Apps Made for Walking

Apple’s iPhone 5S is the smartphone pedometer king because it has a special M7 chip that can continuously track movement without draining the battery. There are many apps that hook up to this chip. The Moves app, $3 on iOS, is my favorite because of its minimal design. Moves also works on iPhones other than the 5S and on many Android units. (It is free on Android.) The app may consume more battery when used on phones other than the 5S.

A similar free app for iOS and Android that measures walks in more detail is Map My Walk. The app is elegantly designed, making it simple to use even though it contains many options and presents a lot of data. . I don’t use it because I prefer a simpler count of my walking habits, and I’m not overly fond of Map My Walk’s interface. But you may like its extra data because it may help you keep on top of your walking regimen.

The popular fitness app brand Runtastic also offers the free Runtastic Pedometer app on Android and iOS. It’s similar in terms of function and interface to Map My Walk, without the location-tracking system. The interface is plain, and this sort of no-nonsense look may appeal. I love the fact that you can tag each day’s data with a little icon to say how you felt or what the weather was like, but the spartan look of the app doesn’t appeal to me.

Simplest of all is the free Pedometer++ app. It is only for iPhone 5S phones, and is pretty to look at and functional. Its interface is even more basic than Moves app. The Pedometer app just keeps a tally of your daily step count versus a target you set. The results are then shown as a number and simple graph. I love the fact that it sticks a badge on the app’s icon on the home screen that shows you your step count. This means you don’t have to even open the app!

For Android users, a rough equivalent to Pedometer++ is the well-regarded free app Accupedo Pedometer. The app has a relatively clear interface, and tracks steps and distance walked and calories burned. It also has a great Android widget so you can pin your walking data to the home screen for quick review without having to open the app. It’s also available for iOS, but the iPhone version lacks the widget capability.