Are you using STEPN to earn while walking or earn while running? Isn’t that just extremely cool? But, even though it is cool, you might find it annoying that STEPN has a habit of measuring distance incorrectly. Why is that? Why does a distance you know to be 5km end up showing as maybe 3,5km or 4km in the STEPN application?
Before we proceed, let me tell you one important thing. Those people who find this article as they use Google, Ecosia, Bing, or some other search engine, will find it because they have this problem. Those who don’t have this problem will never ever ask this question. In other words, the fact that this article exists only proves that some people have this problem, and it doesn’t mean that everyone has this actual problem. But, let us continue to understand what might cause the problem and why you are having it.
Why isn’t STEPN measuring distance covered correctly?
Based on what I have seen and read, STEPN seems to constantly measure distance differently (shorter) than applications such as Adidas Running. But, I have been using different devices for this purpose, and I have a theory that seems to be mostly correct.
Assumption 1: STEPN always errors with 2%-5% when it comes to distance
This is what I have seen, at least compared to using Adidas Running. In other words, there will always be a marginal error when using STEPN, meaning that you will always see the distance recorded as shorter than the actual distance.
However, this is something that you can live with. It seems to be like this, no matter what kind of device you use.
Assumption 2: The poorer your device, the bigger the discrepancy between measured distance and reality.
Yesterday, I did a test with two different devices. I have also tested with a third device (REDMI 9A), but the step counter on that device was so bad that it just gave me the moonwalking error, meaning that it couldn’t be used with STEPN at all.
So, I have tested with a Xiaomi Mi 11T and also with an older Xiaomi Mi A2. The results absolutely supported my theory which is as follows.
If you pick up your phone and start walking with STEPN… pay close attention to the step counter. Is it refreshing all the time, or is the refresh rate delayed, and suddenly you will see it jump with 10 steps at the same time (or more)? If it keeps refreshing, the step counter is working properly with the STEPN application, and it will measure distance also in a more exact way. If the refresh rate for the steps isn’t added continuously, then the phone will also show bigger errors for distance covered while using the STEPN application.
- The Xiaomi Mi 11T is supposed to be a quite new and great Xiaomi model, but it doesn’t work too well with STEPN. The steps registered are added now and then.
- The older Xiaomi Mi A2 adds steps continuously while using it.
During the test, I covered a distance of 6.2km (measured with Adidas Running). How did the two telephones perform?
- Xiaomi Mi 11T: 5675 steps, 5.49km
- Xiaomi Mi A2: 5592 steps, 5.99km
The interesting is, that the number of steps is recorded properly on both devices… but still, the distance covered is recorded differently, and the devices with a slower updating rate for steps are always recording shorter distances.
What can we learn from the content presented here? These are just theories based on what I have discovered and seen on a couple of devices. I might be entirely wrong, but I might also be right. What is your experience? Are you seeing much lower distances covered by STEPN? I have also seen my Xiaomi Mi 11T phone record a distance I know to be 4km as only 2.5km (that is a really big difference).
It might deal with how the phone is feeling on that given day, whether it loses the GPS signal for some minutes suddenly (for some reason), and it might also help to totally restart your device.
All in all, these are just thoughts and theories. What is your experience? Do you recognize the pattern described in this article, or is there some other thing you believe might cause STEPN to register distances as shorter than in reality? I would love to hear your thoughts and theories as well!
