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

Missing steps, total misreading

Vivoactive 4s.

So i have been in contact with Garmin, but have no final solution. I know my stride lenght (0,69meters)for walk activity and i have set it in app and in watch. Somehow this does not work. Garmin says its only possible to set stride lenght for running, but i have this on walk activity also on 4s.

I walk mostly with stroller at the moment, so on my wrist it reads terribly wrong and in my pocket its somewhat ok, but still missing lots of steps.

I know that my 10 000 steps is around 7 kilometers, but for example yesterday i walked 8,11 km and my watch only read 10264 steps (0,79meters per step), when it should be around 11753 steps.

I also went for a run, where i have not set the stride lenght and i know i run with short stride and it also shows that my stride lenght is the same as walking - 0,79meters. So for 4,5 km run i only got 5704 steps.

I have connected the Garmin Connect with Map my run and somehow MMR app can calculate the right steps. For example the same 8,11 km gave me 11934 steps (that makes my stride lenght 0,68m, which is also quite accurate.

This makes me so frustrated, because there ain't no point of taking part of challenges, when this watch is such a crap. I just don't get it, why there's a possibility to set stride lenght if Garmin can't do simple math.

Any suggestions?

Top Replies

1427409 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2 +1

Ok, but then why to even put this option into the app/watch right?

All Replies

0 tmk2 over 4 years ago

Step count comes exclusively from the watch's internal accelerometer and no other recalculation takes place. Stride length does not affect it in any way.

0 1427409 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2

Ok, but then why to even put this option into the app/watch right?

0 1427409 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2

And also, why Map My Run gets steps differently, but correctly? The data is shared from Garmin, it doesn't work vice versa

0 ovekvam over 4 years ago in reply to 1427409

The stride length is only used for non-GPS-activities, to calculate the distance. It is a bit annoying that there is a fixed stride length for both walking, jogging and running. My stride length is VERY different when I am sprinting, compared to walking.

When you have a GPS-walking session, the watch is counting steps based on accelerometers/gyros, and distance based on GPS. Nothing is calculated, and stride length is not used. Maybe Map My Run can not upload steps, only GPS, and tries to calculate steps based on stride length?

0 1427409 over 4 years ago in reply to ovekvam

Ooh, this is interesting...i wonder if i should use some other "workout" then when going out strolling?

0 Garmin-AmberD over 4 years ago in reply to 1427409

1427409 said:
Ooh, this is interesting...i wonder if i should use some other "workout" then when going out strolling?

Hello! Exactly what ovekvam has said and in addition to this, your device will not count steps correctly while pushing a stroller, lawnmower or walking a dog. Your arm must be moving in a circular motion the whole time.

0 1427409 over 4 years ago in reply to Garmin-AmberD

I actually keep it in my pocket now when going out with stroller...somehow it reads steps in the pocket...

I just wonder...what if i put it on activity "indoor walking" this doesn't use gps

0 ovekvam over 4 years ago in reply to 1427409

In that case it will calculate distance.

0 1427409 over 4 years ago in reply to ovekvam

And then if i have set the stride lenght, it should calculate. I give it a try tomorrow.

0 tmk2 over 4 years ago in reply to ovekvam

ovekvam said:
In that case it will calculate distance.

But if the watch is NOT on your wrist, and GPS is off, the distance will be very inaccurate.