Apple watch stair count and shaving

Hi

Apple Watch Series 3 models have a barometric sensor, which is used when calculating elevation gain during workouts and when tracking flights of stairs climbed during general daily wear.

Various Activity-related credits may also be earned inappropriately if your arm movements, as measured by the built-in accelerometer, are misinterpreted.

If Flights Climbed are not being recorded as expected, then it may help to follow these steps:

If you have not yet done so, update your iPhone and Apple Watch to the latest software, starting with your iPhone:

• Update the iOS software on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
• Update the software on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Remove any protective case, bumper or other protector that you may be using on your Apple Watch, especially if it is blocking the air vent or any ports:

• A quick look at Apple Watch

Clean your Apple Watch, paying particular - and very careful - attention to the air vent:

• Cleaning your Apple Watch - Apple Support
• Important handling information

Close certain apps and then restart (normally) both your iPhone and your Apple Watch:

• If an app unexpectedly quits, stops responding, or won’t open - Apple Support
  • Close the Watch app, Activity app and Health app (if open) on your iPhone.
  • Close the Heart Rate app, Activity app and Workout app on your Apple Watch.

• Turn both devices off together, then restart your iPhone first:
  • Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
  • Restart your Apple Watch - Apple Support

If you have ever (not necessarily recently) previously used the Workout app and/or any third-party fitness, heart and/or sleep tracking apps on your watch, check on your Apple Watch to see whether there is an active or paused session within any of them.

• If there is, then end that activity from within the app on your watch (not your iPhone).
• If in doubt, then it may help to remove any such third-party apps from your Apple Watch, at least temporarily.

Activity-related estimations depend, in part, on your personal information. To check that this is accurate:

• On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch > Health > Edit - tap and adjust items, then tap on Done.

In preparation for calibrating your Apple Watch, check your Location Services settings:

• On your iPhone, go to: Settings > Privacy > Location Services:
  • Check that Location Services (the main setting at the top) is turned on.
  • In the list of apps beneath, check that Apple Watch Workout is set to While Using.
  • Also enable options under System Services including Motion Calibration & Distance, Wi-Fi Networking and Mobile Network Search.

Calibrate your Apple Watch, which can improve the accuracy of various activity-related estimations:

• The article below includes instructions for resetting existing calibration data and starting afresh.
• The process can be equally as helpful for Series 2 & 3 models and will not erase your Activity history.
• Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support

If it is not already listed as the primary source, then it may help to move your Apple Watch above your iPhone, but below Health, in the data sources list for Flights Climbed:

• On your iPhone, in the Health app, go to: Health Data > Activity > Flights Climbed > Data Sources & Access > Edit.

If the issue still persists, then it may help to unpair and re-pair your Apple Watch:

• The Watch app on your iPhone takes a backup of your watch automatically when unpairing via the app.
• Initially choose to Restore from Backup during set up (most data and settings will be restored, with some exceptions, such as Apple Pay cards, passcode).
• If the issue persists, consider instead unpairing and setting it up as a new watch.
• Unpair your Apple Watch and iPhone - Apple Support
• Set up your Apple Watch - Apple Support

If the issue persists, then I suggest that you contact Apple Support (remote diagnostics and/or mail-in service may be available, if required), make a Genius Bar reservation or visit an Apple Authorised Service Provider for assistance:

• US: Apple Watch Service Answer Center - Apple Support
• Elsewhere: Apple - Support

Make sure that Motion Calibration & Distance is on (tap Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services and look for Motion Calibration & Distance). With this enabled, your watch should, in theory, begin getting more accurate as it works to calibrate. Do note that calibration data is stored locally on Apple Watch, and isn’t backed up to your iPhone, so your calibration data will be lost if you unpair your Apple Watch from your iPhone. If this is already enabled, there isn't much more I can think to try, other than obviously taking it off while shaving, which I understand is inconvenient.