It’s here. StepGoals — a free iPhone step tracking and pedometer app — is officially available on the App Store, and I am incredibly grateful for everyone who has downloaded it and given it a try.
This walking app was made with a lot of care by someone who genuinely loves to walk. Walking has always been my way of clearing my head, staying grounded, and feeling good — and the science backs that up: a 2014 study by Oppezzo and Schwartz at Stanford, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that walking consistently boosts creative output by an average of 81% compared to sitting. I wanted to build an iPhone step counter that made that simple habit feel a little more rewarding. No complicated workout plans, no pressure. Just you, your daily steps, and a little encouragement along the way.
If you’ve already opened the app, thank you. Truly. It means a lot.
What’s Coming in Version 1.1
I submitted version 1.1 for review almost immediately after launch, because there was already so much more I wanted to share. Here’s a look at what shipped.
Update: All features below shipped in v1.1. StepGoals has since continued to grow — the app is now on v1.4.0 with a full journal, accessibility improvements, and more.
| Area | What shipped in v1.1 |
|---|---|
| Design | iOS 26 Liquid Glass styling, polished app load screen, improved popups, better landscape support |
| Motivation Box | Taller, animated on target hits, time-of-day awareness, streak & protection-aware messaging |
| Insights | 24-hour performance chart, consolidated metrics, gradient bar chart cards, Top 10 step days (Pro) |
| Awards | Core + Quests tabs, Streak Awards, geographic Quest Awards, exclusive Pro awards, bigger badges |
| Performance | Background award caching, code optimizations, bug fixes |
Design & Interface
StepGoals 1.1 is built for iOS 26 with the new Liquid Glass design language, a polished app load screen, and refined styling throughout — including better popups and improved landscape support.
A Smarter Motivation Box
The gold box on your main screen just got a serious upgrade. It’s taller, animated when you hit a target, and now understands the time of day, your current streak status, and how many streak protections you have left — so the message you see always feels relevant to the moment. Learn how the Motivation Box works in detail.
Richer Insights
A new 24-hour performance chart shows how your day is unfolding step by step. Metrics are more consolidated and easier to scan, bar charts live inside styled cards with gradients, and Pro users can now see their top 10 step days of all time.
More Awards, Two Tabs
Awards have grown into something I’m really proud of. There are now two tabs — Core for the fundamentals, and Quests for the more adventurous achievements. New Streak Awards track your perfect weeks, months, and milestone streaks. Quest Awards cover geographic landmarks from around the world and some quirky surprises. And for Pro users, there’s a set of exclusive awards worth chasing. Badges are bigger, loading is faster, and there’s a lot more to discover.
Performance
Background caching for awards, code optimizations, and various bug fixes keep everything running smoothly as the app grows.
Thank You
Building StepGoals has been a genuine labor of love. Every decision — from how the motivation box speaks to you, to which awards feel worth earning — was made by someone who just really loves walking and wanted to build something worthy of the habit.
If you enjoy the app, please consider leaving a review on the App Store. It helps more than you know. Here’s to many more steps ahead. 👟