How to add a step counter to your iPhone Home Screen or Lock Screen

Install a step counter app with widgets, such as Footprints, open it once so it can read your steps, then touch and hold the Home Screen, tap Edit, then Add Widget, and pick it. For the Lock Screen, touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, choose the Lock Screen, and tap the widget area to add it.

Add the widget to your Home Screen

Install Footprints and open it once. Allow access to Steps, Flights Climbed and Walking + Running Distance so the widget has numbers to show.
Go to your Home Screen, touch and hold an empty spot until the icons jiggle.
Tap Edit in the top corner, then Add Widget (on older iOS versions, tap the + button).
Search for Footprints, swipe to the size you want (small, medium or large) and tap Add Widget.
Drag it into place and tap Done.

Add steps to your Lock Screen

Unlock with Face ID or Touch ID but stay on the Lock Screen, then touch and hold it.
Tap Customize, then pick Lock Screen.
Tap the widget area under the clock and choose Footprints. The round widget shows a goal ring, the rectangular one shows today's steps and floors.
For a line of text above the clock, tap the date and choose the Footprints inline widget.
Tap Done.

What the Footprints widgets show

Home Screen, small, medium and large: today's steps against your goal. Medium adds floors, distance and the percentage of your goal; large shows today's progress toward the goal in detail.
Lock Screen, circular, rectangular and inline: steps and goal progress you can read without unlocking.

Widgets need iOS 17 or later. The app itself runs on iOS 15.5 and later.

Change the goal the ring fills toward

Open Footprints, go to the More tab and set your daily step goal anywhere from 100 to 100,000. The widget's ring uses the new goal the next time it updates.

Why the widget lags behind

iOS decides how often widgets refresh to save battery. The Footprints widget shows the count from the last time Footprints updated, so opening the app for a moment brings it up to date. If it shows zero all day, check these settings.

Questions

Can I put my step count on the iPhone Lock Screen?

Yes, on iOS 17 or later. Touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, then Lock Screen, and add a step widget such as Footprints under the clock or as the inline line above it.

Does the Footprints widget cost extra?

No. Widgets are part of the free app. Footprints Pro ($1.99 a month or $19.99 a year) removes ads and adds alternate app icons.

Why does my step widget show zero?

Open the app once so it can read Apple Health. If it still shows zero, turn on Fitness Tracking in Settings > Privacy & Security > Motion & Fitness and allow Steps in the Health app's privacy settings.

Footprints shows your steps, floors and distance against a daily goal, as a list, a calendar of goal rings and a chart. Free with ads.

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Updated 2026-11-04