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patstg
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Health App Step Length

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

Posted on Mar 5, 2015 11:02 AM

by Lawrence Finch,Solvedanswer
Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch
Level 8 (38,039 points)
Mac OS X
A:

The iPhone measures both steps and distance separately. It measures distance using GPS functionality and steps using the accelerometer. So it doesn't need to know step length to find distance. It DOES know it, however; under Location Services there is a function called "Motion Calibration." That's what its for.

Posted on Mar 5, 2015 11:20 AM

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Q: Health App Step Length

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  • by abdwdc,

    abdwdc abdwdc Jul 21, 2015 12:17 PM in response to cachaange
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 21, 2015 12:17 PM in response to cachaange

    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...

  • by nsjenks,

    nsjenks nsjenks Aug 1, 2015 3:26 PM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 1, 2015 3:26 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

    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?

  • by agent511,

    agent511 agent511 Dec 26, 2015 2:50 PM in response to nsjenks
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 26, 2015 2:50 PM in response to nsjenks

    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.

  • by sandmang,

    sandmang sandmang Jan 1, 2016 4:55 PM in response to agent511
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2016 4:55 PM in response to agent511

    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.

  • by pthomas156,

    pthomas156 pthomas156 Jan 21, 2016 6:51 PM in response to Vyounker
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 21, 2016 6:51 PM in response to Vyounker

    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.

  • by Ignaz80,

    Ignaz80 Ignaz80 Apr 10, 2016 7:35 AM in response to pthomas156
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 10, 2016 7:35 AM in response to pthomas156

    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!

  • by Tim Smith7,

    Tim Smith7 Tim Smith7 May 23, 2016 1:26 PM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (44 points)
    May 23, 2016 1:26 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

    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.

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