Frequently asked questions
Does the app track me in the background?
No. The Ismaili app does not follow your location or run a tracker. It reads step counts your phone has already recorded, from Apple Health or Health Connect, and only while you are using the app. See your data.
Why does my Android phone show zero steps?
Almost always because nothing is writing steps into Health Connect. Health Connect stores health data but never records any itself, so it needs a source app such as Samsung Health, Fitbit or Google Fit. See my dashboard shows zero.
Why is my energy ring always zero?
If you have a Samsung phone, because Samsung Health does not write active calories into Health Connect at all. Your steps and distance still work. There is nothing to fix, though a Fitbit or a watch will fill the ring. See the energy ring stays at zero.
Why can I not see my past activity?
Source apps generally share data forwards from the moment you connect them rather than handing over your history, and Health Connect limits how far back apps may read. Your history builds from the day you connected. See my older activity is missing.
Does Active Living work without a watch?
Yes. On iPhone the phone itself counts your steps. On Android you need an app such as Samsung Health, Fitbit or Google Fit, but no watch is required — those apps count steps using your phone.
Why does it say I need to update Health Connect when I never installed it?
Because Android reports the same status whether Health Connect is missing or out of date, so the app cannot tell which. Tapping through to the Play Store still works — it shows the correct Install or Update button. See it says I need to update Health Connect.
I tapped Do Not Allow on my iPhone. What now?
Open Health, tap your profile picture, then Apps and Services, then The Ismaili, and turn on Steps, Distance and Active Energy. The app could not tell you had refused — Apple hides that from apps — which is why you saw zeros rather than an error. See my dashboard shows zero.
Does it work on iPad?
No. iPads have no Apple Health, so there is no activity data to read. Active Living works on iPhone. See unsupported devices.
Why do my steps differ from my watch?
Different devices count differently, and if your phone and watch both record, the totals will rarely match exactly. Health Connect and Apple Health merge multiple sources, which can also shift the number slightly as data arrives.
How often does it sync?
Your steps travel from your phone or watch, to your step app, to Health Connect or Apple Health, and then to The Ismaili app. Each hop happens periodically rather than instantly, so a delay of minutes is normal. Pull down on the dashboard to refresh. If it is hours behind, see my steps stopped updating.
Can I use more than one step source?
Yes. Health Connect and Apple Health both merge multiple sources and show a single combined figure, so your steps will not be double counted.
How do I turn it off?
On iPhone: Health → profile picture → Apps and Services → The Ismaili, and turn the switches off.
On Android: Health Connect → App permissions → The Ismaili, and turn the permissions off.
Active Living stops working and nothing else in the app is affected.
Do my steps count towards a challenge if my phone was not syncing?
Only steps that reached the app during the challenge period count. If your phone stopped syncing before a challenge ended, those steps may not have arrived in time. See something is wrong with a challenge.