can i set a step goal for my apple watch?

This is ridiculous that for $400 4x the price of a simple fitbit I can't set a simple steps goal and get reminders on that. Instead I get reminders to stand up. Get outta here with that.

How is it we can't get a comprehensive dashboard and complete control of goals and alerts. This watch is a fail. I can't imagine how useless the 1st version must have been.

sdwatkins wrote:

This is ridiculous that for $400 4x the price of a simple fitbit I can't set a simple steps goal and get reminders on that. Instead I get reminders to stand up. Get outta here with that.

Apple has a different view of fitness than Fitbit. There's some very good science behind the stand up alerts. As I recall, the FitBit reminds when you've been inactive. I'm not sure how much different that is. You could also use an app like Pedometer ++ that has a complication that will can show your steps right on the face of your watch. There are probably others as well.

However, you should always by the device that best meets your needs.

You should also submit your feedback to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

I can't imagine how useless the 1st version must have been.

I didn't find it useless at all. But, if it's not the tool for you, that's okay.

Best of luck.

sdwatkins wrote:

It doesnt matter if steps is a key or not. The fact is its being tracked by both the watch and the phone along with several other things including my sleep. These things should be made clearly and readily available. Its ok to be critical of Apple design just so you know. No one is going to hurt you. Tim Cook isn't going to take your toys away. I own Apple stock and I own enough of their devices to qualify to voice my opinion.

I'm certainly critical of Apple when I have something to be critical about. I also don't expect Apple to meet all of my needs. For example, when I'm doing serious training, I use my Garmin running watch as it is much more accurate than my Apple Watch for distance and pace. And the eReader I take on a plane is a Kindle. As a dedicated reader, it beats iPads lots of ways.

I've made it very clear to you how you should let Apple know you're unhappy but, just in case:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

No one here can change the way the Apple Watch works or how Apple thinks.

I'm a bit offended that you appear to think my opinions are somehow not my own. The notion that, if I don't agree with you, I'm in fear of Apple's wrath is ridiculous. I've been nothing but civil to you. I've offered you suggestions on how to perhaps configure your watch more to your liking. You, however, are becoming increasingly unpleasant.

I do not agree with your opinion on the utility of the Apple Watch.

Have a nice weekend.

It definitely has its own view of "fitness" and that is fine but where is the option to monitor simple metrics. This watch is collecting so much data yet there is no simple configurable dashboard that shows me the basics. Steps, calories, sleep, etc. Instead we have this convoluted color ring that measures "stand." The watch does some other things extremely well however fitness needs work. Its more than obvious that rather than design a solid fitness interface the developers left this area open so that you have to use up to 5 different apps to accomplish what a $50 fitness tracker will do on one page. Let's just be honest

sdwatkins wrote:

It definitely has its own view of "fitness" and that is fine but where is the option to monitor simple metrics. This watch is collecting so much data yet there is no simple configurable dashboard that shows me the basics. Steps, calories, sleep, etc. Instead we have this convoluted color ring that measures "stand." The watch does some other things extremely well however fitness needs work. Its more than obvious that rather than design a solid fitness interface the developers left this area open so that you have to use up to 5 different apps to accomplish what a $50 fitness tracker will do on one page. Let's just be honest

Okay, lets be honest. I find the notion that some arbitrary number of steps is the key to fitness rather silly. It makes much more sense to me to measure things like overall activity, exercise and, yes, standing. I've had FitBits. I don't care for the software and the user interface on the bands is rather clunky and primitive, in my opinion. That's why I don't have one anymore. I find the three rings straightforward and very easy to read, even without my glasses. I researched what the Apple Watch could do and how it compared to its competitors before I purchased my original. I've been nothing but happy with it.

Do your research. Buy the device that best fits your needs.

It doesnt matter if steps is a key or not. The fact is its being tracked by both the watch and the phone along with several other things including my sleep. These things should be made clearly and readily available. Its ok to be critical of Apple design just so you know. No one is going to hurt you. Tim Cook isn't going to take your toys away. I own Apple stock and I own enough of their devices to qualify to voice my opinion.

A ring for steps would be far more useful than a ring that tells me how many times i stood up in an hour. That is completely obvious even for you

Therein is the line between our thinking. I don't want to have to carry three or four devices when I have already paid top dollar for a device capable of doing exactly the thing i want.

Technology should be a minimalist/useful approach. Simple, capable and a tool for man. Not a gateway into hundreds of other apps, accessories and stress. Carrying around 4-5 things that you have to charge on a daily basis and keep track of is added stress on you physically and economically and ends up hurting you rather than helping you.

The thing I am asking for is quite basic and obvious. Who creates a watch that tracks a humans gps location, heart rate, steps, calories burned and who knows what else that we arent even aware of and doesnt present this information in a useful dashboard? I'll submit this info to the link you sent. Thank you very much. I'm sorry if I began to take my frustrations out on you. You have a great weekend as well.

Sorry, you can't. You can only set calorie goals.

As an aside, the 10,000 steps recommendation was not a result of science but because some of the first pedometers sold to consumers were made in Japan. 10,000 is an auspcious number in Japan and the phrase "manpo-kei" (10,000 steps meter) sounded good. In other words, it was a marketing idea.

What's important is that you are active. That can be measured by steps or by calories; it really doesn't matter.

Best of luck.

It matters for use with other apps, such as LoseIt!, where one can get bonus calories if 7500 steps are taken.

A useful feature that will hopefully be added in WatchOS 2.

If you'd like to see that feature added, go to http://apple.com/feedback/watch.html.

Done.

neonsox wrote:

It matters for use with other apps, such as LoseIt!, where one can get bonus calories if 7500 steps are taken.

The fact that you can't set a step goal has no relevance to that. The watch does count steps. Check the Activity app on your phone. The problem is that LoseIt has chosen not to use that data. My Fitness Pal, a very similar app, can use step data from the watch as it will read step data from the Health app. So, the problem isn't the Apple Watch, it's LoseIt. Contact the developer and tell them you want them to enable the app to use the step data from Health.

Wrong again. Don't reply if you A. Can't read and B. Don't use the App In question. LoseIt counts both steps and activity and brings them both in from HealthKit. I want to set a steps goal so I can use LoseIt's metrics instead of Apple's.

neonsox wrote:

Wrong again. Don't reply if you A. Can't read and B. Don't use the App In question. LoseIt counts both steps and activity and brings them both in from HealthKit. I want to set a steps goal so I can use LoseIt's metrics instead of Apple's.

I'm not sure why you would think such rudeness is appropriate.

I do use LoseIt, have for years. This is what is available for me to read from Health:

So, forgive my thinking I couldn't have LoseIt read steps from Health.

So, what we've established is that 1) the Apple Watch counts steps, 2) the watch syncs steps to Health, 3) LoseIt (at least yours) reads steps from Health, 4) LoseIt gives you a calorie "bonus" if you reach 7500 steps. What about this flow would change if you could change the activity goal on your watch from calories to steps? How would you be using LoseIt's metrics rather than Apples?