Best Apps For Walking

Are you a walker? Do you get out and explore your town with the help of your own two feet? If so, you know how nice it is to have a few tools on hand to make your walks more convenient, safe, and pleasant. Take a look at our list of the best apps for walkers below!

Best Apps For Walking

Best Overall: Map My Walk

Map My Walk

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Why We Chose It: MapMyWalk is one of the most comprehensive free apps online. With features like audio feedback, labeled routes, easy-to-see maps, metrics tracking, and data analysis, this app is one you should try. Pros

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  • Walking route marked in red for easy viewing
  • Audio feedback as you walk
  • Easy-to-read charts and graphs
  • Support community and connect with friends
  • Create and save custom routes

Cons

  • Need to upgrade for access to premium features
  • Advertisements may be annoying
  • Can freeze while in use

MapMyWalk is part of the MapMyFitness family of apps. It has stood the test of time and deserves first consideration for any fitness walker. These are some of its best features:

  • When you start a workout, you can see a map of the area. As you walk, the route you have taken is marked in red. The map allows you to explore. By seeing the path you’ve taken you’re able to find your way back to where you started.
  • As you walk, you can see the elapsed time, distance, pace, speed, elevation, and calories burned. Your speed is determined by GPS.
  • You can get audio feedback as you walk. The app can announce your distance, pace, calories burned, and other data every mile, half-mile, or another interval.
  • When you finish, you can upload and save your workout data and view it both on the app and on the MapMyWalk website.
  • See your mile-by-mile splits to analyze your performance.
  • You can also load a saved route to use again, or select routes that other MapMyWalk users have done in your area.
  • Connect with other apps and wearables such as Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, and MyFitnessPal. You can view your daily steps as recorded by these devices or by your mobile phone.
  • You aren’t limited to walking. You can track over 600 different activities.

MapMyWalk is available for iOS or Android. An MVP premium membership allows an ad-free experience and unlocks even more features, such as interval training, live tracking, mobile coaching, training plans, heart rate analysis, and unlimited printed maps.

Best for Hiking: Walkmeter Walking & Hiking GPS by Abvio

Walkmeter

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Why We Chose It: Walkmeter stands out for its ability to track basic workouts like walking and running, as well as complex activities like hiking and kayaking. Pros

  • Great for improving speed and distance
  • Ability to view time, distance, speed, and pace while walking
  • Records metrics for kayaking, cycling, hiking, walking, and more

Cons

  • Premium features require a subscription
  • GPS can be spotty if phone is not in the right place

The Walkmeter app has features that are excellent for fitness walkers who want to improve their speed and distance. It has features you used to have to get a fancy running watch and training coach to enjoy, such as splits, intervals, zones, and more.

It uses your phone’s GPS to measure the distance of your walks and hikes. It includes audio and voice integration so you can not only be alerted as to your workout stats, but you can also listen to replies your friends send about your workout posts from Facebook and Twitter while you walk. You can start and stop a workout with your earphone remote or use Siri voice commands.

It maps your walk and you can view time, speed, distance and pace as you walk. It has many free training features. You can race against yourself or others on previous workout routes, getting updates on whether you are ahead or behind. They have training plans for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon or you can design your own and synchronize it with your iPhone calendar. You can set up repeating intervals and tempo workouts and analyze your performance afterward.

This app is available for iOS, Android, and Apple Watch. It will not only do the basics but also can help you train for distance walking events such as the 5K, 10K, half-marathon, or marathon.

Upgrading from free to Elite is less than $10 per year, far less than with some other apps, such as Endomondo. Upgrade features include tracking your daily steps, cadence coaching, treadmill support (distance and pace using your steps) and using the Apple Watch app.

Best for Tracking Calories: Argus by Azumio

Azumio

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Why We Chose It: Argus by Azumio combines the best walking app features with an excellent calorie tracking tool. Pros

  • Measures heart rate, time, and distance
  • Food diary and barcode capability
  • Hourly graph tracks active time, distance, and steps

Cons

  • Does not work as well on Android
  • Accuracy is spotty
  • Premium upgrade is more expensive than other apps

Argus packs a lot into one lifestyle app. It functions as an all-day pedometer app using the motion sensor in your phone. But you can also track workouts with GPS.

  • The workout tracker displays your time, distance, and the map of your route. 
  • When you finish, see your workout calories, steps, elevation gain, best pace, average pace, average cadence, graphs, and map.
  • Your daily step count updates from your phone’s motion sensor data and includes active time, distance, calories, steps, and an hourly graph.
  • Measure your heart rate at any time using their integrated heart rate app (simply place your index finger on your cell phone camera lens). You can easily take your heart rate during exercise and at rest.
  • You can link to a heart rate sensor band.
  • Track your water intake with a tap.
  • You can use the app’s food diary (which includes a barcode scanner) and sleep timer.
  • Premium subscribers get a wide range of fitness and diet plans.

Argus is easy to use and it has an interface that encourages you to interact with it and track many items for health and fitness. It’s available for both iOS and Android.

Best for Motivation: Fitbit App MobileTracker

Fitbit

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Why We Chose It: Community support and challenges with friends made the Fitbit App a shoe-in for our list.Pros

  • Does not require a Fitbit watch to use
  • Tracks daily steps and distance based on stride length
  • Tracks heart rate
  • Participate in challenges and virtual races with friends

Cons

  • Some of the essential features cost extra
  • Does work better with a Fitbit device

Did you know that you don’t need a Fitbit device to use the Fitbit app? The free app can be used to track your steps using the motion sensor on your phone (unless you have a very old phone). This is good news if your Fitbit died or if you aren’t ready to buy one.

You can download the free Fitbit app for your operating system. Then when you set up the app, it will ask which tracker you are setting up. Choose “No Fitbit Yet” and it will set up the MobileTracker. Now it will track your all-day activity sensed by your phone’s built-in accelerometer. You’ll get a step count and hourly graphs.

Whether you have a Fitbit tracker or not, you can track speed and distance using the Track Exercise function. From the home screen, tap the + icon and select Walk, Run, or Hike.

  • When you start a workout, you will see the elapsed time and your average pace.
  • Swipe to see a map of the route you have taken.
  • You can get voice cues and updates at selected times.
  • When you finish and save your workout, you can review it by tapping on the Exercise tile on the home screen.
  • You can review your route on a map, distance, time, pace, mile split times, calories burned, and steps for each workout.

The Fitbit app also includes virtual adventure races and challenges with friends. If you have friends with Fitbits, you don’t have to be left out of the fun. The Fitbit app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows phones.

Best for a Cause: Charity Miles

Charity Miles

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Why We Chose It: Charity Miles gives users a platform to donate money to a favorite charity and get healthy, at the same time. Pros

  • Company donates money on your behalf to charities
  • Tracks several activities such as walking, running, dancing, and biking
  • Walking earns money towards your favorite charity

Cons

  • Not ideal for fitness tracking
  • Limited features compared to other apps
  • Interface is on the lower end of apps

Charity Miles gives your walking a purpose (and your running and biking, too). Open up this free app (iOS or Google Play) and choose a charity. Start a workout, choosing walking, running, or cycling. For each completed mile, you’ll have earned a donation for your chosen charity. The basic rate is 25 cents for walking and running miles and 10 cents for cycling miles, subject to a periodic cap.

Along the way, you can view your exercise time and miles. When done, you must post to Facebook or Twitter in order to accept sponsorship and earn money for your charity. You can also form teams and work together to raise money for charities.

The fitness tracking is minimal, but you can use it at the same time as other apps and put your miles to good use. For every mile you complete, you will earn a donation for your chosen charity.

Best for Treadmills: Virtual Walk – Walk the Distance

Virtual Walk

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Why We Chose It: The Virtual Walk – Walk the Distance app takes monotonous treadmill workouts and turns them into a scenic walk through the mountains, a popular tourist attraction, and national parks.Pros

  • Tracks steps using GPS or treadmill speed
  • Virtually walk national parks, Appalachian Trail, Central Park, and Boston Marathon route
  • Additional walks available for a fee

Cons

  • Not as many activity tracking abilities as other apps 
  • Limited routes to walk 
  • Not able to customize

Virtual Walk is a motivating app that you can use to spice up your everyday walk indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Your distance is plotted on a virtual walk through a scenic or historic place. These include the Appalachian Trail, the monuments in Washington DC, the Grand Canyon, the Pyramids of Giza, and more.

At checkpoints along the way, you can view photos and information about the sights on your virtual walk. Some routes are available for free and others are for purchase. At the end of your walk, you receive a medal. The Virtual Walk Treadmill or GPS versions get better ratings than the Street View versions.

As you walk, view photos and information about your scenic or historic virtual destination. Use this app on iOS or Android devices.

free walking apps for android

11 free walking apps

If you’ve got an iPhone or an Android-based smartphone and enjoy walking, downloading a relevant app could help you get the most from your outings. Each of our selection has a different feature to enhance your walks, from social functions that involve your friends to maps that encourage exploration. 

We’ve listed eleven free walking apps to get you started. 

1. MapMyWalk GPS for iPhone, Android or Windows

MapMyWalk allows you to see the time spent walking, distance, pace, speed, elevation, and calories burned. When you finish, MapMyWalk allows you to upload and save your workout data and view it both on the app and on the MapMyWalk website.  If you can persuade friends to get involved, MapMyWalk’s social feature lets you share routes and encouraging words. You can also load a saved route to use again, or select routes that other MapMyWalk users have done in your area. You can connect with other wearables and apps such as Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, and MyFitnessPal, if you use them.

  • Download for iPhone
  • Download for Android

2. Fitbit App Mobile Tracker (No Fitbit Required)

You don’t need to own a Fitbit to use the Fitbit app. The Fitbit app can be used to track your walking workouts with GPS as well as your daily steps using the motion sensor on your phone. After downloading the application, and being prompted to select which tracker you are setting up, choose “no Fitbit yet” and it will set up the Mobile Tracker. Following each workout, you can review your route, distance, time, pace, mile split times, calories burned, and steps. You can also challenge your friends with virtual adventure races, if you feel like a bit of friendly competition.

  • Download for iPhone
  • Download for Windows
  • Download for Android

3. Walkmeter GPS, available for iPhone and Android

Walkmeter has plenty of fun features to try. You can view your walks on a calendar or by route. It links with Google Maps so you can see terrain maps, and it even automatically records the weather. Walkers can transfer maps into the app directly from an email or your web browser, while Race Compete mode lets you compare your own times and speeds along a frequently trodden route. The app includes maps, graphs, training plans, heart rate zones and interval splits, and can be paired with an Apple Watch for a more personalised workout.

  • Download for iPhone
  • Download for Android

4. Footpath Route Planner for iPhone

Footpath allows you to easily map out routes. Simply trace a route with your finger, and Footpath will show all trails and roads that will allow you to complete your walk. It can measure the distance you’ll need to travel and the height you’ll be climbing. It allows you to save and share routes for a later walk, and can work offline too. 

  • Download for iPhone

5. Go Jauntly for iPhone and Android

Go Jauntly is a walking app that helps people discover over 700 walking routes throughout the UK. They have teamed up Transport for London to encourage city-dwellers to get walking. Information such as walking times to the nearest Tube station, Overground stations and Santander Cycles docking stations is available as well as directions for local walks and station accessibility. But it’s not just London-based: there are walks around the UK. As well as discovering existing routes, users can create their own, add their own photos, and share their creations with others.

  • Download for iPhone
  • Download for Android

6. AlpineQuest Off-Road Explorer, for Android

Another navigation app that’s great for exploring off the beaten track, the free (lite) version comes with online maps. If you want to access online maps for offline use, there is also a premium paid-for version of the maps. A useful feature is that you can create multi-layered maps, for example with an aerial photo layered on top of the terrain map. It includes a compass and map orientation function.

  • Download for Android

7. Nike Run Club for iPhone or Android

Don’t let the name deceive you: this app can be used for walking too. Alongside standard route, time and speed tracking, helpful feature Auto-Pause freezes data collection when you stop moving, so there’s no need to worry about having a sit-down if you need it.

  • Download for iPhone
  • Download for Android

 

8. OutDoors GPS for iPhone or iPad

Access the full range of Ordnance Survey maps (although be aware that most are priced individually), or use Open Street Map or Google Maps for free. All maps can be stored in your phone – perfect for internet-free rural rambles. You can use the Route Builder function to plan a suitable walk, or import routes for online.

  • Download for iPhone or iPad

9. ViewRanger, for Android

Turn your phone or tablet into a GPS unit with this app. You can access free Open Street Maps, or you pay to download Ordnance Survey maps – either as individual maps, or for the whole of the UK. Maps for other countries are available, too.

Use it to record routes as you go, and save waypoints. It will display location, altitude, and grid reference. You can plan routes on its website beforehand using a computer (easier with a larger screen) and then access them on your phone. There’s also a BuddyBeacon function which allows you to share your position with others using the app, or see where they are. You can import and export routes too, if you want to share them with others. can 

  • Download for Android

10. World Walking, available for iPhone and Android

Devised by cardiac rehabilitation instructor Duncan Galbraith the World Walking app is a constant pedometer, recording the number of steps you take each day. Users pick legendary global routes, such as Route 66 in the United States or Peru’s Machu Picchu Inca Trail, and try to take enough steps to complete it. The app encourages social interaction too and lets walkers form virtual clubs, working together to meet distance targets.

  • Download World Walking for iPhone
  • Download World Walking for Android

11. Strava, for iPhone and Android

Strava can be used to track more activities than you can shake a stick at, from cycling through to windsurfing, and of course, walking. With the help of GPS it can measure distance, time, elevation gain, calories and route. It’s even possible to track your heart rate if you sync the app up with your heart rate monitor.

Not only can you create and share your own walking routes with friends, you can look at heatmaps to see popular routes in your local area. The app also acts as a social network, allowing you to connect with friends and family to share details and photos of your activities.

Conclusion

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