Why do I have so many different step counts?

[Howard Brazee]

I have an Activity Tracker as a complication on my watch face as well as in my iPhone's control center.

Yesterday I noticed that my Apple Watch complication wasn't updating and I looked several places.


Apple Watch complication says 9,909 steps, but phone shows 10,163 steps and clicking on complication, shows 10,563 steps. Close activity tracker on phone and it shows 9,877 steps.

Why are there so many different numbers?

 

[Lufbrarunner]

I have an Activity Tracker as a complication on my watch face as well as in my iPhone's control center.

Yesterday I noticed that my Apple Watch complication wasn't updating and I looked several places.


Apple Watch complication says 9,909 steps, but phone shows 10,163 steps and clicking on complication, shows 10,563 steps. Close activity tracker on phone and it shows 9,877 steps.

Why are there so many different numbers?

I would guess that they all use slightly different algorithms to calculate the steps total.
I have a couple of sports watches that will give different totals, one works by gps and the other by certain movements, ie arm swing.