If your goal is to walk 10K steps every day, you can use your Apple Watch to keep track of your progress. You can also add a few flights of stairs if you’re up for a nice challenge. Unfortunately, your Apple Watch may sometimes fail to count steps and stairs accurately. Let’s jump right in and explore how you can quickly troubleshoot this problem.
Move the arm on which you’re wearing your watch naturally. When GPS data is not available or not relevant, Apple Watch uses arm motion to detect and track your workouts and activities, steps included. Ensure your Apple Watch fits your wrist right to allow the sensors to do their job properly.
Additionally, tweak your settings and set your Apple Watch as your primary source of data for steps and flights climbed. Open the Health app, go to Health Data, select Activity, and tap Steps/Flights Climbed. Select Data Sources & Access, hit the Edit button, and add your watch as the main data source for that activity.
Leave Your Watch Uncharged for a Few Hours
Keep using your Apple Watch until the battery dies. After that, wait one or two hours, charge it again, and check if your device counts steps and stairs accurately. Ideally, leave your watch uncharged overnight.
Enable Location Services and Recalibrate Your Watch
Make sure your Apple Watch sensors are calibrated properly. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, go to My Watch and select Privacy. Tap Reset Fitness Calibration Data and restart your device.
Then, go to Settings, select Privacy and enable Location Services. Scroll down to System Services and turn on Motion Calibration & Distance.
Launch the Workout app on your Apple Watch, and walk at a normal pace or run for about 20 minutes to recalibrate the sensors.
If the issue persists, unpair your watch from your iPhone and check if this solution solves the problem.
Launch the Watch app
Go to My Watch
Select All Watches
Tap the Info button next to your watch
Tap Unpair Apple Watch
Restart your devices, and update them to the latest iOS and watchOS versions. Pair them again, and check if your watch counts steps and stairs accurately now.
Conclusion
If your Apple Watch counts too many steps or stairs, let the battery die and leave your watch uncharged overnight. Make sure your Apple Watch fits your wrist right. Additionally, enable Location Services and recalibrate your device. If the issue persists, unpair your watch from your iPhone and restart your devices.
Did you find other ways to troubleshoot this problem? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments section.
Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies — AI and DNA computing in particular.
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