StepSmash Health Connect Integration
StepSmash supports syncing your activity data directly from Health Connect on Android. Once linked, your steps, distance, and Active Zone Minutes can be used in StepSmash games.
What is Health Connect?
Health Connect is Google’s unified health data platform for Android. It allows different fitness apps and devices to share health data securely, acting as a central hub for all your fitness data.
Using Health Connect Without a Wearable
On Android 14 and later, your phone can automatically track your steps without any fitness tracker or wearable. Health Connect records steps using your phone’s built-in sensors whenever you carry it.
This means you can participate in StepSmash step challenges with just your Android phone.
How it works:
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Step tracking starts automatically once StepSmash is granted permission to read steps through Health Connect
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Your phone’s steps appear in Health Connect labeled with your device name (e.g., “Google Pixel 9a”)
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If you also have a wearable, Health Connect combines data from both sources and handles deduplication
Requirements:
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Android 14 or later
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Health Connect app installed (built into Android 14+)
Tip: Phone-only users can still earn Active Minutes through step-based activity detection, even without heart rate data. See How Active Minutes Work in StepSmash for details on how this works.
For more information, see Google’s guide: Track your steps with Health Connect.
Supported Devices
Health Connect collects data from many different fitness devices and apps. This means you can use StepSmash with devices we don’t directly integrate with, as long as they sync to Health Connect.
Some examples of popular devices that should work with StepSmash through Health Connect:
We’ve added links to official sources of documentation where available, but not every platform has public documentation describing how to link to Health Connect even if they support the feature.
If you sync a 3rd party device into Health Connect and StepSmash isn’t working correctly please reach out in Support - StepSmash Community as we would love to understand the problem and improve StepSmash’s compatibility for everyone!
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Xiaomi Mi Band / Xiaomi Smart Band
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- Where these instructions say
Google Fit, look instead forHealth Connectas the data source
- Where these instructions say
If your device or app syncs steps, distance, or heart rate to Health Connect, it should work with StepSmash.
Link Your Account
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Open StepSmash and go to Settings → Fitness Accounts
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Tap Connect Health Connect
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If prompted, install Health Connect from the Play Store
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Grant the requested permissions
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Enter your age when prompted (required for Active Zone Minutes)
Required Permissions
StepSmash requests the following Health Connect permissions:
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Steps - for step counting games
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Distance - for distance-based games
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Heart Rate - for Active Zone Minutes calculation
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Resting Heart Rate - for more accurate AZM zone calculations
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Background Access - we periodically sync your fitness data behind the scenes so we can send you a notification when you have actions you can take in ongoing fitness challenges
What Data is Synced?
StepSmash syncs the following from Health Connect:
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Steps - hourly step totals
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Distance - in kilometers
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Heart Rate - per-minute samples for AZM calculation
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Resting Heart Rate - daily values for accurate zone boundaries
Active Zone Minutes (AZM) Support
StepSmash calculates Active Zone Minutes from your heart rate data synced through Health Connect. Please see How Active Minutes Work in StepSmash for a deep dive into the algorithms we use here.
Syncing
Health Connect data syncs automatically when you open StepSmash and periodically in the background throughout the day. You can also trigger a manual sync from the Fitness Accounts screen.
Syncin StepSmash will have no effect, as Health Connect doesn’t contain your latest fitness data.
Troubleshooting
“Health Connect not available”
Health Connect requires Android 14+ (built-in) or must be installed separately on Android 13. Download Health Connect from the Play Store here.
Phone Steps Not Appearing
If you’re using Android 14+ without a wearable and your phone steps aren’t appearing:
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Open the Health Connect app
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Go to Devices and find your phone (e.g., “Google Pixel 9a”)
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Make sure Steps is turned on
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Verify StepSmash has permission to read Steps in Health Connect
Third-Party Device Not Syncing
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Open your device’s companion app (Amazfit/Zepp, Oura, Whoop, etc.)
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Go to the app’s settings and look for “Health Connect” integration
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Enable syncing for Steps, Distance, Heart Rate, and Workouts
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Force a sync in the companion app, then check Health Connect to confirm data appears
Data Not Syncing
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Open the Health Connect app
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Go to App permissions → StepSmash
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Verify all required permissions are granted
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Check that your fitness app is syncing to Health Connect
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Try a manual sync in StepSmash
AZM Showing Zero
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Ensure you’ve entered your age in StepSmash
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Verify your device records heart rate
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Check that heart rate data appears in Health Connect
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AZM only counts when your heart rate reaches the moderate zone (40%+ of HR reserve)
Permissions Issues
To modify permissions:
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Open the Health Connect app
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Tap App permissions
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Find StepSmash
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Adjust permissions as needed
Data from Multiple Sources
If you have multiple apps syncing to Health Connect (e.g., both your phone and a wearable, or both Oura and Whoop), Health Connect handles deduplication. StepSmash reads the consolidated data.
You can manage data source priority in Health Connect: Manage data → Data sources and priority → Activity.
Privacy
Your health data is processed securely on our servers to calculate Active Zone Minutes. We don’t share this data with anyone, and the only data ever visible in the app is your aggregate step count if you’re competing in step challenges. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Disconnect Your Account
To disconnect Health Connect from StepSmash:
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Go to Settings → Fitness Accounts
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Tap on your connected Health Connect account
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Tap Disconnect
You can also revoke access from the Health Connect app: App permissions → StepSmash → Remove all permissions.
If problems persist, please post in Tracker Integrations Support so we can help investigate.