Getting Started with Pedometer

This guide will walk you through integrating the Capacitor Pedometer plugin into your application.

Installation

Install the plugin using npm:

npm install @capgo/capacitor-pedometer
npx cap sync

iOS Configuration

Add motion usage description to your Info.plist:

<key>NSMotionUsageDescription</key>
<string>We need access to your motion data to track steps and activity</string>

Android Configuration

The plugin automatically adds the ACTIVITY_RECOGNITION permission. For Android 10+ (API 29), you need to request this permission at runtime.

Basic Usage

Import the Plugin

import { CapacitorPedometer } from '@capgo/capacitor-pedometer';

Check Availability

const checkPedometer = async () => {
  const result = await CapacitorPedometer.isAvailable();
  console.log('Step counting available:', result.stepCounting);
  console.log('Distance available:', result.distance);
  console.log('Floor counting available:', result.floorCounting);
  console.log('Pace available:', result.pace);
  console.log('Cadence available:', result.cadence);
};

Request Permissions

const requestPermission = async () => {
  const permission = await CapacitorPedometer.requestPermissions();
  console.log('Permission status:', permission.activityRecognition);
};

Get Current Measurements

const getMeasurements = async () => {
  const measurements = await CapacitorPedometer.getMeasurement({
    startDate: new Date(Date.now() - 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000), // 24 hours ago
    endDate: new Date()
  });

  console.log('Steps:', measurements.numberOfSteps);
  console.log('Distance:', measurements.distance, 'meters');
  console.log('Floors ascended:', measurements.floorsAscended);
  console.log('Floors descended:', measurements.floorsDescended);
};

Start Real-time Updates

// Add listener for real-time updates
CapacitorPedometer.addListener('measurement', (data) => {
  console.log('Steps:', data.numberOfSteps);
  console.log('Distance:', data.distance);
  console.log('Pace:', data.currentPace);
  console.log('Cadence:', data.currentCadence);
});

// Start receiving updates
await CapacitorPedometer.startMeasurementUpdates();

Stop Updates

await CapacitorPedometer.stopMeasurementUpdates();
CapacitorPedometer.removeAllListeners();

Complete Example

import { CapacitorPedometer } from '@capgo/capacitor-pedometer';

class PedometerService {
  private listener: any;

  async initialize() {
    // Check availability
    const available = await CapacitorPedometer.isAvailable();
    if (!available.stepCounting) {
      console.error('Step counting not available');
      return false;
    }

    // Request permissions
    const permission = await CapacitorPedometer.requestPermissions();
    if (permission.activityRecognition !== 'granted') {
      console.error('Permission denied');
      return false;
    }

    return true;
  }

  async startTracking() {
    // Add listener
    this.listener = CapacitorPedometer.addListener('measurement', (data) => {
      this.onMeasurement(data);
    });

    // Start updates
    await CapacitorPedometer.startMeasurementUpdates();
    console.log('Pedometer tracking started');
  }

  async stopTracking() {
    await CapacitorPedometer.stopMeasurementUpdates();
    if (this.listener) {
      this.listener.remove();
    }
    console.log('Pedometer tracking stopped');
  }

  onMeasurement(data: any) {
    console.log('Steps today:', data.numberOfSteps);
    console.log('Distance:', (data.distance / 1000).toFixed(2), 'km');
  }

  async getTodaySteps() {
    const today = new Date();
    today.setHours(0, 0, 0, 0);

    const measurements = await CapacitorPedometer.getMeasurement({
      startDate: today,
      endDate: new Date()
    });

    return measurements.numberOfSteps;
  }
}

// Usage
const pedometer = new PedometerService();
await pedometer.initialize();
await pedometer.startTracking();

Best Practices

1. Check Availability: Always verify pedometer features before use
2. Request Permissions: Handle permission requests gracefully
3. Battery Optimization: Stop updates when not needed
4. Error Handling: Wrap calls in try-catch blocks
5. Background Updates: Configure background modes for continuous tracking

Common Issues

Permission Denied

const handlePermissionDenied = async () => {
  const permission = await CapacitorPedometer.checkPermissions();

  if (permission.activityRecognition === 'denied') {
    alert('Motion tracking permission is required. Please enable it in Settings.');
  }
};

Not Available on Device

const checkSupport = async () => {
  const available = await CapacitorPedometer.isAvailable();

  if (!available.stepCounting) {
    alert('Step counting is not available on this device');
    return false;
  }

  return true;
};

Next Steps

• Explore the API Reference for complete documentation
• Check out the example app
• See the tutorial for advanced implementation