How to Turn On Walk Counter on Your Xiaomi Phone

Users are used to tracking their physical activity with fitness bracelets. But it turns out that Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in function that allows you to count steps without using additional devices. Today we will learn how to turn on the pedometer on the Xiaomi phone using the system option and additional applications.

What is a pedometer

A pedometer is a measuring device for counting steps while walking or running. There are mechanical, electronic-mechanical, and electronic types. Modern devices also record the distance walked in kilometers, the route (using GPS), total time, and calories burned.

How it works

The movements are recorded through an accelerometer. It is this sensor is present in all pedometers. Athletes and scientists use professional devices in which several accelerometers are built. This increases the accuracy of the measurement. Phones and fitness watches usually have one sensor each, so there may be an error in the calculation.

A step is counted when the accelerometer detects the negative acceleration of the body at the moment when the foot touches the surface. Electronic pedometers produce the most accurate results, but the most affordable option is electronic-mechanical. But the smartphone sometimes counts steps incorrectly, which is unsuitable for professional athletes.

What models have step counting

Many users wonder whether there is a pedometer in Xiaomi. The answer is positive. On smartphones from this company, you can activate and configure the pedometer. However, you still need to download and install a special application, Mi Health (read about it in the next paragraph).

The only requirement is an update to MIUI 11, the version in which the pedometer appeared on Xiaomi phones. The step-counting tool is unavailable in outdated mobile devices running MIUI 10 and below.

Where to find a built-in pedometer on Xiaomi

Now let’s discuss where the pedometer is located in the Xiaomi smartphone. The fact is that this is a hidden feature, and to enable it and further use, it is necessary:

1. Change the region to “India”.
2. Activate the widget feed. There will be an application for the pedometer – Xiaomi Health, which you need to download to your device.

Setting up the pedometer on phones with MIUI 13

In this paragraph, we will learn how to use the system pedometer. The process is as simple as possible.

Switching on

1. On the smartphone, open “Settings” and “Advanced Settings”. In the “Region” line, we specify “India”.
2. Return to the initial menu, where you select the “Desktop” tab. Move the slider next to “Widget Ribbon” to the active state.
3. On the home screen, swipe to the left. Scroll the ribbon to the “Steps” section. A window appears inviting you to download the Mi Health pedometer from GetApps. Accept by clicking on the green button.
4. Wait for the download and installation to complete. Then click on “Setup.

Basic Functions

1. Agree to the terms of use and go to the home page. Specify an activity goal. For example, 9000 steps per day.
2. On the start screen, you can see the number of steps taken per day, week, and month. At the bottom is information about the activity time, the distance covered, and the calories spent.

There is no special instruction for the pedometer. You take your smartphone and go about your business. Steps will be counted in real-time and displayed in the app.

Elimination of errors

There is no way to influence the accuracy of counting. The only thing you can do if the program does not count steps or does it incorrectly – to reset your smartphone and change the place where you wear the phone. It is best to wear your smartphone in your pocket; the sensor will accurately record each step.

Why step counting doesn’t work

If the built-in pedometer doesn’t work, try uninstalling Mi Health and reinstalling it. Restarting your phone should also help. Download the pedometer from Google Play if the Xiaomi app doesn’t count steps correctly. What applications are worth looking at – we’ll discuss in the next paragraph.

On older models, the pedometer may refuse to function due to the lack of an accelerometer.

Popular third-party apps

On Google Play, you can find many programs for tracking physical activity. Now we will discuss the best pedometer to download on Xiaomi (applications will work for all Android devices).

StepsApp

One of the best pedometers, with a simple interface and accurate calculation. After launching the program, gets to the start screen, where you specify your parameters: gender, height, weight, stride length, and age. Click “Continue”. A page opens with the number of steps walked. At the bottom is information about calories, distance, and activity time. There are no extra options. Everything is clear on an intuitive level.

In “Settings” you can change the color scheme, personal settings, and pause step counting. The user is also offered a PRO version with the following advantages:

• No ads;
• Daily goals for calories, distance, and activity time;
• Import of data from Google Fit;
• Display the pedometer on your Xiaomi lock screen;
• More color themes.

Pedometer – free step and calorie counter

This is an app with similar functionality. We open the program and specify gender, height, and weight. In the next window, provide all the requested permissions. The main page always contains information about steps, distance, calories, and walking time.

From the application’s features, we would like to highlight the tab “Achievements” and the mode “Training”, thanks to which you can track your physical activity in real-time.

Pedometer – step counter

Another similar program with a similar name. It performs the same functions as the two tools mentioned above. The only difference is the design and the additional “Water Control” option.

Comparison of smartphone pedometer with Mi Band tracker

There are no particular differences. The algorithms are very similar: the accelerometer picks up the movement of a person and records this data. The pedometer of Xiaomi Mi Band fitness bracelets gives a more accurate calculation, as these devices are specially designed to track physical activity. Information about the steps is displayed on the watch screen and in the Mi Fit app.

The main advantage of the Mi Band is the pedometer with a heart rate monitor. You can track your heart rate during workouts. Such a function is not available on the phone. Therefore, people actively engaged in sports are recommended to buy a tracker. If you count steps for fun, a smartphone will be quite enough.

FAQ

Why is the walk counter not on all Xiaomi smartphones?

As noted above, it depends on the firmware version. If you have MIUI 11, the pedometer should be.

Why does the pedometer app slow down?

Usually, the reasons are quite trivial: multitasking and lack of RAM. Try clearing the cache and restarting the device.

If I have MIUI 13, can I use pedometers from Google Play?

Yes, third-party apps will work on any MIUI. The only exception is Mi Health, which requires MIUI 12 and higher.

Now you know how to activate the pedometer on Xiaomi and Redmi phones. As you can see, the function is set up very easily and quickly. Do you use the step counter on your phone?