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The Step Distance Recorded on My Garmin Watch Is Wrong
Some watches that track your daily steps will also estimate the mileage walked for those steps. The height you have listed under your user profile is used to estimate your stride length and thus will estimate the distance you have traveled. If you are experiencing an accuracy issue with the all-day step distance recorded on the watch or displayed in the Garmin Connect app, you can set a custom stride length in Garmin Connect.
How Do I Set a Custom Stride Length?
Setting a custom stride length will require you to walk or run a known distance and keep track of the number of steps it took to complete that distance. The minimum distance is 400 meters. Going a longer distance will achieve the most accurate reading. Garmin recommends using the inside lane of a local middle or high school track to obtain the most accurate distance reading.
- Watches that use a built-in GPS to record a run will not have an option to set a custom stride length for run activities. The GPS feature is used to calibrate the step distance for activities.
- Using a foot pod can improve distance and pace readings while recording a timed activity, but it will not have any impact on your step distance calculation. Daily step totals are only calculated by the Garmin watch that has an activity tracking feature.
Choose an option below to reveal instructions to set up your custom stride length:
Garmin Connect App Instructions
Open the Garmin Connect app.
- Open the app menu.
- Android: Select
(top left) iOS: Select More icon (bottom right)
- Android: Select
Select Garmin Devices.
Select the device name.
- Select Activity Tracking.
If Activity Tracking is not available, select User Settings.
Select Custom Stride Length.
- Toggle Walking or Running on.
Running is only available on select devices that do not have a built-in GPS.
Select Measured Distance and enter the known distance you traveled.
Select Total Steps and enter the number of steps it took to cover that distance.
Select the back icon to save your changes.
Sync your device.
Garmin Connect Web Instructions
Sign in to Garmin Connect web from a web browser.
Select the device icon
(upper right corner).Select your device from the list.
- Select Activity Tracking.
If Activity Tracking is not available, select User Settings.
- Beneath Custom Stride Length toggle Walking or Running on.
Running is only available on select devices that do not have a built-in GPS.
Enter the known distance from your run or walk.
Enter the number of steps it took to cover that distance.
Select Save Settings.
Sync your device with Garmin Express if using a computer, or with the Garmin Connect app if you have it paired to your smartphone.
NOTE: Setting a custom stride length will only impact your calculated step distance. Your custom stride length does not have any effect on the distance recorded for timed activities.