Online Pedometer
Open this page on your phone, press Start counting and walk with the phone in your hand or pocket. The accelerometer picks up each step, and the page turns them into distance, active time, cadence and an estimate of calories burned.
Last updated:
Your settings
Calories use the ACSM walking equation with your weight, distance and active time. They are an estimate, not a medical measurement.
Saved sessions
| Date | Steps | Distance | Time | kcal | Delete |
|---|
No saved sessions yet. Count a walk and press Save session to keep it here (stored only in this browser).
How to use the Online Pedometer
- Open the page on your phone and enter your height and weight once (they are remembered on this device).
- Press Start counting. On iPhone, tap Allow when Safari asks for motion and orientation access.
- Walk normally with the phone in your hand or a front pocket. Counting begins after four steps in a row.
- Keep the page open: the screen stays on, and browsers pause sensors when the screen locks or you switch apps.
- Press Save session when you finish to store the walk in your history, or Download CSV to keep a copy.
How steps are detected
When you walk, your body rises and falls once per step and the heel strike sends a small jolt through whatever you are carrying. A phone's accelerometer measures this as a repeating wave in the total acceleration, |a| = √(x² + y² + z²), which is roughly 9.8 m/s² (gravity) at rest. This pedometer works in four stages:
- Baseline: a slow moving average (about 0.9 s) tracks gravity and is subtracted, so the phone's orientation does not matter.
- Smoothing: a short low-pass filter (about 45 ms) removes vibration and sensor noise.
- Peak detection: a step is counted when the signal rises above a threshold that adapts to how hard you walk (45% of recent peaks, never below the sensitivity floor) and has dropped back down since the last step. Steps closer than 0.28 s are ignored.
- Confirmation: four steps in a row are needed before counting starts, which filters out picking up or shaking the phone.
The motion graph under the counter shows the filtered signal in green, the current threshold as an orange dashed line and a dot for every counted step.
Typical stride length and steps per distance
Stride (step length) here means the distance from one foot strike to the next foot strike. Walking step length is about 41 to 42% of height; running steps are much longer.
| Height | Walking step length (≈ 0.414 × height) | Steps per km | Steps per mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm (4′11″) | 62 cm (24.4 in) | ≈ 1,610 | ≈ 2,590 |
| 160 cm (5′3″) | 66 cm (26.1 in) | ≈ 1,510 | ≈ 2,430 |
| 170 cm (5′7″) | 70 cm (27.7 in) | ≈ 1,420 | ≈ 2,290 |
| 180 cm (5′11″) | 75 cm (29.3 in) | ≈ 1,340 | ≈ 2,160 |
| 190 cm (6′3″) | 79 cm (31.0 in) | ≈ 1,270 | ≈ 2,050 |
To measure your own stride, walk 20 normal steps on a track or along a tape, measure the distance covered and divide by 20. Enter the result with Estimate from height unticked.
Cadence guide
| Cadence (steps per minute) | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Under 80 | Strolling, shopping, moving around the house |
| 80 to 99 | Slow, easy walking |
| 100 to 119 | Moderate brisk walking (about 100 spm is a common threshold for moderate intensity in adults) |
| 120 to 139 | Fast walking |
| 140 and above | Jogging or running (many runners land between 160 and 180) |
Tips for better counts
- Carry the phone in a front trouser pocket or hold it in your hand. Loose jacket pockets and swinging bags give a weaker, irregular signal.
- If steps are missed when walking slowly, choose High sensitivity; if extra steps appear while the phone is in your hand, choose Low.
- Keep this page in the foreground. The screen stays awake, but locking the phone or switching apps stops the sensor until you come back.
- Already know your step total? Convert it with the steps to miles calculator or the steps to calories calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How does an online pedometer count steps?
Each step causes a short spike in acceleration when your heel strikes the ground. The page reads the phone's accelerometer about 60 times a second, removes gravity with a slow moving average, smooths out jitter and counts a step every time the signal rises above an adaptive threshold, with at least 0.28 seconds between steps.
How accurate is it?
On a phone held in the hand or a front pocket at normal walking pace, counts are usually within a few percent of a manual count. Very slow shuffling, pushing a stroller or carrying the phone loosely in a bag can miss steps; raise the sensitivity for those. Test it by counting 100 steps yourself and comparing.
Does it keep counting with the screen off?
No. Web browsers stop sending motion data when the screen locks or the tab is in the background, for privacy and battery reasons. The page asks the phone to keep the screen awake while counting; dim the brightness to save battery. For all-day tracking, a built-in phone pedometer or fitness band works in the background.
How is distance calculated?
Distance = steps × stride length. If you tick Estimate from height, the stride is set to 41.4% of your height, a common walking estimate (about 70 cm or 28 inches for a 170 cm person). For better accuracy, walk 20 steps, measure the distance and divide by 20, then enter that as your stride.
How are calories estimated?
The page uses the ACSM walking equation: oxygen use = 3.5 + 0.1 × speed in meters per minute (mL per kg per minute), with about 5 kcal burned per litre of oxygen, multiplied by your weight and active time. It includes your resting energy and is an estimate; real burn varies with fitness, terrain and incline.
Why does it say Detecting steps and not count my first steps right away?
To ignore random shakes, the counter waits until it sees four steps in a row, each less than two seconds apart. Those first four steps are then added all at once, so nothing is lost. A pause of more than two seconds starts this check again.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Motion data is processed in your browser and never leaves your device. Your settings and saved sessions are kept in this browser's local storage, and you can delete them with Clear history.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.