when I take off my Apple Watch, my phone does not count steps

Question

Level 1

16 points

when I take off my Apple Watch, my phone does not count steps

I have an Apple Watch Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Mostly I use my watch for step count and that’s fine. However when I forget my watch at home or it’s on charge, I would like my phone to count steps, but I get nothing…you would think the phone and watch to be clever enough to figure out it’s on charge but I’m still taking steps…

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Posted on Aug 24, 2025 08:08 AM

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Answer 1

WheelieNick

Level 8

45,425 points

Aug 24, 2025 08:11 AM in response to fall_out_boy

Have you tried this ?

Open the Health app on your iPhone.
Tap on the "Browse" tab at the bottom.
Search for and select "Steps" from the list of health metrics.
Scroll down to the section titled "Data Sources & Access."
Tap on "Edit" in the upper-right corner.
Drag your Apple Watch to the top of the list of data sources. This prioritizes your Apple Watch as the primary source for step counting.
Make sure your iPhone is listed below your Apple Watch. This way, if your Apple Watch is unavailable, your iPhone will act as a secondary source for steps.
Tap "Done" to save your changes.

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Answer 2

KiltedTim

Level 10

220,386 points

Aug 24, 2025 10:18 AM in response to fall_out_boy

Are they not being counted in the health app or the fitness app, or both?

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