lifestyle

Ksteps — A Step Counter That Actually Focuses on Steps

jacky • 2026. 06. 03.

Ksteps is a pedometer app for Apple Watch and iPhone.

I built it because the default Health app doesn't really focus on step count management — and more than anything, I wanted to make the Watch complication look better.

Goal progress tracking, real-time workout mirroring, and Lock Screen Live Activity, all in one app.

It's just a walking app, so you might wonder what there is to it — but being able to see at a glance whether you've hit your daily goal, or not needing to pull out your iPhone during a workout, turns out to make a surprisingly big difference.

1. Today's Steps at a Glance — Home Screen

When you open the app, you immediately see today's step count and how far you are from your goal. The data comes directly from HealthKit, so the numbers match the default Health app exactly. You can use it on iPhone alone even without an Apple Watch.

Setting Your Goal

Adjust your step goal right from the home screen slider. Raise or lower it in increments of 500, and the new value is reflected instantly in the Watch complication and widget.

When You Exceed Your Goal

Once you pass your goal, the progress ring completes a full loop and a thinner secondary ring tracks how much further you've gone. Instead of stopping at "goal reached," you can see exactly how much more you walked.

2. Apple Watch Complications

Put your step count and goal progress right on the Watch face. Choose from 4 styles — a quick glance at your Watch tells you exactly how much you've walked today.

Detailed — step count + goal progress bar + remaining distance
Simple — large step count only
Dotted — 10-dot progress visualization
Altitude — real-time altitude graph via barometric sensor (physical device only)

3. Workout Sessions — Walking / Hiking

Start a walking or hiking workout on Apple Watch and a HealthKit workout session begins recording. During the workout, CMPedometer counts steps in parallel — so numbers update in real time without waiting for HealthKit to catch up.

Pause / Resume

Pause on your Watch and the timer stops. Resume and it picks up right where it left off. Rest time in between doesn't count toward your total.

Reviewing Workout History

Check past workouts by date in the Workout tab. Step count, distance, duration, and an hourly step distribution graph are all on one screen.

4. Lock Screen Live Activity / Dynamic Island

Start a workout on Apple Watch and your iPhone Lock Screen and Dynamic Island show live stats in real time. Without even unlocking your iPhone, you can see your step count, elapsed time, and remaining goal distance at a glance.

Dynamic Island expanded — progress ring + step count + elapsed timer + distance / remaining goal
Dynamic Island compact — icon + distance + step count (single line)
Lock Screen banner — ring + step count + distance / remaining goal

The elapsed timer keeps running even when the app is in the background. Switching to another app or turning off the screen mid-workout won't stop the clock.

5. Monthly Stats

The calendar view shows your steps day by day for the current month. Days where you hit your goal are highlighted in a different color, and your monthly average and best day are shown alongside.

Goal Days / Average / Best

See how many days you cleared your goal and how your daily average compares to your target — visualized as a progress bar. If your average or best exceeds the goal, the bar extends beyond 100% to show it.

6. Multilingual Support

Supports Korean, English, and Japanese. Change the language in Settings and the entire app — Watch complications and Lock Screen Live Activity included — switches all at once.