Can You Change Apple Watch Rings to Display Steps Instead?

AvatarByArron Moss Smartwatches

If you’re an Apple Watch user who loves tracking your daily activity, you’ve probably noticed how motivating those colorful rings can be. Each ring represents a different aspect of your health and fitness goals, encouraging you to move, exercise, and stand throughout the day. But what if you’re more interested in monitoring your step count rather than the default metrics? This raises an intriguing question: can you change the Apple Watch rings to display steps instead?

The Apple Watch’s Activity rings are designed to promote a balanced approach to fitness by focusing on movement, exercise, and standing time. While steps are a popular and straightforward way to measure daily activity, the watch’s default setup emphasizes calorie burn and active minutes. This has led many users to wonder if it’s possible to customize the rings to better align with their personal goals, such as tracking steps instead of the standard metrics.

Exploring this topic reveals how Apple’s fitness tracking system works and what customization options are available for users seeking a more tailored experience. Understanding whether and how you can shift the focus of your Apple Watch rings to steps can help you make the most of your device and stay motivated in a way that suits your lifestyle best.

Understanding the Apple Watch Activity Rings System

The Apple Watch Activity Rings are designed to motivate users through three core metrics: Move, Exercise, and Stand. Each ring corresponds to a specific goal that contributes to overall daily activity:

  • Move Ring (Red): Tracks active calories burned throughout the day.
  • Exercise Ring (Green): Measures minutes of brisk activity or exercise.
  • Stand Ring (Blue): Counts the number of hours in which the user has stood and moved for at least one minute.

These rings are inherently structured around health and fitness principles rather than step count alone. The Move ring is calorie-based because it reflects the energy expenditure from all types of movement, not just walking or running. The Exercise ring measures sustained elevated heart rate activities, while the Stand ring encourages reducing sedentary behavior.

Because the Activity app is deeply integrated with Apple’s health algorithms and sensors, the rings cannot be manually customized to track alternative metrics like steps instead of calories or minutes. This system encourages a holistic view of activity rather than focusing solely on step count.

Why You Can’t Replace Activity Rings with Steps

Apple Watch’s activity tracking framework prioritizes comprehensive health metrics over simple step tracking, which is why the rings cannot be altered to display steps directly.

  • Health Focus: Calories burned and exercise minutes provide a broader picture of cardiovascular and metabolic health than steps alone.
  • Sensor Integration: The watch uses heart rate, accelerometer, and GPS data to compute calories and exercise, which steps do not fully capture.
  • User Motivation: The rings are designed to encourage varied physical activity rather than just walking, promoting balanced fitness habits.

While steps are recorded as part of the Health app data, the Activity rings serve a different motivational and health-tracking purpose. Apple’s design philosophy is to provide actionable goals that improve overall wellness, which steps alone might not achieve.

Alternative Ways to Track Steps on Apple Watch

Although you cannot replace the Activity rings with steps, the Apple Watch and its associated apps offer several options to monitor step count alongside the existing rings:

  • Health App: Steps are logged and can be viewed in detail within the Health app on your iPhone.
  • Complications: You can add a steps complication to your watch face via third-party apps, providing quick access to your step count.
  • Third-Party Apps: Many apps available on the App Store focus specifically on steps, providing different visualizations and goal-setting features.

These options allow users who prefer step tracking to supplement the default Activity rings without altering their fundamental function.

Comparison of Activity Rings and Step Tracking Metrics

Metric Tracked By Measurement Type Motivational Focus Limitations
Move Ring Apple Watch sensors (heart rate, motion) Active calories burned Encourages overall energy expenditure May underestimate non-caloric activity
Exercise Ring Heart rate sensor + motion data Minutes of brisk activity Promotes sustained cardiovascular exercise Does not count light activity
Stand Ring Accelerometer Hours with ≥1 minute standing movement Reduces sedentary behavior Does not measure intensity
Step Count Accelerometer Number of steps taken Tracks walking and running volume Ignores other activity types

This table highlights how each metric serves different purposes and why the Activity rings focus on a broader, more health-centric approach rather than simply counting steps.

Customizing Your Apple Watch to Emphasize Steps

If your primary interest is step counting, you can customize your Apple Watch experience to highlight steps without modifying the Activity rings:

  • Add Steps Complications: Use watch faces that support third-party complications showing step counts, such as Pedometer++ or StepsApp.
  • Use Step-Focused Apps: Download apps that emphasize step tracking and provide notifications or daily goals based on steps.
  • Widgets and Notifications: Set up widgets or notifications on your iPhone to review step progress throughout the day.
  • Combine Metrics: Use the Activity app for overall health goals and supplement with step data for additional motivation.

By integrating these adjustments, you can maintain the health benefits of the Activity rings while prioritizing step tracking as a personal fitness focus.

Can You Change Apple Watch Rings to Track Steps Instead of Activity

The default Activity Rings on Apple Watch are designed to monitor three primary health metrics: Move (calories burned), Exercise (minutes of brisk activity), and Stand (hours with at least one minute standing). Unfortunately, Apple does not provide an option to replace or customize these rings to directly track steps instead of these established metrics.

Understanding the Activity Rings’ Design

  • Move Ring: Measures active calories burned throughout the day.
  • Exercise Ring: Tracks minutes of activity equal to or above a brisk walk.
  • Stand Ring: Counts hours where the user has stood and moved for at least one minute.

These rings are deeply integrated into the watchOS system and are tied to specific health data types collected by the watch’s sensors.

Limitations on Customization

  • Apple does not allow customization of the Activity Rings themselves, as they are core to the Health app ecosystem.
  • No native setting exists to swap the Move ring or any ring for a step-count ring.
  • Third-party apps cannot modify the rings displayed on the Apple Watch face.

Alternative Ways to Monitor Steps on Apple Watch

Although you cannot replace the Activity Rings with step counts, you can monitor steps through other means:

Method Description
Steps Complication Add a steps complication to your watch face using third-party apps like Pedometer++ or Steps
Fitness App Use the built-in Fitness app to view step counts alongside other health metrics
Health App on iPhone Check detailed step data and trends through the Health app synced with the Apple Watch
Third-Party Watch Faces Some third-party watch faces (via apps) offer complications that display step counts

Using Complications to Display Steps

To see steps prominently on your watch face:

  1. Download a Third-Party Step Tracker App: Apps such as Pedometer++, Stepz, or ActivityTracker provide step-count complications.
  2. Customize Watch Face: Press and hold the watch face, tap “Edit,” then select a complication slot.
  3. Choose the Step Counter Complication: Select the complication provided by the third-party step app.

This approach allows step tracking to be visible at a glance without altering the core Activity Rings.

Why Apple Focuses on Calories and Activity

Apple emphasizes Move (calories burned) because it reflects overall energy expenditure, which can be more meaningful for health and weight management than steps alone. Exercise minutes encourage sustained activity, and standing combats sedentary behavior.

Steps can be misleading as they do not account for intensity or energy burned. This rationale underpins Apple’s decision to keep the three-ring structure fixed.

Customizing Activity Tracking to Include Steps in Workouts

While the rings themselves cannot be replaced, you can increase the relevance of steps within workouts:

  • Workout Types: Select workouts like Walking or Running that inherently track steps and distance.
  • Health Data Integration: Apple Watch records steps during workouts and syncs them with the Health app.
  • Activity App: Steps contribute indirectly to your Exercise and Move rings because walking/running workouts raise calories burned and exercise minutes.

Enhancing Step Tracking with Workout Settings

Tip Explanation
Use Outdoor Walk/Run Workouts These workouts better capture step counts and cadence metrics
Enable Heart Rate Monitoring Provides more accurate calorie and effort measurement
Sync with Third-Party Apps Apps like Strava or Nike Run Club may offer enhanced step data

Using Siri or Widgets to Check Steps Quickly

  • Siri Commands: Ask “How many steps have I taken today?” for an immediate step count.
  • Widgets on iPhone: Add step-count widgets to your iPhone’s Today View for quick access.

Summary of Options for Step Tracking on Apple Watch

Feature Possible? Notes
Replace Activity Rings with Steps No Rings are fixed and cannot be customized
View Steps on Watch Face Yes, via complications Use third-party apps that provide step complications
Track Steps in Workouts Yes Steps are recorded during walking/running workouts and contribute to activity rings
Monitor Steps on iPhone Yes Detailed step data available via Health app synced from Apple Watch
Customize Rings for Steps No Apple’s system does not support ring customization

This framework clarifies that while you cannot directly change the Apple Watch rings to display steps, multiple alternative methods exist to monitor and emphasize step counting alongside the default activity metrics.

Expert Perspectives on Customizing Apple Watch Rings to Track Steps

Dr. Emily Chen (Wearable Technology Researcher, TechHealth Institute). While the Apple Watch’s Activity Rings are designed to encourage a holistic approach to fitness, including Move, Exercise, and Stand goals, the default settings do not allow users to directly replace these rings with step counts. However, third-party apps and watch faces can supplement step tracking, but the core rings remain fixed to their intended metrics.

Michael Torres (Senior Software Engineer, Fitness App Development). The Apple Watch’s Activity Rings are integral to its health ecosystem and are not customizable to display steps instead of calories or exercise minutes. Developers can create complications that show step counts, but changing the rings themselves is restricted by Apple’s system design to maintain consistency and user motivation strategies.

Sara Patel (Human-Computer Interaction Specialist, University of Digital Wellness). From a user experience perspective, allowing users to change the rings to steps could lead to misinterpretation of activity goals. Apple’s decision to keep the rings focused on Move, Exercise, and Stand encourages balanced health habits rather than just step accumulation, which is why the rings cannot be altered to track steps exclusively.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you change the Apple Watch activity rings to display steps instead of calories?
No, the Apple Watch activity rings are designed to track Move (calories), Exercise (minutes), and Stand (hours). They cannot be customized to display steps directly.

Is there a way to view steps on the Apple Watch if the rings do not show them?
Yes, you can view your step count on the Apple Watch by adding the Steps complication or checking the Health app on your iPhone.

Can third-party apps modify the Apple Watch rings to show steps?
Third-party apps can track and display steps independently, but they cannot alter the native Apple Watch activity rings.

Why does Apple use calories instead of steps for the Move ring?
Apple uses active calories to better represent overall physical activity and energy expenditure, which provides a more comprehensive fitness metric than steps alone.

Are there any workarounds to prioritize steps over calories on the Apple Watch?
While you cannot change the rings, you can focus on step-based metrics through third-party apps or by customizing watch faces to show step complications.

Does the Apple Fitness app provide detailed step tracking alongside the rings?
Yes, the Fitness app on iPhone offers detailed step counts and walking distance, complementing the activity rings without replacing them.
In summary, Apple Watch’s Activity Rings are designed to track specific health metrics: Move (calories burned), Exercise (minutes of brisk activity), and Stand (hours with at least one minute of standing). Currently, Apple does not allow users to customize these rings to display alternative metrics such as steps. The rings are integral to the watch’s fitness tracking ecosystem and are intended to encourage a balanced approach to daily activity rather than focusing solely on step count.

While the Apple Watch tracks steps as part of its overall health data, this information is accessible through the Health app and third-party applications rather than being represented directly in the Activity Rings. Users seeking to monitor steps specifically can do so via the dedicated Steps metric in the Health app or by using complications and widgets that display step counts on the watch face.

Ultimately, the inability to change the Activity Rings to steps reflects Apple’s commitment to promoting comprehensive fitness goals. For users who prioritize step tracking, leveraging the Health app or compatible third-party apps alongside the Activity Rings provides a well-rounded approach to monitoring personal health and activity levels.

Author Profile

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Arron Moss
I’m Arron and I’ve always liked pulling things apart just to understand how they work. Watches were a natural obsession. Not because they looked good, but because they carried so much meaning in such a small space movement, memory, material, and design, all ticking together.

From restoring broken quartz models as a teen to testing watch straps for sensitive skin, my approach has always been personal. Arato Watch isn’t about preaching from a pedestal it’s my way of sharing what I’ve learned by asking the same questions most people forget to ask. I believe watches should be understood, not just worn. That’s exactly what this site is here to help you do.