Software & Apps Apps 52 52 people found this article helpful Walk Away the Pounds With Android and iPhone Step Counters Use your smartphone as a pedometer with built-in and third-party apps by Stanley Goodner Writer Stanley Goodner is a former Lifewire writer who writes about audio equipment, music management, computer hardware, and other consumer technologies. our editorial process Stanley Goodner Updated on June 10, 2021 Tweet Share Email Apps Best Apps Payment Services Fitness trackers are excellent devices for reaching personalized health goals, but you don't have to use a separate wearable device to count steps, calculate distance walked, estimate calories burned, and more. Most iOS and Android mobile devices have built-in health apps that act as your personal fitness tracker, while third-party apps can boost your mobile fitness-tracking functionality. Here's a look at the top iOS and Android step-tracker apps. 01 of 08 Google Fit: Health and Activity Tracking (Android and iOS) What We Like Built into many Android phones, and downloadable for iOS. Heart Points system helps you keep your heart healthy. Track workouts from your phone or Wear smartwatch. Track and monitor steps with your Steps Goal. Detects your activity and adds it to your Google Fit journal. What We Don't Like No way to compete or coordinate with friends. Users report inconsistent distance numbers. Doesn't track less popular exercise forms. Read Our Article on Google Fit Google Fit comes included with many Android phones, and if it's not included, it's easy to download from the Google Play Store for free. The app is also available as an iOS download from Apple's App Store. Track exercises such as walking, running, or bicycling, and set activity goals by day, week, or month. Earn Heart Points for moderate and intense activity and try to get to the American Heart Association and the WHO's recommended guidelines for heart health. Want to boost your walking pace to improve your all-around health? Google Fit features Paced Walking, which adds a subtle background beat for you to keep pace with. Vary the beat's intensity for a better workout. Paced Walking background beats work with whatever music or content you're listening to. After you pick up your pace using Paced Walking, you'll earn additional Google Fit Heart Points. Google Fit also works with data from other fitness trackers, so you can get a more complete overview of your fitness, progress, and goals. In 2021, Google began rolling out a Google Fit update that measures heart rate and respiration using the front and rear cameras of supported Android devices, such as some Pixel models. If your device supports this feature, you can get one-off heart rate readings by placing a fingertip on the rear camera or get a breaths-per-minute reading by aligning your torso in front of the front camera. Download For: Android and Wear iOS 02 of 08 Apple Health (iOS Only) What We Like Input and track cholesterol, blood glucose, nutritional information, body fat percentage, and more. Analyze sleeping patterns. Import and view personal records from healthcare providers. Sync data with compatible third-party apps and fitness wearables. What We Don't Like The app can seem intimidating at first, since there's so much going on. No Android version. Read Our Article on Apple Health Apple's Health app is preinstalled with iOS, so if you have an iPhone or iPad, you can get started immediately. Apple Health lets users monitor activities, set goals, and list food and water intake. As with other fitness and health apps, it prompts you to input personal details. For example, your height helps the software more accurately calculate the distance traveled by steps and activity, and your weight, age, and gender help calculate the total calories burned based on the recorded distance and activity. The Apple Health app acts as a hub, so it recommends downloading different apps based on the activities you want to monitor. For example, if you're a runner, you can find running apps to download. View your progress over time via Health's charts and graphs. Apple Health can seem a little intimidating at first, so spend some time getting to know its features and configuring your dashboard. 03 of 08 Samsung Health (Android and iOS) What We Like Android and iOS versions available. Built-in trackers for many exercises and activities. Track diet and weight goals. Includes free exercise programs. Compete with friends. What We Don't Like Users report that the GPS doesn't register some activities well. Features get lost in frequent updates. Read Our Article on Samsung Health Samsung Health is included on most Samsung smartphones and is available for download for other Android phones from the Google Play Store. There's also an iOS version. Set up your profile and goals, and Samsung Health monitors your steps, heart rate, and other settings. Get rewards as you make progress toward your goals, and use the app's community features to compete and coordinate with friends. Samsung Health syncs up well with other apps, such as MyFitnessPal, allowing you to import your meal and calorie data and view your overall daily progress. Download For: Android iOS 04 of 08 C25K 5K Trainer (Android and iOS) What We Like Highly-rated beginner's app. Community features add inspiration and encouragement. Audio coach. MyFitnessPal integration. What We Don't Like You need to upgrade to a paid subscription to unlock more features and remove ads. Ready to step up your game? C25K by Zen Labs Fitness aims to train former couch potatoes through successfully finishing a 5K run. The app is easy to use, ideal for first-time runners, and offers a mix of programs that help gradually build strength and stamina. C25K is free to download for Android and iOS, but you need to upgrade to a pro version or paid subscription to remove ads and use more features. Download For: iOS Android 05 of 08 Map My Walk (Android and iOS) What We Like Set and reach walking goals. Log activities from 600 different sports. Monitor pace, distance, calories burned, and more. What We Don't Like You need a paid upgrade for a personal walking plan. If you want to start with the basics and move up from there, Map My Walk is a great choice. The app uses your phone's GPS to help you track and view your route, offering full stats on pace, distance, calories burned, and more. Customizable voice feedback helps spur you on, and then save and share your favorite paths with community members or find new paths to explore. Download For: Android iOS 06 of 08 Pacer Pedometer (iOS and Android) What We Like Tracks walking, biking, running, and more. Connects to Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, and FitBit. Set up walking groups with friends. What We Don't Like For workouts and weight-loss coaching, you need to pay for a premium version. Pacer Pedometer is a great app if your walking goals are part of a desire to lose weight. In addition to tracking activity, it lets you input weight and BMI, allowing you to correlate health and body changes with activity. Social connectivity helps keep you motivated, no matter what your goals are. Pacer Pedometer is free to download and use, but you need to upgrade to a subscription to unlock more weight loss and coaching tools. Download For: Android iOS 07 of 08 ActivityTracker Pedometer (iOS Only) What We Like Clean interface makes it easy to see your key stats. Doesn't drain the battery. Apple Watch and Health app integration. What We Don't Like You need to upgrade to a paid version to access additional features. No Android version. If you want core features without unnecessary frills, ActivityTracker Pedometer is a great app to get started with. The app tracks all your daily activities and display the results in colorful, easy-to-read graphs. The app promises low battery usage so your iPhone can last all day. Download For iOS 08 of 08 Argus: Calorie Counter & Step (iOS and Android) What We Like Huge social-fitness community. 24/7 step pedometer. Log food with a barcode scanner. What We Don't Like You need a paid subscription to use some of the app's best features. Argus: Calorie Counter & Step is a great app if you want to start quantifying all aspects of your health, from food intake to exercise and BMI. It tracks a variety of activities, but it also lets users count calories with its built-in food database. Combined with personalized weight loss plans and workouts, look forward to a fitter, healthier you. Download For: iOS Android Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit