How to Sync Steps to Steppa: Apple Health, Apple Watch and Trackers

Steppa doesn't count your steps. Your iPhone's Apple Health app does, and Steppa reads the total from there. So syncing Steppa really means two things: getting your steps into Apple Health, and letting Steppa read them. Set both up once and the app keeps up by itself.

Key Takeaways

• Steppa never counts steps itself: it reads the total from Apple Health on your iPhone.
• Allow Steppa to read Steps once, in Settings under Privacy & Security, then Health, then Steppa.
• A watch or tracker counts when its app writes steps to Apple Health and it sits above the iPhone in Data Sources & Access.
• The Profile tab shows under Help & Support whether the health app is connected and how many steps Steppa read today.
• Steps for a challenge day count if they reach Steppa before it settles, at 12:00 UTC two days after the last day.

How syncing works

Every step you see in Steppa came from Apple Health. Your iPhone records steps on its own. A watch or tracker adds its steps to Apple Health through its own app. Steppa then reads the combined number in the background and every time you open it.

Walking without a signal is fine. Apple Health keeps recording on the phone, and Steppa picks the steps up once you're back online.

Step 1: let Steppa read your steps

The first time you open Steppa, it asks for access to Apple Health. Allow Steps. If you skipped that screen or aren't sure what you tapped:

1. Open the iPhone Settings app.
2. Go to Privacy & Security, then Health, then Steppa.
3. Make sure Steps is turned on.

If you only carry your phone, you're done. The rest of this guide is for watches and trackers.

Step 2: connect a watch or tracker

Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Oura and Whoop all work, as long as their steps reach Apple Health. Two settings decide that, and both live on the Apple Health side, not in Steppa.

The tracker's app has to be allowed to write steps to Apple Health. You turn this on in the tracker's own app. In Garmin Connect, for example, you turn on Apple Health under connected apps and allow it to write steps. If the tracker app isn't listed as a source in Apple Health at all, this permission is off.

The tracker has to rank above your iPhone. When your phone and your watch both record the same walk, Apple Health keeps one source for each stretch of time: the one highest on its list. To change the order:

1. Open the Health app and tap Steps.
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Data Sources & Access.
3. Tap Edit and drag your watch or tracker app above the iPhone.

That second setting is the one almost nobody finds alone. An Apple Watch ranked below the iPhone loses its steps whenever the phone also counted, which is why the Fitness app can show more steps than Apple Health and Steppa. If your phone is your only device, there's nothing to reorder.

Steppa walks you through both settings with a guided wearable setup, and at the end it shows your last seven days of steps so you can see whether it worked. When Apple Health is dropping steps from a watch or tracker, the challenge screen also warns you, says how many steps are missing, and opens the same walkthrough.

A few notes by brand:

• Garmin: Garmin Connect may be listed as just "Connect". The watch itself never appears in the list, because its steps arrive through the app.
• Fitbit: its app is now called Google Health. Steppa only sees Fitbit steps once they've synced to Apple Health.
• Oura, Whoop and Garmin: these can push steps to Apple Health hours late, or in one batch.

Step 3: keep the tracker syncing

Trackers don't always send steps to Apple Health right away. Until they do, Steppa counts the steps your iPhone recorded for those hours. Once the tracker's app syncs, its numbers take over for those hours. Two habits keep a challenge day safe:

• Carry your phone when you walk, so Apple Health records steps directly.
• Open the tracker's app near the end of the day to make it sync, then open Steppa.

How to check it's working

Open the Profile tab. Under Help & Support it says whether the health app is connected and how many steps Steppa read today. If something is wrong, a warning at the top of the tab says what and how to fix it.

When you're not in a challenge, the home screen also shows your step counts for the past week, read straight from Apple Health. If they match Apple Health, the sync works. To bring in a walk you just finished, open Steppa and pull down on the home screen to refresh.

Why Steppa can show fewer steps than your watch app

Apple Health counts each step once, even when two devices saw it. A Whoop or Garmin app shows its own count, and that can be well above the Apple Health total. Neither number is broken. They measure different things.

Steppa uses the Apple Health number on purpose. If it added devices together, anyone could double their total by wearing two, and that wouldn't be fair to the other players in a challenge. Steps typed into Apple Health by hand never count either.

When synced steps count for a challenge

A challenge day runs from midnight to midnight in your own time zone. Steps for that day still count as long as they reach Steppa before the challenge settles, at 12:00 UTC two days after its last day. That gives every player at least one full day for a late tracker sync. Steps that arrive after settlement don't change the result, so open your tracker's app and Steppa before then.

If your steps still don't show up, our guide to Steppa not syncing steps goes through every fix, easiest first. Once you've won, how to cash out on Steppa explains getting the money to PayPal or your bank.

Steppa is iPhone only. Paid challenges are for adults 18 and over, and they're available where Steppa's Terms allow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Steppa work with Apple Watch?

Yes. Apple Watch steps reach Apple Health, and Steppa reads them from there. Open the Health app, tap Steps, scroll to Data Sources & Access, tap Edit and drag Apple Watch above the iPhone. If the watch sits below the phone, it loses its steps whenever the phone also counted, and the Fitness app will show more than Steppa.

Does Steppa work with Garmin, Fitbit, Oura or Whoop?

Yes, as long as the tracker's app writes steps to Apple Health. Turn that on in the tracker's own app, then put the tracker app above the iPhone in Data Sources & Access. These apps can sync hours late, so open the tracker's app near the end of each challenge day. Fitbit's app is now called Google Health.

Why does Steppa show fewer steps than my tracker's app?

Apple Health counts each step once, even when your phone and your watch both recorded the same walk. A tracker's own app shows its own count, which can be higher. Steppa reads Apple Health's combined number, so wearing two devices never doubles anyone's total.

Do I have to open Steppa for my steps to sync?

Steppa syncs in the background and every time you open it. To pull in a walk you just finished, open the app and pull down to refresh on the home screen. On a challenge day it is worth opening your tracker's app and then Steppa before the day ends.

Can I add steps by hand?

No. Steps typed into Apple Health by hand never count toward a challenge or a rank, and Apple Health leaves them out of the total Steppa reads. Only steps your iPhone or a connected tracker recorded count.