What to Know

You don't need to download a pedometer app; you have an iPhone step counter in the Health app!
To set up the iPhone step counter, open the Health app, tap the Summary tab, Edit, the star next to Steps, and Done.
To see your iPhone step counter results, open Health, tap Summary, then select Steps.

Did you know the Health app on your iPhone can track steps? Read on to learn how to use your iPhone step counter. When you set up the step counter on your iPhone, you can track and view the number of steps you've taken, flights of stairs you've climbed, and more (as long as your iPhone is with you).

How to Count Steps on iPhone & iPad

System Requirements

This tip was performed on an iPhone 16 running iOS 18.6. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.

If you're wondering your iPhone can track your steps without an Apple Watch, the answer is Yes. Here's how to track steps on an iPhone or iPad with the free phone step counter that's built into the Health app.

Open the Health app.
Tap the Summary tab.
Tap Edit next to Pinned.
Tap the pushpin icons next to the categories you want your iPhone to track. In this case, I've tapped Activity, Flights Climbed, Steps, and Walking + Running Distance, but you can just tap Steps if that's all you're interested in tracking.
Tap Done when you're finished selecting activities to track.
To see your iPhone step counter results, open the Health app and tap the Summary tab as before, then tap Steps under Pinned.
Tap D, W, M, 6M, or Y to see your steps for the day, week, month, six months, or year.

If you've set up the step counter, but your iPhone isn't tracking your steps, we have a tutorial covering how to fix the iPhone step counter. This way, you'll be able to log your walks again! Check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter for more great fitness tracking tutorials.

FAQ

How do I get the Health app icon back on my iPhone? If you can't find the Health app on your iPhone, you can reinstall the Health app. Find the Health app in the App Library, touch and hold the app, then tap Add to Home Screen.
How do I get my Apple Watch to track my steps? We have a tutorial on how to see steps on your Apple Watch face. You'll need to download a third-party step counter app, touch and hold your Apple Watch face, tap Edit, then add the complication to the watch face to track your steps.
Can I add my steps to the Health app later if I didn't have my iPhone with me? Yes. We have an article on how to manually enter data in the Health app. You'll need to open the Health app, tap the Browse tab, tap Activity, Steps, Add Data, and enter the number of steps you think you walked.

Top image credit: Amguy13 / Shutterstock.com