A step widget puts today's count where you already look, so you know how your day is going without opening an app. Apple doesn't document a built-in one: the Fitness app's widget tracks your daily activity, and the Health app has no widget in Apple's iPhone User Guide. For a step count on your Home Screen or Lock Screen, you need an app that reads Apple Health and offers widgets.

Below is what to look for, the best-known step widget apps checked against their App Store listings and developer pages, and every Stepsly widget (our app) in light and dark, so you can see exactly what you'd get.

What makes a step widget worth keeping

A widget earns its place on your Home Screen when it answers "how am I doing today?" faster than opening an app would. Most of the difference between step widgets comes down to seven things:

  • A number you can read at a glance. Today's step count should be the largest thing on the widget, with enough contrast to read in daylight.
  • Progress, not only a total. A bar or ring toward your daily goal tells you how much is left. 6,000 steps means something different with a 7,000 goal than with a 12,000 one, so pick a goal that fits you first.
  • Context when you want it. A weekly chart, a streak or a month of goal days answers the slower question: am I keeping this up?
  • The right size. A small widget fits one answer. A medium one fits that answer plus context. A Lock Screen widget is the smallest glance of all.
  • A look that suits your phone. If you switch between light and dark, the widget should look right in both, or let you pick one.
  • Apple Health as the source. A widget that reads Apple Health shows the same total as the Health app, including steps from an Apple Watch once it syncs. (Here's how an app like that differs from Apple Health itself.)
  • Honest updates. No third-party widget is live. iOS decides when widgets refresh, so a good app keeps the number as fresh as iOS allows and doesn't pretend otherwise.

The best iPhone step widget apps in 2026

The short version:

  • For goals, streaks and month views at a glance: Stepsly, our app. iPhone only, and it needs Stepsly Pro.
  • For steps on your watch face too: Pedometer++, whose core features are free.
  • For free widgets in an all-round tracker: StepsApp, which lists its widgets among its free features.
  • For a widget that matches a custom Home Screen: Widgetsmith, where you design the widget yourself.
  • For a simple tracker with a Watch app: Steps – Activity Tracker.

Last verified: 2026-10-30. Every row comes from the app's US App Store listing or its developer's own pages, linked in the sections below. Prices and features change, so check the listing before you buy.

AppWidgetsApple WatchWhat widgets cost
Stepsly (opens in a new tab)10 Home Screen (small and medium), 4 Lock ScreenNo Watch appFree to download; Stepsly Pro required
Pedometer++ (opens in a new tab)Home Screen and Lock ScreenWatch app and complicationsCore features free; widgets aren't on the Premium list
StepsApp (opens in a new tab)Home Screen and Lock ScreenWatch app and complicationsListed among the free features
Widgetsmith (opens in a new tab)Home Screen and Lock Screen, designed by youSeparate Watchsmith appStep widgets aren't on the Premium list
Steps – Activity Tracker (opens in a new tab)Home Screen and Lock ScreenWatch appFree download; $3.99 Pro upgrade

Stepsly: goal, streak and month views

Stepsly has 10 Home Screen widgets in small and medium sizes and 4 Lock Screen widgets. They go beyond today's number: a streak with a dot for each recent day, a weekly chart, a month calendar of goal days, and a monthly chart of steps, distance and floors. Each widget can follow your phone's appearance or stay light or dark. You can see every Stepsly widget below.

Stepsly reads your steps from Apple Health, so it shows what your iPhone and Apple Watch counted. It is iPhone-only, its widgets need iOS 18 or later, and it is free to download but requires Stepsly Pro: weekly or yearly, with a free trial for eligible new subscribers, or a one-time Lifetime purchase.

Pedometer++: free core, with Apple Watch complications

Pedometer++ promises "full-featured widget support" for your step count on the Lock Screen and Home Screen, and version 8.0.4 (August 2026) added a new Home Screen widget for daily steps. It also has Apple Watch complications, which Stepsly doesn't. Its developer says the core features are free. Pedometer++ Premium costs $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year and covers extras like Expedition Mode, Live Activities and maps; widgets aren't on that list. The app has a 4.8 rating from about 185,000 ratings on the US App Store. If you're weighing it against others, see our Pedometer++ alternatives.

StepsApp: free widgets in a full tracker

StepsApp lists Home Screen widgets and Lock Screen widgets among its free features, and its support pages explain how to add it as an Apple Watch complication. PRO is a subscription for extra features. StepsApp's own widget help page (opens in a new tab) says its widgets update at least once an hour, and its Lock Screen widget about every 10 minutes. It has a 4.8 rating from about 303,000 ratings. Our StepsApp alternatives guide compares it with similar trackers.

Widgetsmith: design your own step widget

Widgetsmith is a widget builder rather than a step tracker. One of its widget types, Activity Tracking & Step Counting, reads Apple Health to show your steps or your Activity ring progress, on the Home Screen or the Lock Screen, in a style you pick to match the rest of your layout. Widgetsmith Premium (opens in a new tab) costs $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year and covers weather and tide data, interactive widgets and premium themes; step widgets aren't on that list. Pair it with the Health app for history. It has a 4.6 rating from about 778,000 ratings.

Steps – Activity Tracker: simple, with a Watch app

Steps – Activity Tracker offers iPhone widgets and Lock Screen widgets, and lets you check in from an Apple Watch. It is free to download, with a $3.99 Pro upgrade in its in-app purchases. It has a 4.8 rating from about 135,000 ratings.

Also considered

Every Stepsly widget, in light and dark

Stepsly is our app, so we can show its widgets in full rather than describe them. Below are real Stepsly widgets, cut from an iPhone Home Screen. Use the switch to see both looks.

Stepsly widgets

  • The Steps widget, small, in light mode: 7,850 steps and a bar at 78% of the daily goal

    Steps

  • The Weekly Steps widget, small, in light mode: 50,895 steps this week on a daily line chart, with 2,045 kcal and 36.3 km

    Weekly Steps

  • The Streak widget, medium, in light mode: today's 7,850 steps, a 7-day streak and a dot for each of the last seven days

    Streak

  • The Month Summary widget, medium, in light mode: a calendar of October with goal days in green, 327,010 steps and 13,395 Cal

    Month Summary

  • The Minimal Progress widget, small, in light mode: 7,850 steps under a stack of progress lines

    Minimal Progress

  • The Metrics widget, small, in light mode: 7,850 steps, 314 kcal and 5.7 km

    Metrics

  • The Stats List widget, small, in light mode: today's 7,850 steps, 314 cal, 5.7 km and 1h 18m active

    Stats List

  • The Streak widget, small, in light mode: a 7-day streak, a goal bar at 78% and a dot for each weekday so far

    Streak

  • The Monthly Chart widget, medium, in light mode: October's 327,010 steps as a daily line, with 235.1 km, 13,395 cal and 247 floors

    Monthly Chart

Real Stepsly widgets, captured on iOS 27 with sample Health data: 7,850 steps today against a 10,000-step goal, and a 7-day streak.

Stepsly has 10 Home Screen widgets and 4 Lock Screen widgets. Here is what each one shows:

WidgetSizesWhat it shows
StepsSmall, mediumToday's steps and a bar toward your goal. Medium adds distance, calories and floors.
MetricsSmallSteps, calories and distance.
Stats ListSmallSteps, calories, distance and active time, as a list.
Minimal ProgressSmallToday's steps under a stack of progress lines.
StreakSmall, mediumYour current streak and a dot for each recent day.
Weekly StepsSmallThis week's total on a daily line chart.
This WeekMediumThe week's total with your best day, daily average and goal days.
Weekly BreakdownMediumThis week against last week, day by day.
Monthly ChartMediumThe month's steps as a daily line, with distance, calories and floors.
Month SummaryMediumA calendar of the month with goal days marked.
Steps MinimalLock Screen: circular or rectangularYour step count with thin progress bars.
Steps ProgressLock Screen: rectangularStep count and percentage of your goal.
Steps StatsLock Screen: rectangularToday's steps, distance and calories.
Steps InlineLock Screen: the line above the clockYour step count in one line.

Every Stepsly widget has a Theme option. It follows your phone by default, or you can keep one widget light and another dark. To change it, touch and hold the widget, tap Edit Widget, and pick System, Light or Dark.

Stepsly's widgets need iOS 18 or later, and Stepsly is iPhone-only: there is no Apple Watch app or watch-face complication. If a complication matters to you, one of the Watch-capable apps above is the better choice.

Small, medium or Lock Screen: which to pick

On the Home Screen, a small widget takes the space of four app icons and a medium one takes eight. Pick by the question you want answered:

  • Small for one answer: today's steps against your goal. Steps, Minimal Progress and Metrics are built for this.
  • Medium for that answer plus context: the same number with distance and floors, your streak across the week, or a month of goal days.
  • Lock Screen for a glance without unlocking. Lock Screen widgets need iOS 16 or later and are tiny, so they suit a number and a progress bar rather than a chart.
  • The Steps widget, small, in light mode: 7,850 steps and a bar at 78% of the daily goal

    Steps · small

  • The Steps widget, medium, in light mode: 7,850 steps, a bar at 78% of the goal, 5.7 km, 314 cal and 6 floors

    Steps · medium

The Steps widget at both sizes. Medium has room for distance, calories and floors next to the goal bar.

If a streak keeps you walking, the Streak widget puts it next to today's count. Medium adds a dot for each of the last seven days, so a missed day is easy to spot before it breaks the run.

  • The Streak widget, small, in dark mode: a 7-day streak, a goal bar at 78% and a dot for each weekday so far

    Streak · small

  • The Streak widget, medium, in dark mode: today's 7,850 steps, a 7-day streak and a dot for each of the last seven days

    Streak · medium

Streak in dark mode. The medium size shows six days on goal, with today still to go.

How to add a step widget to your iPhone

Install the app and open it once, so it can ask for Apple Health access. Then, following Apple's guide to widgets (opens in a new tab):

On the Home Screen

  1. Touch and hold an empty part of the Home Screen until the apps jiggle.
  2. Tap Edit, then Add Widget.
  3. Search for the app, swipe to the widget and size you want, and tap Add Widget.
  4. Drag it into place and tap Done.

On the Lock Screen

  1. Touch and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize and choose the Lock Screen.
  2. Tap the area below the time (or the line above it), then pick the app's widget.
  3. Tap Done.

To stack several widgets in one spot, drag one widget on top of another of the same size and swipe through them. Our guide to using and customizing the iPhone step widget covers stacks, sizes and layout ideas in more detail.

Why a step widget can lag behind the Health app

Widgets are snapshots, not live views. An app gives iOS a timeline of what to show, and iOS decides when to ask for a new one. Apple's developer guide to keeping a widget up to date (opens in a new tab) describes a daily refresh budget that the system manages: typically 40 to 70 refreshes a day for a widget you look at often, or roughly one every 15 to 60 minutes.

Stepsly's widgets ask iOS for an update every 15 minutes. When their saved total is older than that, they read today's steps straight from Apple Health, so you don't need to open the app to move the number. iOS still chooses the moment, which is why a widget can trail the Health app for a while after a walk.

Two other things often explain a number that looks wrong:

  • Apple Watch steps arrive when the watch syncs. Until then, the Health app and every widget only have your iPhone's count.
  • Health picks one source per moment. When your iPhone and Apple Watch both count the same steps, Health uses its data source order (opens in a new tab) to avoid counting them twice. A widget reading Health follows the same order.

If the number stays frozen for hours, work through our fix for a step widget not updating on iPhone. If a Lock Screen widget won't appear at all, see Lock Screen step widget not showing.

For the wider choice of app beyond its widgets, read our guide to the best step counter apps for iPhone. If your phone and watch disagree on the day's total, see why step counts differ between phone and smartwatch.

Questions people ask

Does the iPhone have a built-in step widget?

Apple doesn't document one. The Fitness app has a widget that "lets you track your daily activity" from the Home Screen or Lock Screen, and Apple's iPhone User Guide doesn't describe a Health app widget. The Fitness app (opens in a new tab) itself shows your step count on its Summary screen. For a step count on your Home Screen, use an app that reads Apple Health.

Can I see my steps on the Lock Screen?

Yes, on iOS 16 or later, with an app that has Lock Screen widgets. Every app in our table offers them. Stepsly has four, including Steps Inline, which puts your step count in the line above the clock.

Is there a free step widget for iPhone?

StepsApp lists Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets among its free features. Pedometer++ keeps its core features free, and widgets aren't on its Premium list. Stepsly is free to download but needs Stepsly Pro.

Will a step widget include my Apple Watch steps?

If the app reads Apple Health, yes. Health combines the steps from your iPhone and Apple Watch, so the widget shows the same total as the Health app once the watch has synced.

Do step widgets count steps themselves?

No. Your iPhone's motion sensors and your Apple Watch do the counting, and the widget shows what its app reads from Apple Health. That's why a widget can't be more accurate than the Health app, only more convenient.

Sources, notes & disclaimers