What is a private step counter, and how can you tell?
Short answer: A private step counter keeps your step data on your own phone and asks nothing in return: no account, no ads, no sharing. PrivateSteps is built this way. It counts with the phone's built-in sensor, stores everything on the device, and has no internet access of its own.
What private should mean
The word is used loosely, so we like to be specific. A step counter is private when your numbers never leave your phone unless you decide to move them.
- No account or sign-up
- No ads and no analytics
- No cloud storage of your history
- No leaderboard or social feed
Five questions to ask any step counter
- Does it ask you to create an account before it counts a single step?
- Does it show ads, or tell you it shares data with partners?
- Does it have a feed, friends list or ranking?
- Does it still work in airplane mode?
- Can you export your data and erase all of it yourself?
If the answer to the first three is yes, your steps are probably travelling somewhere. If the fourth is no, the app needs a connection to do its job, which is worth knowing.
How PrivateSteps answers them
PrivateSteps has no account, no ads, no analytics and no sharing. The app has no internet access of its own, so it behaves the same with the connection switched off.
- Day, Week, Month and Year reports, with a tap on any bar for the exact count
- Optional goals, records and a streak of days at goal
- CSV export, import, and one button to erase everything
You can read more on our privacy page.
What a smaller app gives up
PrivateSteps does less on purpose. It will not sync by itself between phones, because that would mean a server holding your data. Instead you can export your data as a file and import it on a new phone. It is free to start; see the store listing for current pricing.
Keep your steps on your phone
Free to start. See the store listing for current pricing.
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Questions
Is a private step counter less accurate?
No. PrivateSteps uses the same built-in step sensor your phone already has. Privacy comes from where the data is stored, not from how the steps are counted.
Does private mean I cannot back up my steps?
You can export your history as a CSV file and keep it wherever you choose. An optional phone backup also exists, and it is off by default.
Can I delete everything?
Yes. You can delete older data, or erase everything with one button. Nothing is held anywhere else, so there is no second copy to chase.
PrivateSteps records and draws your own numbers. It does not diagnose, interpret or give medical advice. Talk to your own doctor or care team about your health.