MS Band and Dashboard step count mismatch

[Sheraz K]

I just got a MS Band and have gotten two full days with it, the issue happening for me is that the steps count on the MS Band itself and the MS Dashboard(both web and app) is different, they are same in app and web. Is anyone else is having a similar issues, can this be fixed, which count is correct, the one on band or one on dashboard. I see a difference in calories count as well. The steps count is always more on the dashboard than the band itself. Attached screenshot shows different count on band and dashboard for the same day.

 

[dudejoe]

That is a pretty easy one. What is going on is a new feature with the Health app. If you press on the symbol on the top right and then go to my phone or my iphone, you most likely have motion settings enabled. This is taking info from your phone also. So when the Band isn't active, but the phone is, like for example a bike ride. it will count from the phone. Due to the increase in activity you will also see more calories burned. Just disable it if you don't like it, but it is useful for events where your arm isn't moving, but your phone is due to it being in your pocket.

 

[gadgetrants]

Hmmm, we might be on different pages here...@dudejoe, any chance you're running the Health App on your phone without a Band connected? My wife is doing that and she has the phone/motion sensing option you're describing. In my case, I have the standard Band+Phone pair and it's not there. I'd come to the conclusion that the Health App only uses phone motion data when the user hasn't connected a Band.

Note: I'm describing the Android version setup -- perhaps on Win/iPhones it's actually there.

-Matt

 

[Sheraz K]

Yes I turned off that setting on my android and now it works fine, funny thing was that my band was always on me and phone was not always on me and it phone counted more steps than the band, well now it's turned off so no more worries.

 

[anthonyng]

I didn't wear my band most of today and it only logged 450 steps but the dashboard shows 10k plus. Thanks to my phone in my pocket I guess

I wonder if they actually thought about potential double counting with phone and band both measuring steps.

 

[gadgetrants]

Yes I turned off that setting on my android and now it works fine, funny thing was that my band was always on me and phone was not always on me and it phone counted more steps than the band, well now it's turned off so no more worries.

Sheraz, any chance you can post a screenshot (I wonder if you have enough posts)? I'm intrigued -- I have an Android phone too and for the life of me I can't find any setting/icon in the Health app that mentions the phone. AFAIK I have the latest version installed. EDIT: Yep latest version installed -- just uninstalled and reinstalled the app and still no "My phone" like I see on my wife's.

Here's what I got under the Settings icon that dudejoe described:



​-Matt

 

[Sheraz K]

I didn't wear my band most of today and it only logged 450 steps but the dashboard shows 10k plus. Thanks to my phone in my pocket I guess

I wonder if they actually thought about potential double counting with phone and band both measuring steps.

That's the only way my phone would have more steps on than the band.

 

[Sheraz K]

Sheraz, any chance you can post a screenshot (I wonder if you have enough posts)? I'm intrigued -- I have an Android phone too and for the life of me I can't find any setting/icon in the Health app that mentions the phone. AFAIK I have the latest version installed. EDIT: Yep latest version installed -- just uninstalled and reinstalled the app and still no "My phone" like I see on my wife's.

Here's what I got under the Settings icon that dudejoe described:

View attachment 104390

​-Matt

No idea Matt. Thats weird, I am using Note 4 and I see the My phone link there.

 

[poit57]

I have never compared the step count side-by-side until seeing this thread. I have the option enabled to use my phone's motion tracking data when the Band is not available. Here are my results:

Band steps: 2460
Dashboard steps: 2494
Phone steps: 1555

I don't think I've had my phone on me at any point today when I wasn't wearing the Band. On the other hand, I've taken plenty of steps today where I was wearing the Band and didn't have my phone with me. I haven't put the Band in any exercise mode where it is not tracking steps. All of the phone's 1555 steps should be overlapping the Band's step count as far as I'm aware, but a 34 step variance out of nearly 2500 steps is not enough for me to worry about personally.

 

[gadgetrants]

No idea Matt. Thats weird, I am using Note 4 and I see the My phone link there.

I guess some Windows phones do, some don't -- some Android phones do, some don't!

-Matt

 

[Nate Silver]

I guess some Windows phones do, some don't -- some Android phones do, some don't!

-Matt

It's there on my Note 4 as well, Matt, even though I have no intention of using it. I typically see anywhere from 13,000 to 20,000 steps a day as it is, I don't need any more!

 

[DroidUser42]

Here's what I got under the Settings icon that dudejoe described:

Interesting. I have a "My Phone". I wonder if you've got something turned off at the phone level that MS Health can't see the accelerometer?

 

[gadgetrants]

It's there on my Note 4 as well, Matt, even though I have no intention of using it. I typically see anywhere from 13,000 to 20,000 steps a day as it is, I don't need any more!

Interesting. I have a "My Phone". I wonder if you've got something turned off at the phone level that MS Health can't see the accelerometer?

OK, now the two of you are starting to boost my paranoia. :angry: I for sure have the latest version of the Health app. I also see my steps incrementing in real time in other apps, like Google Fit (OH btw have you guys seen the newest version of Google Fit? They just added calorie burn!). Even though I have the 1st gen HTC One (M7), I'm 99.9% sure it has the required on-board hardware -- I also know since KitKat that the step counter is built into the OS.

The irony -- HOLY COW Nate, what is up with those steps?!??!?! -- is that, like the thread title suggests, I'd prefer to skip the problem and just rely 100% on the Band. But now I'm truly befuddled (again!) that you guys have it and I don't! ARGH.

​-Matt

 

[erichyde43]

Your phone doesn't have step tracking features so the option doesn't show.

 

[gadgetrants]

Your phone doesn't have step tracking features so the option doesn't show.

I also see my steps incrementing in real time in other apps, like Google Fit. Even though I have the 1st gen HTC One (M7), I'm 99.9% sure it has the required on-board hardware -- I also know since KitKat that the step counter is built into the OS.

 

[DroidUser42]

I also see my steps incrementing in real time in other apps, like Google Fit

Google Fit? That might be the problem. It might be hogging the sensor needed to count steps. I don't have it installed.

 

[gadgetrants]

Google Fit? That might be the problem. It might be hogging the sensor needed to count steps. I don't have it installed.

That makes sense, however remember my wife has no Band, and her phone is happily counting her steps (ahem...notwithstanding that day it counted 2 billion of them) with both the Health app and Google Fit installed. So that's one case where the two apps are playing nice. Though it certainly bears mentioning that we not only own different phones, but our particular usage scenarios are different. The reasonable thing for me to do is to delete the Google Fit app and see what happens!

-Matt

 

[Robin Bailon]

That is a pretty easy one. What is going on is a new feature with the Health app. If you press on the symbol on right and then go to my phone or my iphone, you most likely have motion settings enabled. This is taking info from your phone also. So when the Band isn't active, but the phone is, like for example a bike ride. it will count from the phone. Due to the increase in activity you will also see more calories burned. Just disable it if you don't like it, but it is useful for events where your arm isn't moving, but your phone is due to it being in your pocket.

 

[Robin Bailon]

Which symbol are you talking about?

 

[DroidUser42]

Which symbol are you talking about?

Upper right in the app. Five circles connected by lines.