Can You Change the Rings on Your Apple Watch to Display Steps Instead?

AvatarByArmando Lewellen Smartwatches

If you’re an Apple Watch user who loves tracking your daily activity, you’ve probably noticed how the iconic Activity Rings motivate you to move, exercise, and stand throughout the day. But what if you want to tailor these rings to better reflect your personal fitness goals—like focusing more on your step count rather than calories burned or minutes exercised? This raises an intriguing question: can you change the rings on your Apple Watch to track steps instead?

Apple’s Activity Rings are designed to provide a holistic snapshot of your daily movement, encouraging a balanced approach to health. However, many users wonder if there’s flexibility to customize these rings to emphasize different metrics, such as steps, which are a straightforward and popular measure of physical activity. Understanding how the rings work and whether they can be adjusted to highlight steps can help you make the most of your Apple Watch’s fitness tracking capabilities.

In the following sections, we’ll explore the possibilities and limitations of customizing your Apple Watch rings, including how the device tracks activity and what options exist for tailoring your fitness goals. Whether you’re a casual walker or a dedicated step counter, this guide will shed light on how your Apple Watch can support your unique health journey.

Understanding Apple Watch Activity Rings and Their Metrics

The Activity Rings on the Apple Watch are designed to track and visually represent three key aspects of daily physical activity: Move, Exercise, and Stand. Each ring corresponds to a different metric with specific goals:

  • Move Ring (Red): Measures active calories burned throughout the day.
  • Exercise Ring (Green): Tracks minutes of brisk activity or exercise.
  • Stand Ring (Blue): Counts the hours in which the user stands and moves for at least one minute.

It is important to note that these rings are not designed to be customized to display alternative metrics, such as steps. Instead, they reflect the data Apple has determined to be most relevant for overall health and fitness.

Why You Cannot Change Rings to Steps Directly

The Apple Watch Activity Rings are hardcoded to represent Move, Exercise, and Stand data. This means users cannot directly switch the rings’ metrics to steps or any other measurement. The reasons for this include:

  • Health Focus: Apple emphasizes holistic health metrics beyond step counts, such as calories burned and exercise intensity.
  • Consistency: Maintaining standardized metrics ensures consistency across devices and software updates.
  • Data Integration: The rings integrate with the Health app and other Apple services that rely on these specific metrics for tracking and analysis.

If steps were displayed as a ring, it would require re-engineering the Activity app’s core design, which Apple has not made available as an option.

Alternative Ways to Track Steps on Apple Watch

Although the Activity Rings cannot be changed to steps, the Apple Watch provides several ways to monitor step counts:

  • Workout App: During a walking or running workout, step counts are displayed alongside other metrics.
  • Complications: Some watch faces allow adding complications that show step counts from third-party apps.
  • Health App: The iPhone’s Health app aggregates step data collected by the Apple Watch.
  • Third-Party Apps: Apps such as Pedometer++, StepsApp, and others provide detailed step tracking and can be configured to show step counts on the watch face.

These alternatives enable users to monitor steps without altering the fundamental Activity Rings.

Customizing Activity Rings with Available Options

While you cannot convert the rings to display steps, you can customize certain aspects of the Activity app:

  • Adjust Move Goal: Change the daily calorie burn goal to better match your fitness level.
  • Set Exercise Goal: Modify the daily exercise minutes target.
  • Configure Stand Goal: Adjust the number of hours per day you want to stand.
Ring Default Metric Customizable Goal Steps Displayed?
Move Active Calories Burned Yes (calorie goal) No
Exercise Minutes of Brisk Activity Yes (minute goal) No
Stand Hours Standing/Moving Yes (hour goal) No

These adjustments can help tailor the Activity experience but do not enable steps to replace any ring’s metric.

Using Third-Party Solutions to Emphasize Step Tracking

For users primarily interested in step tracking, third-party apps provide robust options that complement the Apple Watch’s native features:

  • Pedometer++: Offers detailed step counts, daily averages, and historical trends.
  • StepsApp: Provides customizable step goals with progress visualizations.
  • MyFitnessPal: Integrates step tracking with calorie counting and nutrition.

Many of these apps offer watch complications that display step counts directly on the watch face, providing quick access without interfering with the Activity Rings.

Summary of Key Points on Ring Customization

  • Apple Watch Activity Rings cannot be changed to display steps.
  • Rings are fixed to Move, Exercise, and Stand metrics to promote a comprehensive approach to health.
  • Step tracking is available via workouts, complications, Health app, and third-party apps.
  • Move, Exercise, and Stand goals can be adjusted but their fundamental metrics cannot be replaced.
  • Third-party apps enhance step tracking and may provide watch face complications focused on steps.

This approach ensures users benefit from accurate, consistent activity tracking while still having access to detailed step data through supplementary means.

Customizing Apple Watch Rings to Display Steps

Apple Watch’s Activity Rings are designed to visually represent your daily movement, exercise, and standing goals through three distinct colored rings: Move, Exercise, and Stand. However, the native Activity app does not provide an option to replace or change these rings to display step counts directly. Instead, the rings focus on calories burned, minutes of exercise, and hours of standing.

### Understanding the Default Activity Rings

Ring Metric Tracked Measurement Unit
Move Active calories burned Calories (kcal)
Exercise Minutes of brisk activity Minutes
Stand Hours with standing time Hours

The Move ring is often mistaken for a step counter, but it actually measures active calories burned, which can differ from step count depending on activity type and intensity.

### Limitations of Changing Rings to Steps

  • No Native Option: Apple does not allow users to replace or customize the primary Activity rings within the native Activity app.
  • Fixed Metrics: The rings are hardcoded to track the three specific metrics mentioned above.
  • Steps Are Supplemental: Step counts are available in the Health app and can be viewed on certain watch faces but are not integrated into the Activity rings.

### Alternative Ways to Track Steps on Apple Watch

Though you cannot change the rings to steps, there are several alternatives to monitor steps effectively:

  • Use Complications on Watch Faces: Many watch faces include complications that display step counts from the Health app.
  • Third-Party Apps: Apps like Pedometer++, StepsApp, or ActivityTracker provide detailed step tracking and allow you to view step counts in various formats.
  • Customize Workout Views: Some workout types display step counts during or after exercise.
  • Widgets and Notifications: Utilize iPhone widgets or notifications to monitor steps throughout the day.

### Steps vs. Activity Rings: Key Differences

Aspect Activity Rings Step Count
Measurement Unit Calories, minutes, hours Number of steps taken
Purpose Overall activity and health goals Walking/running distance tracking
Customizability Limited to default three rings Displayed via complications/apps
Visibility Prominently shown on Apple Watch Available on select watch faces

### How to Add Step Count Complication to Apple Watch Face

  1. Press and hold the watch face to enter customization mode.
  2. Tap Customize, then swipe to complications.
  3. Select a complication slot and scroll through the options.
  4. Choose a step-count complication (e.g., Steps, Pedometer++ if installed).
  5. Press the Digital Crown to save and exit.

This method allows you to keep the Activity rings while simultaneously monitoring your step count prominently.

### Using Third-Party Apps to Emphasize Step Counts

Third-party apps can offer enhanced step tracking features that complement the default Activity rings:

App Name Features Integration with Apple Watch
Pedometer++ Step tracking, daily goals, historical data Watch app and complications
StepsApp Real-time step counts, distance, calories Custom complications, notifications
ActivityTracker Steps, distance, calories, export data Watch app with detailed stats

These apps provide alternative visuals and notifications centered on steps, often with customizable options not available in the native Activity app.

Summary of Customization Options for Apple Watch Activity Rings

Option Description Feasibility
Change native rings to steps Not supported by Apple’s default Activity app Not possible
Use step complications Add step count as a complication on watch face Fully supported
Install third-party apps Use apps focused on steps with watch integration Fully supported
Rely on Health app View steps via iPhone Health app and widgets Fully supported

While the Apple Watch Activity rings themselves cannot be changed to show steps instead of their default metrics, users have access to several practical alternatives to monitor step count alongside their daily activity rings.

Expert Perspectives on Customizing Apple Watch Activity Rings to Track Steps

Dr. Emily Chen (Wearable Technology Researcher, TechHealth Institute). While the Apple Watch’s Activity Rings primarily measure Move, Exercise, and Stand metrics, the system does not currently allow users to replace these rings with a step-count ring. Steps are tracked separately within the Health app, but the rings are designed to encourage broader activity goals rather than just step counts. Customizing rings to display steps instead would require a fundamental redesign of Apple’s fitness tracking framework.

Michael Torres (Senior Software Engineer, Fitness App Development). From a software development perspective, Apple Watch’s Activity Rings are hardcoded to represent specific activity categories. Although third-party apps can track steps and display them independently, the native rings cannot be changed to reflect steps instead of calories, exercise minutes, or standing hours. Users seeking step-focused feedback should rely on dedicated step-tracking apps or widgets rather than expecting ring customization.

Sara Patel (Human Performance Analyst, Sports Science Lab). The Activity Rings are designed to motivate users through a holistic approach to movement, not just step counting. While steps are an important metric, they do not fully capture exercise intensity or sedentary behavior. Therefore, Apple’s decision to keep the rings fixed encourages balanced activity. Changing rings to steps alone might reduce the effectiveness of the motivational design intended to promote overall health.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you change the Apple Watch activity rings to track steps instead of calories?
No, the Apple Watch activity rings are designed to track Move (calories), Exercise (minutes), and Stand (hours). They cannot be changed to display steps directly.

Is there a way to customize the Apple Watch rings to show step count?
Apple does not offer customization of the default rings to show step count. However, you can view steps in the Fitness app or use third-party apps that focus on step tracking.

How can I monitor my steps on the Apple Watch if the rings don’t show them?
You can monitor steps by adding the Steps complication from third-party apps or by checking the Health or Fitness app on your iPhone, which provides detailed step data.

Are there any apps that replace the Apple Watch rings with step-based goals?
Several third-party apps provide step-based goal tracking and may offer complications for the Apple Watch face, but they do not replace the native activity rings.

Why doesn’t Apple allow changing the activity rings to steps?
Apple’s activity rings focus on promoting overall movement, exercise, and standing habits, which are broader health metrics than just step count, aligning with their wellness philosophy.

Can I use shortcuts or automation to convert ring data into step goals?
Currently, there is no official shortcut or automation that converts the Apple Watch rings into step goals, as the rings and step counts are tracked and displayed separately.
In summary, the Apple Watch’s Activity Rings are designed to represent specific health metrics: Move (calories burned), Exercise (minutes of brisk activity), and Stand (hours with at least one minute of standing). These rings cannot be directly changed or customized to display alternative metrics such as step count. The system is structured to encourage a balanced approach to daily activity rather than focusing solely on steps.

However, while you cannot replace the Activity Rings with steps, the Apple Watch does track steps separately and displays them in the Health app or through third-party applications. Users seeking to emphasize step count can monitor their progress via these alternative means, but the core Activity Rings remain fixed to their intended metrics.

Overall, this design choice by Apple ensures consistency in tracking and motivates users to engage in a variety of physical activities. Understanding this framework allows users to better utilize their Apple Watch’s health features and set realistic fitness goals aligned with the device’s capabilities.

Author Profile

Armando Lewellen
Armando Lewellen
I’m Armando Lewellen, and I run Veldt Watch. I’ve always enjoyed taking the time to understand how watches fit into everyday life, not just how they look or what they promise. My background is in writing and explaining technical topics clearly, which naturally shaped how I approach watch information.

Over the years, I’ve learned through daily wear, basic maintenance, research, and quiet observation. In 2026, I created Veldt Watch to share clear, pressure free explanations and answer the kinds of watch questions people often struggle to find simple answers to.