutes. Check whether the step count changes.
If steps are still added on the table
- Remove the watch in the app.
- In your phone's Bluetooth settings, select the watch and choose "Forget this device".
- Reset the watch to factory settings from its settings.
- Pair the watch again with the app, then repeat Test 2.
❓ Still not working?
Contact our customer service with:
- Your watch model and 6-digit reference number (it is never on the watch itself: check the back of the watch's box)
- Your proof of purchase
- The results of the two tests above
- A screenshot of the steps and distance shown in the app