Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Does the Oura Ring track steps?

Oura Ring Horizon sitting upright on a wood railing.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The Oura Ring is a sleek and stylish wearable device that has gained popularity based on its advanced sleep-monitoring features. It provides users with detailed insights into their sleep patterns, including the duration of each sleep stage, heart rate variability, and respiratory rate. It also tracks other key health metrics, such as body temperature and activity levels.

However, the question remains: Can the Oura Ring track fitness metrics such as step counting? It’s time to find out.

Does the Oura Ring track steps?

The simple answer is this: Yes, it does! The Oura Ring tracks steps. Similar to smartwatches like the Google Pixel Watch 2 and Apple Watch Series 9, the Oura Ring can track your steps just like any other fitness tracker. This feature allows you to gauge the distance you’ve traveled and the calories you’ve burned daily.

How to track steps with the Oura Ring

It’s important to note that activity tracking is not the primary focus of the Oura Ring. Therefore, it doesn’t measure steps in the traditional sense. Instead, it relies on its built-in 3D accelerometer to track your body movement throughout the day and estimate your step count.

To find your ste- tracking information via your smartphone on the Oura app for iPhone or Android, do the following:

  • Open the Oura app on your phone.
  •  Tap on the Activity tab
  • Here, you can see a snapshot of of how far you’ve walked and how many steps you’ve taken.
  • Choose Steps to see a history of your step tracking.
  • Choose Walking Equivalency to see the history of your distance walked.
Screenshots showing activity tracking on the Oura app on iPhone.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

According to Oura, the walking equivalency metric does not indicate the exact distance you have traveled, but rather, it reflects the equivalent walking distance of all your daily activities. Also, engaging in higher-intensity activities like jogging increases your daily walking distance more than low-intensity activities, such as casual walking, even if the distance covered is the same.

If you’re looking for a more precise way to track your steps, consider buying a smartwatch. The best smartwatches available today offer more advanced tools for step tracking than the current Oura Ring. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9 has GPS, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope to track arm movements and body position during exercise.

The Oura Ring’s long list of features makes it a popular choice for anyone who wants to track things like sleep, mental health, heart rate, and more.

Editors' Recommendations

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
The 4 best Whoop alternatives in 2024
A Charge 6 being used on a wrist.

Whoop is a wearable technology company whose fitness bands track your body’s strain, recovery, and sleep. It’s as popular as many of the best fitness trackers and many of the best smartwatches. Whoops fitness bands are popular amongst professional athletes, but they’re also somewhat expensive. Whoop’s advanced metrics tracking is difficult to match, but there are several Whoop alternatives out there for different price points and fitness needs. We’ve rounded up what we think are the best Whoop alternatives, so read onward for more details.
The best Whoop alternatives in 2024

Buy the if you want the best Whoop alternative overall.
Buy the if you want the best Whoop alternative for simplicity.
Buy the if you want the best premium Whoop alternative.
Buy the if you want the best Whoop alternative for a budget.

Read more
Your Oura Ring is getting a major new health feature
The side of the Oura Ring Horizon.

Do you find yourself getting stressed out often? If so, you may be interested in a new feature headed to the Oura Ring. The new tool is called "Resilience," and it's designed to help you manage stress. It will be available through a software update on Wednesday, January 31.

Resilience is an assessment tool that uses data from your previous activity to evaluate your ability to cope with physiological stress. The Oura app will analyze various factors, such as your stress levels during the day, your ability to recover during the day, and your recovery during sleep, to create a personalized stress assessment. By doing this, Resilience can help you balance your stress and recovery with insights, educational materials, and recommendations to manage stress and improve your overall health.

Read more
If this is what an Apple smart ring could look like, I need it right now
An Apple smart ring concept by Jonas Daehnert

Forget the Apple Vision Pro. What many users really might want to see is an Apple smart ring. A new concept shows what one of these first-generation wearables could look like. Consider me sold, Apple; where can I lay down my credit card?

There have been rumors in recent years about the possibility of Apple releasing a smart ring that would compete with the Oura Ring and the long-rumored Samsung Galaxy Ring. If Apple were to release such a device, it would likely track various health metrics to help users understand their sleep patterns, activity levels, and overall health. Essentially, it would be like an Apple Watch for your finger.

Read more