The rollout of iOS 15 has brought with it a feature that iPhone users should check out — walking steadiness. The latest iPhone operating system takes the walking metrics already out in the Health app — walking asymmetry, double support time, step length and walking speed – to asses a person’s walking steadiness.

While iPhone users have been able to track the number of steps taken via the Health app for years now and the Fall Detection feature got added to the Apple Watch in 2018, Walking Steadiness takes all the data further to come up with a profile of how the user walks and recognise when their walking profile changes.

Walking Steadiness uses custom algorithms to assess your balance, stability, and coordination through the built-in motion sensors on your iPhone. As you walk with your iPhone, it tracks important mobility metrics, such as walking speed, step length, double support time, and walking asymmetry. These are then used to assess your walking steadiness and thus classification into ‘ok’, ‘low’ and ‘very low’.

With the iPhone in your pocket or anywhere near your waist, the Health app uses custom algorithms that assess your balance, strength, and gait. If your steadiness becomes low or stays low, you can receive a notification and you can automatically share the notification with someone close to you.

In case you are interested in setting up the feature, on your iPhone, open the Health app, then tap ‘Summary’. Next, scroll to ‘Walking Steadiness Notifications’, then tap ‘Set Up’. Follow the prompts to confirm your health details, learn about Walking Steadiness Levels, and turn on notifications. You are ready to move. And you have an iPhone 8 or later with iOS 15 to get the feature going.