- See your daily step count without opening an app
- The best step tracker for your lock screen
- At-a-glance access to your tracked Health data
Your iPhone already tracks steps automatically using the Health app, with no setup required. You can view detailed daily, monthly, or yearly totals – but only if you remember to open the app and go looking for them.
If you want your activity stats to be more visible throughout the day, there’s a simple workaround. With the help of a third-party app, you can place a live step counter directly on your Lock Screen, making it easy to check your progress at a glance every time you pick up your phone.
Luckily, there’s an app for that. StepsApp Pedometer plugs into your existing Health data in order to display a running step count right on your Lock Screen as a dynamic widget. That means instead of having to remember to delve into an app, you’ll be able to glance at your totals every time you pick up your phone. It gives you access to a nice activity-tracking interface to boot.
Here’s how to set it up. Note you’ll need iOS 16.0 or higher to use Lock Screen widgets.
First, download and open the app. You’ll need to grant access to your Motion & Fitness Activity. This doesn’t allow the app to see any of your other Health data.
Next, long-press your Lock Screen and hit Customize > Lock Screen to get to the design interface. Here, amongst the controls for changing fonts and colors, you’ll see an + Add Widgets button. Tap it and look for StepsApp in the list. Sometimes newly downloaded apps don’t appear in the list right away. If you don’t see it, try re-opening the app, restarting the iPhone, and trying again.
Add the widget and drag to rearrange if you have other widgets vying for space. Hit Done and that’s it! Now every time you use your device you’ll get an up-to-date step count for the day.
The free version of StepsApp is all you need for Lock Screen widgets, Home Screen widgets and basic step tracking, but dedicated users can get a few extra features (goals, insights, trends) with an optional $20/£20 annual subscription.