Why does not work pedometer on the phone Xiaomi: full analysis

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones are equipped with accurate accelerometers that should by default track the physical activity of the owner. However, users often face a situation where the step counter shows zero, stops updating or data is not synchronized with cloud services, this problem can be caused by a software failure, incorrect energy saving settings or application conflict.

Most of the time, it's about aggressively optimizing MIUI or HyperOS, which forcefully shuts down background processes to save battery life. If the system kills activity tracking, the pedometer stops functioning even if you're actively moving. It's important to understand that the standard sensor in the phone requires constant access to the device's resources.

In this article, we will discuss all possible causes of failure in detail and offer step-by-step instructions for restoring the functionality, you will learn how to properly configure permissions, exclude applications from the list of energy-intensive applications, and which system services are responsible for collecting telemetry about your movement.

The main reasons for the failure of the accelerometer

The primary reason why the pedometer stops working is the lack of necessary permissions from the application. Android requires explicit user confirmation of access to motion sensors. If you accidentally denied access on the first installation or after the system update, tracking activity will become impossible.

Another common problem is the overcrowded cache of Google Play system services or the Mi Fitness app itself. Accumulated temporary files can conflict with the current version of the firmware, causing incorrect data calculation. It is also worth considering that some models with budget sensors can experience high error or complete sensor failure in case of physical damage to the smartphone.

• 🚫 No rights to access physical activity in privacy settings.
• 🔋 Aggressive energy saving mode blocks background counting processes.
• 📱 Version Conflict Between Google System Services and the Shell MIUI.
• 📉 Failure of the accelerometer after a failed software update.

It's worth noting that hardware failure is less common, but it's not impossible to rule it out, because if the phone fell or was exposed to moisture, the sensor could fail, and then the software won't help, and you'll need to have a diagnosis at the service center.

Configuring permissions and access to data

Any activity tracker needs full access to system resources to work properly, and in the MIUI shell, it has different features from pure Android. You'll need to manually check multiple levels of data protection.

First of all, go to the settings menu and find the application management section, and you'll find not only the pedometer itself, but also the system services that collect the primary data from the sensors, and without activating them, external programs won't be able to get information about your movements.

Pay special attention to the "Out-Start" item. If it is disabled, the app will not be able to start the tracking service immediately after the phone is turned on, a common error that makes users think the pedometer is broken even though it is simply not activated.

⚠️ Note: If you reset all settings to factory, all previously issued permits will be canceled.

Also check if the back-end limit is worth it. The system might consider the app "heavy" and limit its performance if you don't point it out as important, especially for older models with little RAM.

Battery optimization and background work

Xiaomi's energy-saving algorithms are notoriously rigorous, and they can force applications that consume charge in the background even if it's necessary for their functionality, and a stepmer falls into this category because he constantly quizzes sensors.

To prevent this, add the app to the exception list, go to the battery settings, find the program you want, and select No Limits mode, which allows the process to run continuously without interrupting the device's sleep.

There's also the Advanced Energy Saving feature, which is often turned on automatically when the charge is low, and in this mode, most background processes are blocked completely, and if you notice that the pedometer stopped working precisely at low charge, the reason is here.

It is recommended to check the battery usage statistics periodically, if you see that the pedometer application consumes 0% of power, this is a sure sign that it has been completely stopped by the system and did not work during the day.

• 🔌 Go to Settings. → Battery.
• 📲 Find your tracking app on the list.
• ⚙️ Set the "Background Limit" to "No Limits".
• 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.

It is important to understand that MIUI optimization can change its behavior after system updates, so if the pedometer stopped working after the update, the first thing to do is check these settings, even if they were correct before.

Conflicts between Mi Fitness, Google Fit and Zepp

Xiaomi smartphones often have multiple apps that can track activity, which can create conflicts when two programs try to access the accelerometer at the same time, most often conflicting native application Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit) and Google Fit.

If you have multiple trackers installed, the system can prioritize one of them, blocking the recording of data for the rest. For example, you can see steps in the Xiaomi app, but they will not be transmitted to Google Fit, or vice versa. This creates the illusion of a broken device.

To solve the problem, it is recommended to choose one main application for data collection. If you use the Xiaomi ecosystem, it makes more sense to leave Mi Fitness. If you are tied to Google services, configure synchronization so that Mi Fitness transfers data to Google Fit, rather than counting it independently.

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Use the Mi Fitness app as your primary data collector, and set up Google Fit only to display statistics, which will reduce the CPU load and eliminate double-counting of steps.

It’s also worth checking if third-party wristbands or watches are connected via the Zepp app. Sometimes they can intercept the phone’s accelerometer signal, counting data only from the wearable device and ignoring the smartphone itself.

System services and resetting

The Google Play Services system component is responsible for collecting movement data in Android, and if it fails, the pedometer stops receiving data from the hardware, which often happens after an incorrect update or when there is a lack of space in memory.

Try clearing the cache and data of Google Play services. This is a secure operation that will not delete your personal files, but reset your sync settings, and then you will need to re-sign in to your Google account on your device.

Settings → Applications → All Apps → Google Play Services → Memory → Clear the cache

If simple methods don’t work, you can try a more radical step – reset pedometer settings through the engineering menu or special codes, but on modern versions of MIUI access to them is often closed, a safer analog – removing updates to the system application “Stepomer”, if it is present in the list of system.

⚠️ Attention: Google’s cleanup of system services may temporarily disrupt other account-dependent services (e.g., mail, maps, contact sync) and be prepared to re-enter your password.

In some cases, it helps to turn off and re-enact sensors in the "Developers" menu. Find the item responsible for the accelerometer or gyroscope, and try to deactivate it, and then activate it again, which will force the device driver to restart.

Hardware diagnostics and calibration

If the software methods didn't work, maybe the problem is the hardware, the accelerometer is a physical sensor that can fail, and you can use special test applications from Google Play, such as Sensor Test or GPS Status & Toolbox, to diagnose it.

Run the accelerometer test. Put the phone on a flat surface. The readings should tend to zero on the X and Y axes, and on the Z axis be close to unity (gravity). If the values jump randomly or equal zero in all positions, the sensor is faulty.

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Stable readings of the accelerometer in the test application with a fixed phone are the main sign of the hardware's serviceability. If the test is passed, the problem is 100% software.

Sometimes the sensor requires calibration. To do this, place your smartphone on a perfectly flat horizontal surface and start the calibration procedure through an engineering menu or a third-party app. Do not move the device during a process that usually takes 10-15 seconds.

It's also worth checking if the phone is too thick or magnetic ring for a car holder, and magnetic fields and mechanical pressure can distort the gyroscope and accelerometer readings, rendering the pedometer useless.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)