This discussion has been locked.

You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

GC showing almost twice the number of steps

Former Member over 9 years ago

So I'm new to the whole Garmin thing (beyond car navigation). I just switched from the Fitbit Charge HR to the Forerunner 235. It hasn't even been a full week yet. Everything was great until this morning. I synced to GC and while my Forerunner showed about 5100 steps taken after the sync GC was showing 9764 steps. That's a huge discrepancy. I've tried re-syncing. I've updated the software. I've updated the Forerunner. I've done a hard reset on the forerunner. Yet here I am hours later and the GC Mobile (and website) still shows 9764 steps. It hasn't even updated the steps I've taken since the first sync.
Anyone else have this kind of problem? I'm pretty bummed as I was really loving the watch but if it's going to be inaccurate between the device and their app like that then it's a pointless, expensive piece of crap. No amount of searching seems to come up with any answers.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

There has been some discussion recently on how Garmin counts steps that may account for your factor of 2 error. Some devices count a step as "left then right" whereas others count "left" as one step and then "right" as another. Similarly, it seems that Garmin Connect software is not entirely consistent in the way it counts steps either ie single or double counting as one. For example, cycling cadence is always left then right to count as one in the usually accepted manner.

This doesn't solve the problem but may help you to see how it is arising!

0 pshare over 9 years ago

Is your time zone correct in web Connect?

Head & Shoulders Icon - Settings - Display Settings

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

There has been some discussion recently on how Garmin counts steps that may account for your factor of 2 error. Some devices count a step as "left then right" whereas others count "left" as one step and then "right" as another. Similarly, it seems that Garmin Connect software is not entirely consistent in the way it counts steps either ie single or double counting as one. For example, cycling cadence is always left then right to count as one in the usually accepted manner.

This doesn't solve the problem but may help you to see how it is arising!

Good damn point. I don't know if there is a good reason to track particular metrics in different ways like this per device...but Garmin does not get teh apps and website corect since they don't modify results (or normalize) based on the device reporting.

Either standardize the device calcs...at least in terms of the dfinitions...or fix the apps and website so they are dynamic based on device. This confusion is unnecccesary

0 pshare over 9 years ago

I can't buy that explanation.
It seems to me that 5,100 * 2 = 10,200 and not 9,764.

There has been some discussion about cadence reporting but steps?
I don't remember seeing that.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Is your time zone correct in web Connect?

Head & Shoulders Icon - Settings - Display Settings

Yes it is - why do you ask?

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

I can't buy that explanation.
It seems to me that 5,100 * 2 = 10,200 and not 9,764.

There has been some discussion about cadence reporting but steps?
I don't remember seeing that.

I can do a simple sum too!

My response was merely an attempt to perhaps throw some light on the issue raised by the original poster rather than provide a definitive answer.

To jog your memory: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?353479-Incorrect-values-shown-in-Run-Cadence-columns-on-Garmin-Connect-s-Activities-page

Perhaps you missed that it was RUN cadence ie steps.

0 pshare over 9 years ago

Yes it is - why do you ask?

Because Connect will display according to the timezone shown in those settings. So, for example, if you live in the US Eastern timezone and travel to Europe, the steps will display according to your settings timezone. Where it becomes complicated is if your cell phone adjusts automatically to the new timezone but Connect will display results by -5 or -6 hours from the timezone you happen to be in.

The results will be offset by the number of hours that the timezone is off.

I can do a simple sum too!

My response was merely an attempt to perhaps throw some light on the issue raised by the original poster rather than provide a definitive answer.

To jog your memory: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?353479-Incorrect-values-shown-in-Run-Cadence-columns-on-Garmin-Connect-s-Activities-page

Perhaps you missed that it was RUN cadence ie steps.

Yes, I've noticed that in my own stats. I use running for walking specifically because it displays cadence. My cadence display usually shows 131 spm whereas the Activities report usually shows 65 spm.

However, this does not affect the actual steps shown on the device - only the display of underlying stats.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Because Connect will display according to the timezone shown in those settings. So, for example, if you live in the US Eastern timezone and travel to Europe, the steps will display according to your settings timezone. Where it becomes complicated is if your cell phone adjusts automatically to the new timezone but Connect will display results by -5 or -6 hours from the timezone you happen to be in.

The results will be offset by the number of hours that the timezone is off.

Yes, I've noticed that in my own stats. I use running for walking specifically because it displays cadence. My cadence display usually shows 131 spm whereas the Activities report usually shows 65 spm.

However, this does not affect the actual steps shown on the device - only the display of underlying stats.

You seem to have confused me with the original poster - so my time zone settings although correct are irrelevant.

The op states that the display on her forerunner was 5100 and the results in GC (web and mobile) were 9764. She is not disputing the display on the device, only the the discrepancy between the device and the results in Connect. Can you offer her any help?

0 pshare over 9 years ago

Sorry,

The comment about timezone was actually intended for Elizabeth as some steps from the previous day may have made it into the current day because of a timezone discrepancy. I made the comment because this was her first post in the forum. This indicated to me that she might be new and did not realize that the timezone had to be set in Connect as well as the device and her phone.

The comment about cadence was simply to question whether that indeed was her issue because I don't believe it is.

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

Hi Everybody,

I use a Forerunner 630 and track steps with it.
What I discovered is that when I do a workout, counted steps are significantly lower than normal. For example, I mentally counted steps for 3 kilometers and it was about 1,100 steps for kilometers (walking). I walked for 10km what suppose to give me about 11,000 steps for the hole session, but in the steps section of my watch or connect app I can see half that number.
But if I go to Garmin Connect on the Web it shows 11,430 steps.

Besides the fact of this difference between web, watch and app verions, what I see as an aditional problem is that when don't workout, steps are counted one for each foot and not one for the hole cycle as it does when workout.

Anybody knows why is this happening?

Thank you!
Regards,
Marcelo