Smartwatches come equipped with something called accelerometers. These sensors are like tiny detectives that track your motion. Every time you move your arm while walking, this motion is detected by the accelerometer, converting physical movements into digital signals.

Think of it as a miniature version of those motion-sensor lights you have in your yard. When you walk by, the movement is detected, and in your watch’s case, it counts step by step.

Your stride length matters too—a lot! When you first set up your smartwatch, you’re often asked to input your height. This data is used to estimate your average step length, which helps in calculating the distance you walk more precisely.

Some smartwatches even adapt to your walking style over time, learning from your personal patterns and improving their accuracy.

Smartwatch manufacturers continuously update the software to refine step-counting capabilities. As you connect your watch to the internet, these updates come through, often unnoticed, like when you update an app on your smartphone.

These improvements factor in the latest research to help correct any miscalculations and fine-tune the whole process.