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Health Data & Syncing

Goal Gauntlet automatically tracks your steps, distance, and calories by connecting to your phone's health app.

Connecting Your Health App​

iPhone (Apple Health)​

  1. Open Goal Gauntlet
  2. Go to Settings → Health Data
  3. Tap Connect Apple Health
  4. In the permissions screen, enable:
    • Steps
    • Walking + Running Distance
    • Active Energy Burned
  5. Tap Allow

Tip: Make sure your iPhone is tracking your activity. Go to iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Motion & Fitness → enable "Fitness Tracking".

Android (Health Connect)​

Android version requirements:

Android VersionHealth Connect
14+✅ Pre-installed in Settings
9 - 13⚠️ Install from Play Store
8 and below❌ Not supported

Setup:

  1. Open Goal Gauntlet
  2. Go to Settings → Health Data
  3. Tap Connect Health Connect
  4. Goal Gauntlet checks if Health Connect is available:
    • If not installed, you'll be prompted to install from Play Store
    • If it needs updating, you'll be directed to update it
  5. Allow Goal Gauntlet to read:
    • Steps
    • Distance
    • Total calories burned
  6. Tap Allow

Tip: Health Connect needs a fitness app to provide data. Make sure Google Fit, Samsung Health, or your fitness tracker app is connected to Health Connect.

How Syncing Works​

  • Automatic sync: Goal Gauntlet syncs every few hours in the background
  • Pull to refresh: On the home screen, pull down to sync immediately
  • Manual sync: Settings → Health Data → Sync Now

Sync Frequency Settings​

Go to Settings → Health Data → Sync Frequency:

  • Hourly - Best for active challenges
  • Every 6 hours - Balanced battery usage
  • Daily - Minimal battery impact

Supported Metrics​

MetricApple HealthHealth Connect
Steps✅✅
Distance✅✅
Calories✅✅
Sleep✅✅
Active Minutes✅✅

Sleep Tracking​

Goal Gauntlet can track your sleep data for wellness-focused challenges:

Apple Health:

  • Automatically reads sleep data from Apple Watch or sleep tracking apps
  • Tracks total sleep time and sleep stages

Health Connect:

  • Reads sleep sessions from connected apps (Google Fit, Samsung Health, sleep trackers)
  • Enable sleep permissions when connecting Health Connect

Troubleshooting​

Steps not showing up​

iPhone:

  1. Check Apple Health permissions: Settings → Privacy & Security → Health → Goal Gauntlet
  2. Verify Apple Health is recording: Open Health app → Browse → Activity → Steps
  3. Restart the Goal Gauntlet app
  4. Try manual sync: Settings → Health Data → Sync Now

Android:

  1. Check Health Connect permissions: Settings → Apps → Health Connect → App permissions
  2. Verify your fitness app (Google Fit, Samsung Health) is syncing to Health Connect
  3. Open Health Connect and check if step data exists
  4. Restart Goal Gauntlet and try manual sync

Data seems incorrect​

Steps undercounted:

  • Ensure your phone was with you (pocket, armband, etc.)
  • Check that your fitness tracker is syncing to your health app
  • Wait a few minutes and sync again - data may be delayed

Steps overcounted:

  • Check for duplicate data sources in your health app
  • Remove any fitness apps you no longer use from Health Connect

"Permission denied" error​

iPhone:

  1. Go to iPhone Settings → Privacy & Security → Health → Goal Gauntlet
  2. Enable all permissions
  3. If Goal Gauntlet isn't listed, reinstall the app

Android:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Goal Gauntlet → Permissions
  2. Ensure Health Connect permission is granted
  3. Open Health Connect app and verify Goal Gauntlet is connected
  4. If permissions appear granted but data won't sync, disconnect and reconnect in Goal Gauntlet Settings → Health Data (the app verifies permissions by testing a data read)

"Health Connect unavailable" or "needs update"​

Android:

  1. Check your Android version (Settings → About Phone) - you need Android 9 or higher
  2. On Android 9-13: Install Health Connect from the Play Store
  3. On Android 14+: Health Connect is built-in. If you see "needs update," open Play Store and update Health Connect
  4. After installing or updating, restart Goal Gauntlet and try connecting again

Sync stuck or not updating​

  1. Force close Goal Gauntlet
  2. Open your health app and verify data is there
  3. Reopen Goal Gauntlet
  4. Go to Settings → Health Data → Sync Now
  5. Wait 30 seconds for sync to complete

If issues persist, try:

  • Disconnect and reconnect your health app in Settings
  • Check for app updates
  • Restart your phone

Fitness Trackers & Wearables​

Goal Gauntlet works with any device that syncs to Apple Health or Health Connect, including Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Oura, Whoop, Amazfit, Xiaomi Mi Band, Withings, and more.

For complete setup instructions for your specific device, see our Device Connection Guide.

Quick Reference​

DeviceiPhoneAndroid
Apple Watch✅ AutomaticN/A
Fitbit⚠️ Bridge app needed✅ Native
Samsung WatchN/A✅ Via Samsung Health
Garmin✅ Via Garmin Connect⚠️ Bridge app needed
Oura / Whoop✅ Via device app✅ Via device app

Privacy & Data​

  • Goal Gauntlet only reads fitness data (we don't write to your health app)
  • Your health data is used solely for challenge tracking
  • We don't sell or share your health information
  • You can disconnect at any time in Settings → Health Data

Common Questions​

Q: Why is my step count different from my fitness app? A: Small differences are normal due to sync timing. Goal Gauntlet uses the data from your health platform, which may aggregate from multiple sources.

Q: Can I manually enter steps? A: No, to ensure fair competition, all data must come from your connected health app.

Q: Do I need to keep the app open? A: No, Goal Gauntlet syncs in the background. Just make sure background app refresh is enabled.

Q: What if I don't have a fitness tracker? A: Your phone tracks steps automatically! Just keep it in your pocket while walking.