Withings | Support Help Center home page

Home

Visit the forum

Store
Deutsch Français 日本語 简体中文

Inaccurate step count

ScanWatch 2 / Nova
Answered
Written by allanjsaul

20 comments

I recently purchased a Scanwatch 2. I really like the watch BUT like a lot of other posts on this forum, my watch is seriously undercounting steps.  Compared to a Fitbit (calibrated by manually counting steps so I know it is accurate), or a pedometer app on my phone,  over distances of about 4 km on three different days, the Scanwatch is only counting ~60% of the steps.  (Today’s walk was 5008 steps on the Fitbit; 4960 steps on phone, 3154 on Scanwatch).

I’ve tried all the issues recommended by Withing – tight strap, swing arm etc. Energetic walk with no stops.                                                                                                                                                          I’ve tried suggestions on this Forum – calibrating time.  Factory reset…

So far nothing has worked.

So any other suggestions welcome

How may people have watches that DO accurately count steps?

Is this a problem with just my watch (albeit apparently a fairly common problem) I'll ask for a replacement.  If this is this a problem that impacts ALL Withing watches I'll be looking for my money back.

 

By way of background: 

I know of an old YouTube video that tests accuracy and finds it good.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQU0Db401io

I’ve been in touch with Wirthing via their chat and “Alda” tells me:

“The Withings algorithm that is built into our step and activity trackers is capable of doing this with great accuracy.”

She contradicted herself by also saying that despite the great accuracy:

“… our development team is working to improve the step algorithm used by the watch so the step tracking should improve as future firmware updates are released. We do not have an ETA but you will be notified once the update has been deployed.”

(Something I see other forum users have been posting for at least 3 years)

And concludes with:

“I can confirm that we do not have a known issue with the accuracy of the step tracking of the ScanWatch 2 but our developers are doing their best to resolve this case as soon as possible.

14

likes

Comments

Date Votes
  • Official comments from Withings
    Win From Withings

    Hello @everyone,

     

    Thank you for sharing this detailed feedback. I completely understand the frustration @allanjsaul and everyone else is feeling—seeing a 40% discrepancy in steps compared to a device you trust like a Fitbit can make it feel like your progress isn't being acknowledged.

    I’d like to address why this happens specifically with the Withings algorithm and clarify what we are doing to bridge that gap.

     

    The primary reason for the discrepancy is a difference in "philosophy" between brands. While many trackers (like Fitbit or phone apps) are more "generous" to ensure you are motivated, Withings uses a stricter algorithm designed to filter out "false steps."

     

    • Impact vs. Movement: The ScanWatch 2 looks for the physical impact of your foot hitting the ground through its accelerometer. If you are walking very softly, pushing a stroller/cart, or walking on a thick carpet, that "impact" signal is dampened.
       
    • The "10-Step Rule": To avoid counting random arm movements (like reaching for a coffee or sewing) as steps, the algorithm often waits for a periodic pattern of about 10 consistent steps before it starts recording that "burst" of activity. If your day involves a lot of short "puttering" around the house, those micro-movements might not trigger the threshold.
       
    • Workout Mode Sensitivity: Some users find that starting a "Walking" workout manually on the watch increases sensitivity because the watch knows to prioritize step detection over power-saving or false-move filtering during that window.
       

    To address @Allan's point—it is not considered a "hardware defect" but rather a characteristic of our current high-precision algorithm. However, we hear the community loud and clear: accuracy shouldn't mean missing 40% of a 5km walk. Our developers are currently working on a 2026 firmware update specifically aimed at refining the sensitivity for "low-impact" walking and reducing the "dead zone" during short bursts of movement. We want the watch to remain "honest" without being "stingy."

     

     

    • The Position Rule: Ensure the watch is two finger-widths above your wrist bone. If it’s too close to the hand, the wrist’s flexibility can "muffle" the vibrations the accelerometer needs to detect.
       
    • Manual Stride Calibration: Ensure your Height is accurate in the app, as this is used to calculate distance. While you cannot manually change "stride length" anymore, your height is the primary variable the algorithm uses to "expect" a certain impact force.
       
    • Sync via App during Walks: If you are using your phone's GPS for a walk, the app performs "post-processing" which can sometimes reconcile the step count more accurately using GPS data.
       

    If your watch is missing more than 30% of a continuous, brisk walk even after a factory reset, please reach out to Withings Customer Support via chat here.

     

    If you provide them with a "Step Test" (e.g., "I counted 100 steps and the watch recorded 40"), they can use that data to evaluate if your specific accelerometer is under-performing.

     

    Regards,

     

    Win, Withings Customer Service

  • andrewsav
    6

    likes

    Same issue here. Bought the clock a week ago, noticed the discrepancy immediately, today did some experimentation to find out is it scanwatch 2 undercounting or phone pedometer overcounting. And yes, scanwatch 2 just randomly stop counting steps for stretches of 2-3 minutes every now and then which overall leads to counting less steps in total. It's quite disappointing. My friend who recommended Garmin and against whose recommendation I went is going to gloat quite a bit.

    6

    likes

  • Rasmus Trudslev P
    7

    likes

    Same issue with scanwatch. Stopped using it for same reason. Such a shame because the watch is really cool on all other parameters. So I hope it will be fixed at some point…. More 2 years has now gone and still nothing

    7

    likes

  • D V
    9

    likes

    I love this watch but same issue with under reporting steps. I’ll be exhausted running around all day and I’m only reporting 4K. At this point if I hit anything between 4-6 I assume that was a great day. If more people complain I hope they change the algorithm because this is a significant problem that none of their articles address apart from telling me I’m not wearing it right.

    9

    likes

  • Raluca U
    5

    likes

    Same issue here. I’ve been using Steel HR (the Nokia version), then Scanwatch 1 and now 2, and it looks like the step counter (and GPS tracking) is getting worse with every version.

    5

    likes

  • Dayna T
    4

    likes

    I am having the same issue, exactly the same activities as my husband today and his is saying 3600 (garmin) approx and mine is approx 600 steps, big discrepancy!

    4

    likes

  • Shelley P
    6

    likes

    What is being done about this descrepancy? Its not just a few steps outs - is just completely wrong!!!.  Today I went for a walk with my old Garmin vivo 4s  and my new Scan watch 2. The Garmin measured my walk as 3.17 km and 5317 steps.  My scan2 waatch measured 8.7km and 4150 steps.  Even if one wants to dispute my Garmin is wrong, how does anyone walk 8.7km in 4150 steps.

    6

    likes

  • Marc M
    8

    likes

    I agree with other participants in this discussion that there really is a serious counting problem with the withings watches. But the scanwatch 2 which I have had for just about a month now is really the worst. withings, get your act together and stop denying the problem. These watches are way to expensive to have these kind of problems: FIX IT

    8

    likes

  • Maureen B
    7

    likes

    I agree with the customer above, I love the watch but find this discrepancy really disappointing because all of my health notes are based on a false premise.

    7

    likes

  • John V
    5

    likes

    I just got my watch and it's about 2,000 steps under my Fitbit. Why hasn't Withings responded to this?

    5

    likes

  • Christina D
    5

    likes

    Also having this issue with my new ScanWatch nova brilliant. Stap is super tight. My phone count is much higher and I won’t even have my phone on me while I’m puttering around my house cleaning etc. for long periods of time. Very unfortunate because the watch is really good looking but if it’s based on false data then what’s the point? Withings pls fix this.

    5

    likes

  • John V
    3

    likes

    Honestly, I've made peace with it because I like the watch so much. I wore my fitbit and my Scan2 at the same time for a few weeks. There was about a 10% difference with the fitbit coming out higher. They're claim is that they count only steps on the ground and not arm movements, etc. My daily goal is now 8k instead of 10k.

    3

    likes

  • Dwayne W
    4

    likes

    Echoing the same sentiment - I had an identical walk with two other users of smart watches, both Samsung and Apple watch both register the same walk with almost 2,000 more steps each.

    Withings of anything you have to understand - there's a reason companies that make pants moved to vanity sizing. And premium clothing products have been known for decades to be more generous with their cuts. If you're going to sell a premium product that has a step counter, it better err on the side of generous not stingy.

    Otherwise people will stop using it over this issue.

    4

    likes

  • Robert S
    3

    likes

    I too am seeing a large discrepancy in steps counted. I am manually counting my steps and see that the ScanWatch Nova is low by about 25%. For every hundred steps I count the watch counts 75. This is wildly inaccurate. Further, the suggestion that configure my height as being taller is laughable. That would likely throw off the various other algorithms on top of the fact that it is just plain wrong. On top of this, The Withings scale reports my heart rate about 20 bpm higher than the watch, and a manual pulse check. I cannot recommend Withings products based on the poor quality of the sensors. Time to go back to Fitbit I guess...

    3

    likes

  • Rachele D
    2

    likes

    Same problem here. I just got the watch a week ago and May be sending it back and getting a garmin. Too bad because I otherwise love the watch!

    2

    likes

  • Sven S
    3

    likes

    Yep. Same here. I bought ScanWatch 1 42mm like a week ago and step tracking is extremely off. I have multiple Smartwatches (Apple Watch, Huawei GT2, CMF 2 pro) and they are all reporting 10k+ steps around 12-12:30, sometimes even earlier. I’m working in a huge warehouse and I’m making those steps like crazy. It’s 19:34 right now, and my ScanWatch is showing 8400 steps, my phone is at 12000 steps. I love this new Watch but what the hell is that???

    3

    likes

  • Aaron A
    2

    likes

    Yeah, Just got my new Scanwatch 2, we had a full day out walking constantly in Las Vegas last weekend, My partners step count was around 21000 (from his phone), usually mine is a bit under that (since I'm taller). My withings watch: 8000 for the whole day. Unbelievable, way less than half of what it should have been. Just doing a bit of testing, and counting steps, it seems like the scan watch may have some sort of dead zone to preserve battery life, but then doesn't count all the steps you've taken, or something, or their algorithms don't work for some reason or another. The kicker: that little dial on the front of the watch is supposed to show your step count for the day, i.e. one of the most important parts of the watch that fails completely on its purpose. Probably will return this expensive inaccurate luxury device, and keep to other methods. (for reference the Blood pressure monitor, and scale by withings we have are awesome!) 

    2

    likes

  • mrsleichtfuss
    2

    likes

    I feel totally let down by the Withings watch.
    I bought mine because I loved that it didn’t have that super sporty look, was minimal, and something I could wear every day without feeling like I was training for a marathon.

    But honestly… the step count has always been off. Not just a little off, like, noticeably off. And after a while it just stopped motivating me altogether. At this point it’s basically just a stylish timepiece that occasionally pretends I barely moved all day.

    Now I’m over here looking at the Garmin watches (which I never thought I’d even consider because of the sporty vibe!) and they’re actually starting to look really appealing.

    Anyone else switch from Withings to Garmin for this reason? How did it go?

    2

    likes

  • Jenny S
    3

    likes

    Ive just moved from Fitbit (which I'd been with 11 years) because I don't trust Google with my health data and was pleased to find a tracker based in Europe tho much more expensive than my basic Fitbit. Ive been wearing the two trackers together. Scanwatch 2 often 4,000 steps a day less and resting heart rate about 10 points higher. Active zone minutes often 90 or so minutes off. Its making me doubt the validity of the whole thing and is really demotivating. Surely this needs fixing as an urgent priority or what is the point? We've just bought a watch.

    3

    likes

  • ouiserv
    0

    likes

    So years later, still an issue. I bought it just a week ago, and already feel certain of returning it. I can get a beautiful watch for this price point and keep the cheaper step counter. This needs to be remedied.

    Curious how many people have held onto theirs?

    0

    likes

Leave a comment as

Create a post

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Leave your own comment