Why We Can't Show "First to Finish" in Step Competitions
Step challenges work a little differently from activity tracking. When we receive step data from participants’ devices, it only includes the total number of steps per calendar day. There is no time-of-day information attached. In other words, we know how many steps someone took on a given date, but not when during the day those steps happened.
This isn’t a limitation of our platform. It’s a privacy safeguard and also a practical reality: many devices don’t record or send time-of-day step data at all. Using daily totals ensures consistency for everyone, regardless of which device they use
Please note that for tracked activities (e.g., runs, rides, swims, etc.), we do capture time-of-day information. However, for privacy reasons, we do not display the time of day to other users. Typically, we use this information when filtering results (e.g., allow only activities during specific times of the day).
Why "First to Finish" Is Not Possible
Because of how step data is collected and synced, we can’t determine who hit a goal first in real time. Here’s why:
- No real-time syncing: Devices send step updates at different times and cadences that no one can completely control.
- Steps are grouped by date: We record steps against the day they happened, not the exact moment.
- Syncing differences matter: A participant who syncs sooner may appear to reach a goal first, even if another person actually did earlier.
For these reasons, step challenge results show daily totals only and cannot reliably be used to declare who crossed the finish line first.