'How does an iPhone track steps?': How to use the step-tracking feature in the Health app

Your iPhone can track steps using a built-in accelerometer, which gathers data based on the speed and movement of your phone.
In your iPhone’s Health app, you can find and monitor your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly step count averages.
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Whether you like it or even realize it, the modern smart device knows a lot about your day-to-day choices.

Apple’s iPhone has one lifestyle tracking feature that you may actually find useful, rather than invasive or creepy: it can track how many steps you take over time.

Using an accelerometer and other high-tech sensors, your iPhone can detect when you are walking, and how much, using data based on the speed and movement of the phone.

And given that we’re rarely apart from our iPhones, the data it gathers on average steps can be a solid measure of health – with no Fitbit required.

Here's how to access your step count in the Health app on your iPhone.

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How to use your iPhone to track steps

1. Open your iPhone's Health app.

2. At the bottom of the screen, click "Browse."

3. Under "Health Categories" select "Activity."

Foto: Activity will be the first category, next to a flame icon. You can also customize the Health Categories on the Summary screen.sourceEmma Witman/Business Insider

4. Tap "Steps."

Whether you've been using the Health app or not, you'll already have data gathered for all the step activity recorded when you've been carrying your iPhone.

Foto: The app makes it easy to tell which days were especially activity packed, like this day in July, when I went to an amusement park.sourceEmma Witman/Business Insider

The app will also automatically graph your average steps over time, and highlight any trends or changes.