julia2563

Q: iPhone is recording steps distance inaccurately

i have an iPhone 5s, and today I went on a walk at a nearby park. I walked briskly the whole time while holding my iPhone.

 

The walk took about an hour, and I didn't stop the whole time. I've measured the distance of the park before and I know for a fact it is 3.22 miles. My iPhone says I took 6,060 steps (which seems about right), amounting to .37 miles. I have quite a long stride, because I am a 5'8" woman, and that information is also in the health app, so I don't understand why the mileage is obviously so inaccurate. I am interested to see how far I've gone in a day, but there's no way for me to tell if it's so off. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem?image.jpg

iPhone 5s, iOS 8.3

Posted on Jul 10, 2015 7:57 AM

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Q: iPhone is recording steps distance inaccurately

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  • by judysings,

    judysings judysings Jul 12, 2015 7:53 AM in response to julia2563
    Community Specialists
    Jul 12, 2015 7:53 AM in response to julia2563

    Good Afternoon, julia2563 -

    If your Apple Watch needs to be calibrated to improve accuracy, take a look at the resource below:

    Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support
    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204516

    Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy

    Apple Watch uses the personal information you provide (age, gender, height, and weight) to help calculate a variety of metrics for your workouts and daily activity. Additionally, you can calibrate your Apple Watch for even more accuracy.

    Workout and Activity apps

    You can calibrate your Apple Watch to improve the accuracy of your distance and pace measurements during walking or running workouts when GPS isn't available (such as when you walk or run outdoors without your iPhone, or use a treadmill).

    1. Bring your iPhone and your Apple Watch.
    2. Find an open, flat area outside that offers good GPS reception and clear skies.
    3. Make sure that Location Services is on. To check the setting on your iPhone, tap Settings > Privacy > Location Services. 
    4. Make sure that Motion Calibration & Distance is on. To check the setting on your iPhone, tap Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. 
    5. Hold your iPhone in your hand, or attach it to your body with an armband (preferably) or waistband.
    6. Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch, and choose Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run.
    7. Choose your goal, or select Open, and tap Start.
    8. Walk or run at your normal pace for about 20 minutes.

    If you can't accumulate 20 minutes of outdoor walking or running during one Workout session, you can accumulate 20 minutes over multiple outdoor walking or running Workout sessions with your iPhone. If you frequently walk or run at a variety of different speeds, it's best to accumulate 20 minutes of outdoor walking or running in the Workout app with your iPhone at each of the speeds you frequently walk or run at.

    You don't need to do anything specific to start this calibration process. It can be done during a regular outdoor walking or running workout in the Workout app when you have your iPhone with you. And, whenever you use Apple Watch and iPhone to walk or run outside in the Workout app, it will continue to calibrate the accelerometer by learning your unique stride length at different speeds, and get more accurate over time.

    This calibration process can also help improve the accuracy of your overall calorie estimations in many of the other workout categories in the Workout app, and the calorie, distance, Move, and Exercise estimations in the Activity app. However, it's not necessary to do this calibration process before using either the Activity or Workout apps.

    Calibration data is stored locally on Apple Watch, and isn't backed up to your iPhone.  Therefore, your calibration data will be lost if you unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone. 

    Last Modified: Jul 6, 2015

     

    Hope that helps ....

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Jul 12, 2015 8:00 AM in response to judysings
    Level 9 (58,855 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 12, 2015 8:00 AM in response to judysings

    judysings wrote:

     

    Good Afternoon, julia2563 -

    If your Apple Watch needs to be calibrated to improve accuracy, take a look at the resource below:

    Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support
    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204516


    Hope that helps ....

    Judy,

     

    The OP never mentioned having an Apple Watch. The issue is with their iPhone.