Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face the paradox: the device is sold as a fitness-oriented gadget, but finding a built-in step counter on the desktop after purchase is not so easy.This is due to the peculiarities of localizing the shell of MIUI or HyperOS, where some system components can be hidden or renamed. Users begin to panic, believing that the feature is lost, although in fact it is simply hidden in the depth of system settings or requires activation through the widget.
Finding an in-built activity tracker is the first step to fully harnessing your smartphone. Unlike the iPhone, where the Health app is available by default, in the Android ecosystem, and specifically in Xiaomi's firmware, the approach to recording physical activity can vary by firmware region. The Chinese version, the global build, or the Russian adaptation can vary from one location to another.
In this article, we'll look at all the options you can find where to look for a step counter, how to display it on the lock screen, and what to do if standard tools don't work, and learn how to calibrate sensors correctly and synchronize data with cloud services so that no kilometer traveled is wasted.
Built-in activity metering tools in MIUI and HyperOS
The main tool for tracking physical activity in Xiaomi smartphones is a system application, often called "Sport" or "Mi Fitness." However, depending on the version of the shell, the icon may not be on the home screen. To find it, swipe up the desktop to open the menu of all applications and use the search bar at the top. Type the word "Sport" or "Mi", and the system will tell you where the native tracker is.
If a standard application is found but not running, it needs to be activated. Often, when you first start up, the system asks for permission to access geolocation and motion sensors. Without these rights, the smartphone accelerometer will not be able to transfer data to the application. It is also worth checking whether the application is hidden in the Tools folder, where Xiaomi likes to fold the system utilities by default.
It's important to understand that in new versions of HyperOS, the company is actively promoting integration with the smart home ecosystem. So pedometer functionality can be combined with the management of the Mi Band watch. If you don't see a separate application, try searching for "Health" because some builds use that name for the system module.
- 🏃♂️ Check the Tools folder on your desktop – there is often a “Sport” icon hidden there".
- 🔍 Use a global search by system by entering "steps" or "fitness".
- ⚙️ Make sure that privacy settings allow access to motion sensors.
How to display steps on the lock screen and desktop
The most convenient way to keep up to date with your activity is to display the number of steps directly to the lock screen or to the desktop widgets, which eliminates the need to open the app every time. First, unlock your phone and find the Sport or Mi Fitness widget, which usually looks like a pie chart or a simple digital display.
To add a widget, pinch the empty area on your desktop with your finger for 2-3 seconds. In the bottom menu that appears, select "Vidgets" (or "Add"). In the list that opens, find the section related to sports or health. Drag the selected widget to the free screen space. Now the activity widget will display data in real time.
The lock screen process may be different. Go to the system settings, go to the "Always on and Lock" (or "lock screen"). Find "Data on the lock screen" or "Block style." Here you can choose the display of steps, but this feature is not available on all models without installing third-party themes. If standard means do not output, you will have to use themes.
☑️ Setup of the step widget
It is worth noting that widgets consume additional battery power, as they constantly update data. If you are critical to the autonomy of the device, it is better to leave the widget only on the desktop, not on the lock screen. Also make sure that the application "Sport" is not cleaned by the energy saving system, otherwise the widget may show irrelevant data before opening the application.
Use of Mi Fitness and Synchronization
Xiaomi’s modern smartphones are increasingly separating functionality, with the old Mi Fit app gradually being replaced by Mi Fitness (or Zepp Life for older devices), the app being the central hub for all wearables and the main repository of statistics, and it’s where you store your entire activity history, which can be analyzed over weeks and months.
To work properly, you need to log in to your Mi Account. This will allow you to synchronize data between devices. If you change your phone just by logging in to your account on a new gadget, you will restore the entire step history. In the Profile → Settings → Synchronization settings, you can adjust the frequency of data updates and the priority of sources.
⚠️ Attention: When synchronizing with wearable devices (bracelets, watches), the data from the wristband always takes priority. If you forgot your phone at home but were wearing the wristband, the steps will be recorded. When you connect the phone, the data will be combined, but no duplication will occur thanks to the synchronization algorithms.
Mi Fitness also has a "Competitions" feature that allows you to compare your results with your friends, which is a great way to motivate you. Remember to check the app's updates on Google Play or GetApps periodically, as Xiaomi often releases patches that correct step counting errors and improve the experience with new sensor models.
What if Mi Fitness can’t see the bracelet?
Alternatives: Google Fit and third-party trackers
If Xiaomi’s built-in solutions don’t fit you or seem inconvenient for some reason, you can always turn to the proven classic Google Fit. This app is pre-installed on most Google-certified smartphones and integrates perfectly with the system. It uses the same phone sensors but provides its own interface and analytics.
The main advantage of Google Fit is that it's cross-platform and open, so you can easily export data or link your account to other services like MyFitnessPal or Strava, and you just go to the Play Market, download the app and log into your Google account, and you have minimal setup, and the app will ask for permissions.
There are also specialized step-by-stepping apps like Pacer or StepsApp. They offer more detailed statistics, graphs and socialization. However, it is worth remembering that installing a third-party tracker can increase battery consumption, since the background process will work constantly, competing with the system meter.
| Annex | Pluses | Cons | Integration with Xiaomi Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Fitness | Deep integration, minimum battery | A complex interface for beginners | Native. |
| Google Fit | Universality, simple design | Less detail compared to the Mi | Through synchronization |
| StepsApp | Beautiful widgets, Apple Watch style | Lots of advertising in the free version | Adjustment required |
| Pacer | Social functions, challenges | High energy consumption | Limited. |
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Use Google Fit as a backup counter.Configure automatic data import from Mi Fitness to Google Fit in the latter's settings to have a single database even as the phone changes brand in the future.
Set notifications and goals by step
To make the pedometer work for you, you need to set your goals right. Xiaomi has a 10,000-step goal by default, but you can and should change that value to your own. Go to the Sport or Mi Fitness app, click on the center of the pie chart screen, and you can set a customized goal, like 5,000 or 15,000 steps.
Notifications are an important aspect. The phone can vibrate or make a sound when you reach your goal, or vice versa, if you sit still for too long. To set up, go to Profile → Settings → Goal Notifications. Here you can turn on the soundtrack and vibration.
Don't ignore the motion reminder function. If your smartphone detects that you haven't moved for an hour (while you're working at your computer), it will send a push notification asking you to stretch. This helps maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevents blood stagnation. Make sure that the Sport app has "Important Notifications" in its notification settings so that the system doesn't block them in the background.
⚠️ Attention: Excessive notifications can be annoying. If you are working in deep concentration mode, temporarily turn off the audible signals to achieve the goal, leaving only vibration or visual display in the status bar.
Problems with calculating steps and their solution
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the pedometer "lies" or stops counting steps at all. The most common reason is the aggressive MIUI energy saving policy. The system can "kill" the pedometer process to save charge. To avoid this, go to Settings → Battery and Performance, find the Sport or Mi Fitness app and select No Limits mode.
The second common problem is that sensors are not calibrated correctly. If you walk and the steps don't go, try rebooting your smartphone. This resets the sensors. If the problem persists, you can try resetting the Sport app data. → Annexes → All applications → Sport → Clear the data. Important: This action will delete the step history on the current device if it wasn't synced to the cloud.
It’s also worth checking if motion sensors are not blocked in global privacy settings, and in rare cases, updating system components through the Google Service Components app or updating the firmware itself to the latest version, where accelerometer driver bugs can be fixed, helps.
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90% of pedometer problems are solved by removing power saving restrictions for the Sport application and allowing auto-run.