Steps and Syncing
Steps and syncing covers how SideQuest reads your walking steps, updates your progress, and handles delayed step data. On iPhone, SideQuest reads steps from Apple Health. On Android, it can use phone step recording and Health Connect.
Sync your steps
- If you use a watch, let it sync with its companion app first. Check that your steps have reached Apple Health on iPhone or Health Connect on Android.
- Open SideQuest with an internet connection and go to Home.
- Pull down on the Home screen where it says PULL TO SYNC. Wait for the refresh to finish.
- Check your daily steps and active expedition. For co-op, also check your contribution in the party.
SideQuest also checks for steps when you return to the app. A watch or health app may take time to send its latest data, so refreshing SideQuest before that transfer finishes can still show the older count.
Set up step tracking
During setup, tap CONTINUE on the STEP TRACKING screen and allow the step permissions shown for your phone. Notification permission is separate from step access.
iPhone
Allow SideQuest to read Steps from Apple Health.
To check access later:
- Open the Health app and tap your profile picture.
- Under Privacy, tap Apps, then SideQuest.
- Turn on access to read Steps.
- Return to SideQuest and pull down on Home to sync.
To check the step data itself, open Health → Browse → Activity → Steps. Apple Watch steps need to reach Health on your iPhone before SideQuest can read them.
Android
Android has two separate step permissions:
| Permission | Used for | Where to check it |
|---|---|---|
| Physical activity | Recording steps with your phone. | Phone Settings → Apps → SideQuest → Permissions → Physical activity → Allow. |
| Steps in Health Connect | Reading steps shared with Health Connect by connected health apps and devices. | Open Health Connect → App permissions → SideQuest and allow it to read Steps. |
SideQuest can use phone recording or Health Connect when available. The two totals are not added together.
If you use Samsung Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, or another health app, enable its Health Connect connection in that app's settings. Allow that app to write Steps to Health Connect, and allow SideQuest to read Steps. A step total shown only inside a watch app is not enough if the app has not shared it with Health Connect.
Permission menus can vary by phone and system version. Use the phone's Settings search to find Health Connect if it does not appear as a separate app.
Daily steps and game progress
The counters measure different things:
| Counter | What it means |
|---|---|
| Steps today | Your step total for the current local calendar day. A new day starts at local midnight. |
| Solo expedition progress | Progress on the expedition you started. |
| Co-op contribution | Your recorded walking contribution to the active party. Expedition Speed does not multiply co-op contribution. |
| XP | Experience awarded from walking and other activities. XP bonuses and walking XP limits can change the amount earned, so it does not always match the step total. |
Sync before starting an expedition, then start it before your walk. Steps already credited before the run do not carry into the new run. For example, having 5,000 steps today does not start a new expedition with 5,000 progress. In co-op, wait for the party's starting countdown to finish.
Syncing the same steps again does not award them twice. Manually added steps do not count toward game progress.
While the app is closed
Your phone or watch can record steps while SideQuest is closed. Background updates depend on your permissions and the phone's scheduling, so game progress may update later than the health app.
On Android, open SideQuest's Settings and enable Background Step Sync if the option is available. If it says Physical Activity permission required., allow that permission in your phone's settings first.
Open SideQuest and sync before checking an expedition reward or a quest deadline. There is no fixed background refresh time to wait for.
Offline and missed days
Your device may keep recording steps without internet. Reconnect, let your health app finish syncing, then open SideQuest and refresh Home. Live party updates need a connection.
When you return, SideQuest checks available step history for unprocessed progress from missed days. How far back it can catch up depends on your step source, its permissions, and the data still available on your phone. Sync regularly and before quest deadlines. Do not rely on a later sync to restore an expired quest.
Missing or delayed steps
| What you see | What to check |
|---|---|
| No steps in the health app | Check that your phone or watch is recording steps. If you use a watch, sync it with its companion app first. |
| Health has steps, but SideQuest shows zero | Check SideQuest's read access to Steps. On Android, also check Physical activity permission and whether your health app has written its steps to Health Connect. Return to Home and sync again. |
| Watch steps are missing | Check Apple Health or Health Connect on the phone. Steps visible only on the watch or in its companion app have not necessarily reached the step data SideQuest can read. |
| The game shows fewer steps than another app | Compare the same day and let the health app finish syncing. Manually added steps are excluded from game progress. Phone and watch totals are not simply added together. |
| Daily steps changed, but expedition progress is different | Check when the expedition started and whether a speed bonus applies. Co-op contribution and solo expedition progress follow different rules. |
| Progress updates only after opening SideQuest | Check step permissions and, on Android, Background Step Sync if available. Background delivery can be delayed by the phone. Open Home and sync to check the latest progress. |
| Steps today dropped after midnight | The daily counter has moved to the new local day. Compare it with today's total in your health app, rather than yesterday's total. |
Still need help?
Contact support@playsidequest.com or the official SideQuest Discord. Include your in-game username, app version, phone model and system version, the affected date, and what happened when you refreshed. Screenshots of the same day's health total and SideQuest total help show the difference.