Owning a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone offers a great opportunity to monitor physical activity without having to buy additional gadgets. Built-in accelerometer and gyroscope sensors allow the device to accurately record your every move, turning the phone into a personal trainer. However, many users are faced with the fact that by default the step count function is not active or requires fine-tuning to work correctly.
The Mi Fitness system application (formerly known as Mi Sport) is the basis for collecting data about your activity in the MIUI ecosystem and the new HyperOS, it accumulates statistics, syncs data with the cloud and allows you to share results with friends. It is important to understand that a standard counter may not appear on the desktop immediately after you purchase a device, since it requires initial activation through the control center or widgets.
You don't need complex computations or third-party software to get started if you're using standard functionality. The system automatically calibrates sensors based on your anthropometric data, but to achieve maximum accuracy, you'll need to manually adjust stride length parameters. In this article, we'll take a look at all aspects of the setup, from basic inclusion to advanced calibration.
Activation of the built-in pedometer through Mi Fitness
The first step to tracking activity is to launch and initially set up the system app. On modern versions of Xiaomi firmware, it is often preinstalled, but can be hidden in the Tools or Health folder. If you don't find an icon, check the system search by entering the name Mi Fitness or Mi Sport.
Once you open the app, you will need to log in through your Mi Account, which is a prerequisite for synchronizing data and storing your workout history. Without logging in, the functionality will be limited to just the current display of numbers without the ability to analyze the dynamics of the week or month.
In the main interface menu, you'll see a pie chart showing progress on the daily norm. To have a step widget on your desktop, you'll need to add it through the screen editing menu. Press and hold your finger on the free desktop area, select "Widgets" and find "Mi Fitness" or "Sport" in the list.
- 📲 Open the Mi Fitness app and log in to your profile.
- 📊 Go to the Sport tab to view current statistics.
- 🏠 Add a widget to your desktop for quick access without opening the app.
- ⚙️ In the widget settings, select the displayed option: steps, calories or distance.
Note that the widget can consume additional battery power if installed in real-time continuous update mode.To save power, the system can update data with a slight delay when the screen is off.
⚠️ Note: Do not remove the Mi Fitness system application, even if you are not actively using it.It contains critical system libraries for motion sensors, and its removal may lead to incorrect operation of the screen autorotation or navigation.
Adjusting anthropometric data for accuracy
The accuracy of the distance traveled depends on the correctness of the personal data entered. Xiaomi algorithms use height and weight to calculate the approximate length of a step. If these parameters are not specified or entered incorrectly, the step counter will work, but the calculation of calories and kilometers will be significantly different from reality.
To make adjustments, go to the user profile inside the app, where you need to specify the actual height, weight, age and gender, these data affect the basic metabolism and calculation mechanics, for example, with the same number of steps, a person with a higher weight will spend more energy, which should be reflected in the statistics.
For users who want to achieve maximum accuracy, there is a possibility of manual calibration of the step length. The standard formula assumes that the length of the step is about 41-45% of the height, but each person has a different walking biomechanics. You can walk a known distance (for example, 100 meters), measure the number of steps and calculate the average value.
Formula: Step length (cm) = Distance travelled (cm) / Number of stepsEnter the resulting value in the appropriate field in the advanced profile settings, this action is especially important for people with a non-standard gait or those who often change shoes (for example, switching from sneakers to heels or shoes with a rigid sole).
| Parameter | Impact on calculation | Where to change |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | Basic step length | Profile of Mi Fitness |
| Weight. | Calorie expenditure (BMR) | Profile of Mi Fitness |
| Paul | Metabolic coefficients | Profile of Mi Fitness |
| Age. | Target pulse zones | Profile of Mi Fitness |
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To improve accuracy, carry your phone in your pants pocket or in your waist bag. In your hand or in your wide bag, the amplitude of your hand movements can distort the accelerometer data by adding extra steps or skipping real ones.
Calibration of motion sensors and error elimination
Sometimes users notice that the pedometer is "twisting" the steps when in transport or, conversely, ignores walking, this is due to the sensitivity of the accelerometer and software filters that try to cut off vibrations, in which cases require forced calibration of the sensors.
Xiaomi phones have a hidden engineering menu for testing equipment, so to get there, open the Phone app and type in a special code, which allows you to check the response of sensors and reset their settings to factory values.
##6484##Once you enter the code, the CIT (Customer Interface Test) menu will open. Find an item on the list that is associated with the Accelerometer or Gyroscope. Follow the instructions on the screen: you usually need to put the phone on a flat surface and press the calibration button. Wait for a message about successful completion.
- 🔄 Enter the code ##6484## in the dialer to log into the engineering menu.
- 📉 Select the accelerometer test and place the device on a horizontal surface.
- ✅ Click Calibrate and wait for confirmation of success.
- 📵 Restart the device to apply changes to the system.
If calibration through the engineering menu didn't help, try clearing the cache of the Security and Mi Fitness app. Accumulated temporary files may contain erroneous data about the device's position in space, which knocks down the counting algorithms.
⚠️ Warning: Don't change the settings on the engineering menu that you're not sure about. Reset only the motion sensors. Change other settings can cause the touch screen or communication modules to work in an unstable way.
Why does the pedometer not work after the update?
Configuring Permits and Energy Saving
The aggressive MIUI and HyperOS energy saving system often causes the pedometer to stop counting steps when the phone screen is off.The system "kills" the background counting process to save battery power by considering it inactive.
To prevent this, you need to manually adjust the behavior of the application. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find Mi Fitness (or Services and feedback, since the meter is often tied to it). In the section “Saving Charge”, select the option “No restrictions”.
It's also critical to allow auto-start. Without this right, after you restart your phone or clear your memory, the meter won't start on its own. Find the Auto-Start switch and activate it. Additional permission checks: access to physical activity data should always be allowed.
☑️ Configuring energy saving for pedometer
Don’t ignore these settings, especially if you plan to use your phone to track long walks without constantly turning on the screen. Otherwise, you risk losing some of the statistics, as the system will find the application “heavy” and stop it working.
Alternative applications for step counting
If Xiaomi’s standard tools don’t suit you in terms of functionality or design, Google Play offers a variety of alternatives, and third-party developers often implement more flexible settings, social media integration, and game elements to motivate you.
One of the most popular solutions is Google Fit.This app is deeply integrated into the Android Operating System and uses low-level APIs to count steps, which often provides better accuracy and lower battery consumption compared to manufacturers add-ons.
Other popular options include Pedometer - Step Counter and StepsApp. They feature a minimalist interface and no unnecessary features, focusing solely on step count and simple statistics, and are ideal for older people or those who need simplicity.
- 🏃 Google Fit: Google’s Reference App with Account Synchronization.
- 👟 StepsApp: beautiful widget and support for Apple Watch (for mixed ecosystems).
- 📊 Health Connect: Google’s new platform to combine data from different apps.
- 🎮 Pikmin Bloom: Gamification of walking for Nintendo fans.
When installing a third-party meter, it is recommended to disable the widget of the standard Xiaomi pedometer to avoid conflicts and double the cost of processor resources to process data from the accelerometer.