Apple Watch Finally Getting Built-In Step Count Feature

While fitness wearables and pedometers—from pioneering brands like Fitbit to modern smart rings like Oura and Whoop—have always tracked and displayed daily steps, the Apple Watch has historically kept this data hidden. Even though the device has quietly recorded step counts in the background all along, users were never given a straightforward way to view that metric on their wrists.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

For years, retrieving a simple step count on an Apple Watch proved frustratingly difficult. Users naturally expected to add step data directly to a watch complication—a mini data field on the watch face. Instead, anyone wanting a live counter on their wrist had to install and configure a third-party application.

Apple is finally changing course. The upcoming Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will feature native step tracking out of the box, with predictions pointing toward broader software support for existing models as well.

For users looking to check their current step counts immediately without upgrading hardware, the data is already accessible inside the Health app on paired iPhones. Searching for Steps, scrolling to the bottom, and selecting Add to Pinned places the metric at the top of the app interface.