I disabled my phone's step tracking after finding out how bad the data was
Android Police 2026-06-18 10:00:20
Context: The author, Jade Bryan Jardinico, a feature author at Android Police, has been tracking his fitness using various devices, including smartwatches and smartphones, for over a decade. He recently conducted an experiment to test the accuracy of his smartphone's step counter, comparing it to a dedicated fitness tracker, and found significant discrepancies in the data. This experience led him to reevaluate the reliability of relying solely on phone step tracking.
Key Facts
- The author's smartwatch recorded 177 steps during a seven-minute tracking trial, while his Google Pixel 9 Pro XL phone recorded only 119 steps, highlighting a notable discrepancy in step tracking accuracy.
- When walking with his phone in his pocket, the smartwatch logged over 100 steps, while the phone barely reached 80 steps, as measured in the Google Fit app, suggesting that phone placement significantly affects step tracking accuracy.