Widgets not updating

Home screen widgets should keep up with your steps while Steps is closed. If they only change after you open the app, Background App Refresh is usually off for Steps.

1. Turn on Background App Refresh on iPhone

  1. Open Settings
  2. Tap General
  3. Tap Background App Refresh
  4. If the top control is Off, set it to Wi-Fi & Cellular (or Wi-Fi)
  5. Turn Steps on in the app list

Low Power Mode pauses Background App Refresh. Turn it off in Settings → Battery.

2. Apple Watch face

iPhone Home Screen widgets do not read the watch. These steps are only for a watch-face complication that stays stuck.

  1. On your iPhone, open the Watch app
  2. Tap General
  3. Tap Background App Refresh
  4. Turn Background App Refresh on, then turn Steps on
  5. On the watch: Settings → General → Background App Refresh, and confirm Steps is on

3. Allow Steps to read Apple Health

If this permission is missing, Steps never starts watching for new steps, so nothing new is written for the widgets. Finish setup in the app as well. Steps only asks for Health access after onboarding is complete.

  • Settings → Privacy & Security → Health → Steps → turn Steps on
  • Or open Steps and finish the Health connection

4. Open Steps while the iPhone is unlocked

Apple Health can’t be read while your iPhone is locked. If Steps wakes up in the background then, it skips the widget update so it doesn’t save a zero. Open Steps while your iPhone is unlocked. That stores today’s step count.

5. Re-sync if the number is still old

In Steps, open Settings → Widgets & Data → Re-sync Apple Health data. That forces a fresh Health read and reloads your widgets.

Still stuck?

Email support@getsteps.app and we’ll help you sort it out.