Frequently asked questions
Steps and syncing
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 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Because Android reports the same status whether Health Connect is missing or out of date, so the app cannot tell which.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, and so does opening Health Connect on Google Play yourself. 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 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.
Turning it off
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 stops working and nothing else in the app is affected.
Daily goals
What is a daily goal?
A target you set for yourself for one day — steps, distance or active calories. Each day starts again at zero. See daily goals.
Can I change my goal later?
Yes, as often as you like. You have one set of goals at a time, and a change applies from the moment you save it.
Is my daily goal the same as the challenge target?
No, and this catches people out. Your daily goal is yours alone. A challenge carries its own target, the same for everyone taking part, and that is the one the leaderboard counts. See daily goals.
Challenges
How do I join a challenge?
Go to ACTIVE, then Challenges, then the Join tab, open the challenge and tap Join Challenge. You need to be signed in. See challenges.
Why can I not see a challenge someone told me about?
Challenges are offered to particular groups, so one that is not in your list is almost always not open to you rather than missing.
Can I join a challenge that has already started?
No. Joining closes when the challenge starts, so that everyone taking part has covered the same period.
Can I create my own challenge?
No. Challenges are set up centrally rather than by individual users.
How is the leaderboard ranked?
By how many of a team's members hit the challenge's daily step target, averaged across the challenge — not by total steps. Your team is your jamatkhana. See leaderboards and results.
Who can see my steps?
Only people taking part in the same challenge as you, and only your name and your progress in that challenge. Activity outside a challenge is not shown to anyone. See your data.
When do challenge results appear?
The day after the challenge ends. Until then the app says results are on the way.
Do my steps count towards a challenge if my phone was not syncing?
Steps have to reach the app to count. If your phone stopped syncing near the end of a challenge, your figures may not match what you counted yourself. See something is wrong with a challenge.