Apple Watch not properly counting flights of stairs

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Level 1

53 points

Apple Watch not properly counting flights of stairs

My Outdoor Walk workout records 30 flights of stairs on my daily walk despite the fact that there are no stairs in the route. However, the Stair Stepper records only 13 flights when I climb the 16 floors (each 18 steps—I counted them!) of my building 4 times (64 floors total). I’m on iOS 26.3. Any ideas?

Apple Watch Series 10, watchOS 26

Posted on Feb 16, 2026 4:57 PM

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Answer 1

dwb

Level 7

33,292 points

Feb 17, 2026 7:24 AM in response to Erasmix

Apparently the Apple Watch uses its barometric altimeter to gauge the number of flights of stairs you walk - about 10-12 ft = 1 flight of stairs. Depending on the actual height of the floors of your building your watch could be off a floor or 2 during the day. Similarly, a walk that involves hills could add a couple flights of stairs to the count.

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