From the Dark Side
by Tiny Ruisch
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of step counting apps in the Google Play Store. Over the years, I’ve tried twenty‑two of them. My normal routine was to read glowing reviews on a new pedometer app, download and install it, go for a walk and count my steps. After a day, I would uninstall and go back to the Omron pedometer clipped on my belt.
In January, when I was on a cruise ship, I was talking with another passenger when the subject of walking and pedometers was discussed. I told him about the many apps I had tried and my disappointment in all of them. He recommended that I try Pedometer by ITO Technologies. I didn’t give it another thought.
About a week later, my four year old manual pedometer quit. Being in the middle of the ocean, there wasn’t any place to buy a new one. Amazon two day shipping just doesn’t work everywhere. I downloaded and installed Pedometer for a temporary replacement. It has worked so well that I haven’t purchased a new Omron.
The main reason I’ve kept using the app is that it is the most accurate of all the step counters I’ve tried. With almost all of these programs, the devices motion sensor is used to record steps. Many of them do not do a good job when the phone is in a purse, trouser pocket, or carried in the hand. For me, Pedometer has worked equally well in all instances.
I think that every step counting app in the Play Store has the same kind of graphs for tracking how super your walking is. Pedometer will show your statistics for hourly, daily, weekly and monthly. I don’t believe this function is any better or worse than any of the other app choices. For me, these do no make a lot of difference. My main priority is step count accuracy which the program excels at.
The program is advertising supported. The ads are so unobtrusive that when I wrote this review, I had to double check where they were placed at the bottom of the screen. I can honestly say that I have never noticed an ad until I went looking for one to review. There isn’t an option to pay for ad free upgrade. If there was, I would definitely buy this app.
One other thing that surprised me was the program name. It is Pedometer without any adjectives. Many of the other walking apps have descriptions like tracker, GPS counter, fitness walker, accu‑step, etc. I assume that this program must have been one of the first in the app store. The full name is plain old “Pedometer”.
If you are in need of a step counting app for your phone, I can recommend ITO Technologies Pedometer. It is free in the Google Play Store.
Thanks for reading.