If you dont have a smartwatch, fitness band, or pedometer that keeps track of your steps, don’t worry. Assuming you carry it in your pocket, your smartphone can monitor the number of steps you take and how far you walk.

Sure, exercise trackers provide several awesome features, but if all you need is the basic fitness stuff, marketers who sell cell phones attest that your smartphone is sufficient for your needs.

This feature is built-in on iPhones via the Apple Health app and on Android phones via the Google Fit app.

Step Tracking Is Best Suited on Newer Smartphones

Tracking your steps using your new smartphone is possible due to low-power movement receptors incorporated into modern mobile phones. This is why its only possible with the iPhone 5s and newer models. If you have your iPhone with you, it’s possible to track how you move, determine the number of steps you take, the distance you run or walk, and the flights of stairs you climb.

It’s a bit complicated on the Android side, though. Google Fit will strive to operate even on older Android mobile phones. However, it will function most accurately – and with the minimum battery drain – on newer smartphones with built-in low-power receptors. So, if you have a new smartphone that includes sensors just like the ones found in the new iPhone, it should work well. If you have an older mobile phone, it will work with data from other sensors to estimate the number of steps you took, though it may not be nearly as accurate.

Apple Health on iPhones

To launch this data, simply:

• Tap the “Health” app icon on your phones home screen. The dashboard, by default, will show these cards: Steps, Walking + Running Distance, and Flight Climbed.
• Tap the Day, Week, Month, and Year cards to check the steps you took, the distance you’ve walked or run, and the flights of stairs you’ve climbed.

With these data, its easy to see how active youve been in the past days, weeks, and months.

Google Fit on Android Phones

Google’s answer to Apple’s Health app is Google Fit. The app is bundled with several new Android smartphones. It’s possible to install the app via Google Play on older mobile phones, but as mentioned above, it won’t work as accurately as with newer phones.

To get started:

• Install Google Fit via Google Play.
• Roll out the Fit app.
• Set up the app. This includes giving it access to the receptors it needs to track your step count.
• Launch the Fit app and swipe to check out the number of steps you took along with other fitness details you may need (ex. estimate of the calorie count youve burned).

Everything is linked to your Google account, so its possible to access it on Google Fit online.

Just don’t forget to bring your smartphone with you. Using wearable tech works well because youll constantly have it on your body, while you may leave your phone sitting somewhere while you do your daily exercise. If you failed to carry your smartphone, itll wind up under-counting the distance youve traveled.