Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about Walk The Distance
Getting Started
How does Walk The Distance work?
Walk The Distance tracks your daily steps from your phone or fitness tracker and converts them into progress on real hiking trails. Every step you take in your daily life moves you forward on trails like the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and more.
Is the app free?
Yes! The basic app is free to download and use. You can track your steps on multiple trails, join public leaderboards, and connect with the community at no cost. We offer optional premium features for enhanced experiences.
What trails are available?
We offer many iconic trails including the Appalachian Trail (~2,200 miles), Pacific Crest Trail (~2,650 miles), Continental Divide Trail (~3,100 miles), Camino de Santiago, and more. We're always adding new trails based on user requests!
Can I track multiple trails at once?
Just like in real life, you can only be on one trail at a time! However, if you're part of a group goal or company challenge, you and your group members can all contribute your steps toward a shared group avatar's progress on the trail.
Fitness Trackers & Syncing
What fitness trackers are supported?
We support Apple Health (iPhone), Samsung Health (Android), Fitbit, and Garmin Connect. The app automatically syncs your steps from these platforms.
How do I connect my Fitbit or Garmin?
Go to Settings in the app, tap on 'Connected Apps', and select Fitbit or Garmin. You'll be prompted to log in to your account and authorize the connection. Once connected, your steps will sync automatically.
How accurate is the step tracking?
Step accuracy depends on your tracking source (ex: Apple Health, Samsung Health, Fitbit, Garmin). We recommend using whichever method you find most reliable for your daily activity.
What about battery life?
The app uses very little battery while running in the background. For Apple Health users, syncing is only done every 10 minutes unless the app is in the foreground, so battery impact is minimal.
Groups & Challenges
How do groups work?
You can create or join a group to walk with friends, family, coworkers, or your community. Group members can see each other's progress on a shared leaderboard and chat within the app.
What are group goals?
Group goals allow you and your group members to combine your steps toward a shared group avatar on the trail. Everyone's daily steps contribute to moving the group avatar forward, making it a collaborative effort to complete the trail together!
Can my company use this for wellness challenges?
Absolutely! We offer corporate wellness solutions with features like private groups, admin dashboards, and detailed progress reports. Contact us at john@walkthedistanceapp.com to learn more.
Features
Can I see other users on the trail?
Yes! On public trails, you can see other walkers' positions on the map. You can choose to make your profile private if you prefer not to appear on public leaderboards.
Does the app have virtual reality videos?
Walk The Distance doesn't have virtual reality videos — it shows your progress over time on a map of iconic trails like the Appalachian Trail. The focus is on tracking your real-world walking and seeing how far you've come!
How do I request a new trail?
We love trail suggestions! Email us at john@walkthedistanceapp.com with your request, and we'll consider adding it to our collection.
Troubleshooting
Why isn't my walking being recorded?
First, make sure a walk is selected by choosing one from the walks list. Otherwise, please verify that Walk The Distance has permission to read from your input source app (Apple Health, Samsung Health, etc.). Also check that the input source app has miles being tracked.
Why isn't my walking being recorded accurately?
Walk the Distance just reads from the fitness tracker app you choose. Make sure the miles being tracked are being recorded in the input source app.
How do I manually add miles?
Walk The Distance reads from your health app. To add missing miles, manually add data in your health app (e.g., Apple Health: Browse → Activity → Walking + Running Distance → Add Data). The app syncs the current day's data.
Privacy
Is my data private?
Yes, we take privacy seriously. You control what information is visible to others. You can set your profile to private at any time. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Still have questions?
We're here to help! Reach out and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Contact Us