Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I am curious as to what a 'step' length is within the iphone Health app logic. The app registers steps and miles. Is a step 12 inches? So if my stride is 2.5 feet and the iphone logs that I have walked 1746 steps, have I gone 1746 feet or some factor of the iphone 'step length'? i.e.: if iphone has a step at 2.5 feet, I would have actually walked 4365 feet. ??????? How can I trust the 'miles' on my dashboard?
iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 8.1
I realize this is an old post--about 2 years old--but I thought I'd revive it. As others have pointed out, it cannot possibly be true that IOS/iPhone uses GPS for distance. Over the last month I've taken several walks with my wife. We both have iPhone 6s, bought at the same time. She consistently records 10-20% more miles than I do.
To call this question "solved" is simply wrong. This issue remains unsettled.
Jim
Halle wrote:
HI,
I really appreciate your responses. It's been most helpful in understanding how the Health app works. Taking a drive on a 'rough' road meant going" above and beyond"! Thanks!
Hal
PS: I tried to mark your last post as 'helpful', but for some reason it wouldn't take. But, as I said above, it was very helpful!
Well, I had to get somewhere, and Manhattan is in the process of repaving the streets in the West 40's blocks. So it wasn't like I had a choice, going from the Intrepid to the Central Park Zoo 😉
Interesting to note that steps does not enter into the calculation of distance. I expected that it did. Nice to know that and not expect
more from it than just a count of steps. BTW, Dashboard consistently computes my distance traveled as greater than the distance
that the MapMyTracks app does. I understand how extra jiggling can cause extra steps, but both apps supposedly use GPS. Maybe
the app needs further 'tuning'?
MY husband (6 ft) and I (5 ft) hike frequently. Yesterday we had a discrepancy of over 2,200 steps and 5 flights between the 2 of us. I could understand if I got more steps than him since my stride is shorter but he is always getting more steps.
what is going on?
do you uderstang french
Yes, I Am FrencH! But the problem is shared. Try taking the Métro in Paris and you will see how quickly the Health App (Santé) records distance and steps...while you are standing still. Kinde of useless...
My husband and I each have an iPhone 6Plus. This morning we took the exact same hike together and got very different results for both steps and distance run/walked. I understand the difference in steps, but if GPS is used for distance why would we get results that differ by more than a couple miles?
My wife and I also went walking today. We walked on a flat path with measured quarter-miles. We also counted steps for a bit (200 each). We each have an iPhone in a tight front pocket, and I don't believe in that "extra-jostle" theory. It overcounted one of us and undercounted the other by enough (about 30-40%) that the results were meaningless. We also checked the miles. We first did it for 1/2 mile - mine was exact, wifes's was about 25% off. Over two miles, both were off, mine by 35%. Bottom line - it seems to be so unreliable and inconsistent that it has no value, other than as a toy. I will continue to test, perhaps holding both phones in same pocket. And it shouldn't need calibration if it uses GPS for miles and accelerometer for strides.
My wife and I had an identical experience today on a 4 mile walk. Our measured steps, flights, and mileage varied by over 30% and both varied significantly from the distance posted on the walk! The application seems pretty useless.
MY husband's and my steps are always different as well, even when we've been to the same places. Today mine was 14k steps and his was 22k. We'd been together all day.
I have a similar experience. I have been on walks with a number of different people at different times who also have iPhones. The distance shown on my iPhone health app has always been significantly lower (by 10-20%) than that shown on my friends' phones, even though we have done the same walk. I would love some advice and/or a remedy for this. Alternatively, have any people with this problem tried using 3rd party apps and, if so, does the problem remain? (which it could do if the app also relies on the in-built GPS).
Thanks for any help on this!
I'm somewhat skeptical that Health app is using GPS for distance, because Health app's distance reporting continues to function when one is walking or running on a treadmill.
I appreciate your answer. It does provide some insight.
However, I find the iPhone GPS tends measure distance on the light side. I have compared the distances recorded in the Health app to distances measured by my Garmin Oregon GPS device and known distances and I find the iPhone distances are significantly on the light side.
i would tend to expect this as I would fully expect the iPhone would be blocked from GPS signals at times due to cover from trees, tall structures, etc. Adding to that issue, I carry the iPhone in a pants pocket. If I were to guess, the phone is probably filling in gaps by assuming a straight line. This probably produces a reasonable result on city streets, but not on a hiking trail.
Health App Step Length
