Help & support

Ring vs watch:
why don't my numbers match?

Seeing different steps or calories on your Quantum Ring than on a smart watch or another health app is very common. Here's why it happens and how to get the most accurate readings from your ring.

Part 1

Step counts

It's normal to see a noticeable difference in steps and calories between a smart ring and a wrist-based device like a watch.

Because a ring is worn on your finger, it's highly sensitive to hand movement. That can push the count in either direction:

Ring counts more

"Ghost steps"

Everyday hand movements like typing, washing dishes or gesturing while you talk can register as steps.

Ring counts fewer

Hands held still

If your hand is resting on a shopping cart or stroller, the ring can miss steps that a watch picks up.

Neither device is "wrong". They're measuring movement at different points on your body, so a small gap is expected.

Part 2

Calories

If the calories in another app are higher or lower than what your ring shows, there are two likely causes.

1. Active Calories vs BMR

The Quantum Ring app tracks Active Calories only, meaning the calories you burn through deliberate physical movement. Many other health apps add your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) on top. That's the energy your body burns just staying alive, and it makes their total higher.

2. Your profile details

The ring uses your personal details to calculate calorie burn and estimate your stride length, so inaccurate details will skew the numbers. There's no manual reboot or calibration button. An accurate profile is the best way to calibrate your ring.

To check yours in the app:

  1. Open the app and go to the Home screen
  2. Tap the menu icon in the top left
  3. Tap Profile
  4. Check that your height, weight, age and gender are accurate

Part 3

See your total daily calories

If you'd like to see Active Calories plus BMR in one place, sync the app with Apple Health (iPhone) or Google Fit (Android). The app feeds your active movement data into those apps, and they combine it with your resting metabolism to give you a Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) figure.

They can also pull in data from smart scales (weight, BMI, body fat and muscle), so you get a fuller picture of your health alongside your activity.

To turn on sync:

  1. Tap Me in the bottom right
  2. Tap Settings
  3. Look for Health Connect or Third-Party Apps and enable the sync
  4. Follow the permission prompts to authorise the connection
💡

More on the way: we're continuing to improve the app and plan to add more functionality like this in future.

Part 4

Check your activity breakdown

To see exactly what your ring recorded, open your activity history:

  1. On the Home screen, tap the Sport Record card
  2. Select an activity to see its full breakdown
App Sport Record screen showing an activity breakdown

Still seeing a big difference?

We'll take a look

Email us the other device or app you're comparing against, plus a rough idea of the difference you're seeing, and we'll look into it.

Email support