Privacy and security
Motion and Fitness
Most people call this whether apps can read your step count and movement.
Fitness Tracking controls whether the iPhone counts steps at all, and a list below shows which apps can read that data.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 16 and later
- Settings
- Privacy & Security
- Motion & Fitness
What it does
The motion coprocessor records steps, distance and flights climbed with very little power. Turning Fitness Tracking off stops the recording entirely, which also stops the Health app filling in.
What changes
When it is on
Steps and movement are recorded and available to apps you allow.
When it is off
Nothing is recorded and no app can read movement data.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Step counting costs almost no battery.
- Health and fitness apps depend on it.
Good reasons to turn it off
- No movement data is produced at all.
- Some apps use it to infer a great deal about your routine.
Battery
Helps
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Fitness Tracking on.
Questions people actually ask
- Why has my iPhone stopped counting steps?
- Fitness Tracking under Motion and Fitness has been turned off, or the app lost permission.
If it is not working
- If your step count has stopped, check Fitness Tracking is still on.
- Turning it off does not delete data already recorded in Health.