How to Include Steps on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a situation where the built-in activity meter stops displaying data correctly or does not respond to movements at all, this can be caused by both a software failure in the MIUI or HyperOS shell, and incorrect energy saving settings that aggressively turn off background processes. A stepmer is a system function that is tied to the operation of the accelerometer and gyroscope, so that it requires the correct configuration of several services simultaneously.

Before you start complex manipulations, it is worth checking the basic parameters, since in 80% of cases the problem lies in the permissions for the Health app or system widgets. Modern versions of Android require explicit confirmation of rights to use motion sensors, which is often missed by users when initially setting up the device. The motion sensor on Xiaomi activates automatically when the screen is first turned on after rebooting, but can be blocked by energy savings.

In this article, we’ll look at everything from activating a desktop widget to deeply adjusting system constraints that can interrupt step counting in the background, and learn how to calibrate sensors and understand why a phone can “lose” steps even when in your pocket.

Basic activation of the widget and system counter

The easiest way to see the number of steps taken is to display the corresponding widget on the home screen. In the MIUI shell, this element is often hidden by default or requires activation through the widget menu. If you can't see the counter, chances are it's just disabled in the desktop display settings.

To turn on, you need to pinch the blank area on the screen and select "Widgets." In the menu that opens, find the block associated with the Health app (or Mi Fitness in new versions), drag the item with the numbers to the desktop, and then the system should start displaying current data in real time.

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If the widget shows “0” steps after turning on, try making a few active movements with your phone in your hand to wake up the accelerometer.

It's important to understand that the widget is just a display of data, not the counting mechanism itself. If the numbers don't change, the problem lies deeper in the services that collect information from sensors. Make sure that the home screen doesn't have power saving mode on, which can limit the frequency of widgets updating.

Setup of Permits and Auto-Run Health App

Aggressive battery optimization in Xiaomi smartphones is the main enemy of the pedometer. The system can kill the step counting process, considering it an unnecessary energy user. To avoid this, you need to manually configure the permissions for the system application.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Health (or Mi Fitness) on the list. Inside the app menu, you need to activate a few critical settings. Without them, you can't do background work.

• 🔋 Autorun: Be sure to turn on this switch so that the application runs along with the system.
• 🔗 Other Permits: Check that access to physical activity and body sensors is allowed.
• 🚫 Charge savings: Select the “No Limits” option so that the system does not suspend the meter.

It's also worth checking the notification settings. Although steps don't usually require constant fluffs, system achievement notifications can serve as a live service indicator, and if notifications from the Health app don't come, the app is in sleep mode.

Calibration of sensors and resetting of accelerometer settings

Sometimes the pedometer works, but it shows incorrect data: it counts steps when sitting at a table or ignores active walking. In such cases, calibration is required. Xiaomi smartphones have a hidden engineering menu for testing iron.

To get into it, open the Phone app and enter the code ##64663##. The CIT menu will open. In the test list, find the "Accelerometer" or "Gsensor" item. Follow the instructions on the screen: you usually need to put the phone on a flat surface and press the calibration button.

⚠️ Warning: Don't calibrate your phone with your hands or on a vibrating surface, and it will knock off the sense-style settings, and the steps will be considered to be hugely inaccurate.

If the engineering menu doesn’t open or you’re afraid to change system settings, you can try resetting sensor data through settings. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Privacy → Special features (the path may vary depending on the Android version).

Synchronization with Mi Fit and Google Fit

Many users prefer to use third-party apps to track activity, such as Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Wear) or Google Fit. Often conflict occurs when one app “pulls” data onto itself, blocking the work of another.

In order for the bundle to work properly, you need to prioritize your data sources. In the Google Fit app, go to your settings and make sure that your phone is the source of your step data, not just the connected watch. If you use the Mi Band bracelet, it should be the primary source and the phone should be the secondary.

If you notice that steps are “lost” after synchronization, try disabling integration with Google Fit for a couple of days, which will help to determine whether the service is duplicating data, creating entries conflicts in the system database.

Problems with Android and MIUI updates

Once the operating system is updated, energy saving settings are often reset to factory settings, which means automatic background activity restriction. This is Android's standard behavior for increasing autonomy, but it breaks the pedometer.

Check the version of the counter app in the GetApps store or Google Play. Outdated versions of system components may not work properly with new security patches.

Also worth paying attention to the design theme: Some third-party themes downloaded from the Xiaomi theme store may have errors in the widget code, causing the step counter to stop updating visually, although the system continues internally.

⚠️ Warning: If the problem occurs immediately after the firmware update, do not rush to reset to factory settings. 2-3 The system should re-index files and optimize the operation of background services.

Specifics of work in the mode "Do not disturb" and "Sleep"

Attention focus modes can affect sensor performance. In some use cases, when the phone is locked or sleep mode is turned on, the system may temporarily pause the accelerometer survey to save life.

Check the Do Not Disturb settings, make sure that there are no restrictions on system applications activated, and there may be a time limit for the Health app in the Digital Well-being section, which formally blocks it from working after the limit has expired (although this is rare).

If you use magnetic fastener cases, they can run a compass and, indirectly, motion detection algorithms. Take off the case and see if the pedometer behavior changes. Magnetic fields are a common cause of sensor glitches on Xiaomi.

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The pedometer’s 90% stability depends on the right energy saving settings, not on the breakdown of the sensor itself.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)