Online Pedometer: Count Your Steps

How the step counter works

Each step sends a small jolt through your body. Your phone's accelerometer feels it as a rise and fall in acceleration. The pedometer filters out gravity and slow movements, then counts each distinct peak as a step, ignoring peaks that come too close together to be real strides.

Cadence is how many steps you take per minute. A relaxed walk is usually 90 to 110 steps per minute, a brisk walk 110 to 130, and running 150 or more. Distance is estimated from your step count and a stride length based on your height, which you can adjust.

Tips for an accurate count

• Keep the page open and the screen on. Browsers pause motion sensors when a page is in the background.
• Carry the phone in your hand or a front trouser pocket. Bags absorb the movement of each step.
• Enter your height so the distance estimate matches your stride.

How many steps a day?

The popular 10,000 steps target is a round number rather than a medical rule. Research suggests health benefits start well below it, from around 7,000 steps a day for many adults, and keep improving gradually above that. Any increase on your usual count is worthwhile. For your walking speed, try the walking speed checker.

Phone pedometer versus a fitness tracker

Wrist trackers and phones use the same kind of motion sensor. A wrist tracker counts all day because it is always with you, but it can also count arm movements that are not steps, such as clapping or washing up. A phone in your hand or pocket mostly feels your stride, so it is often just as accurate for a walk you want to measure on purpose.

Built-in phone health apps count steps in the background using special low-power chips that websites cannot access. This online pedometer is best for a focused session, such as a walk round the block, a treadmill test or checking the steps in a route, with the page open on screen.