Fitness trackers have become much more than step counters — they’re more like personal wellness assistants. From sleep tracking to heart rate monitoring and activity coaching, these devices help people stay accountable, optimize performance, and gain deeper insight into their health.
Whether it’s an Apple Watch reminding you to stand or a Whoop band flagging recovery metrics, wearable tech has woven itself into the fabric of modern fitness.
And with that integration comes expectation. Users build habits around their data. They plan workouts, adjust routines, and even define success by the numbers on their wrists or fingers. So when those numbers suddenly change, it doesn’t just throw off a step count. It can shake a user’s trust in the entire system.
That’s exactly what’s happening now with one popular device: the Oura Ring. A recent update to its activity tracking system, aimed at improving accuracy, has sparked widespread frustration. While the company says the change was made to better reflect real movement, users say their data has become unreliable — and their confidence in the ring is starting to waver.
Related: Oura Ring gets upgrade to take on Apple Watch, Samsung Ring
For a device that markets itself on precision and holistic health insights, that trust is everything. Oura has built a loyal community of users who track not only their steps and workouts, but also recovery, readiness, and sleep quality.
When those metrics feel off — or suddenly shift without explanation — it doesn’t just disrupt daily goals, it undercuts the credibility of the entire experience. And in a space where users have more choices than ever, even a small stumble can open the door for competitors.
New update angers Oura users
Customers are not happy with Oura’s changes.
Image source: Oura
Oura recently rolled out a broader update aimed at making its overall activity tracking more accurate. This wasn’t just about step counts, but a full recalibration of how the ring detects and categorizes movement. According to Oura, the goal was to better filter out non-intentional motion, giving users more meaningful activity insights.
But for many, the most noticeable result of this update has been a dramatic drop in step counts.
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On Reddit and other community forums, users are calling out the discrepancy. One user wrote, “I just walked 2.5 miles (the same route I always do) and it only registered 1.5 miles.” Others shared screenshots and comparisons showing a major gap between their Oura data and that from other devices like Fitbits, Garmins, and Apple Watches.
In response, Oura explained that the changes were intentional: “With the new algorithm,” the company stated, “you may notice your step count decrease as the updated logic more accurately filters out non-step movements.”
Still, for loyal users, the shift has been frustrating. And so far, Oura hasn’t provided a clear resolution or timeline for any additional refinements.
From this writer’s personal experience, the difference is hard to ignore. Since the update, my Oura Ring step data has consistently trailed behind my Apple Watch by several thousand steps a day:
Friday: Oura – 10,712 steps | Apple Watch – 13,662Saturday: Oura – 9,398 steps | Apple Watch – 11,950 stepsSunday: Oura – 9,588 steps | Apple Watch – 11,715 stepsMonday: Oura – 9,548 steps | Apple Watch – 12,427 steps
The pattern is obvious and consistent. And without more insight into how activity is now being tracked, many may find it difficult to trust the numbers. For many users, those numbers directly influence daily goals, training plans, and health habits.
What this means for Oura and the wearables market
This isn’t just a user annoyance — it seems like a brand moment. Oura has built its reputation on accuracy, reliability, and a clean user experience. But this update and the way it’s been communicated have chipped away at that trust. Even if the algorithm is technically “more accurate,” most users don’t have an obvious way to validate that.
In a competitive wearable market where Apple, Fitbit, Garmin, and newcomers like Ultrahuman are all fighting for attention, user trust is a currency. Oura doesn’t need to match others step for step, but it does need to explain changes clearly and offer transparency when data suddenly shifts.
If the company wants to stay ahead, it may need to do more than just tweak its algorithms — it might need to reengage with the community that helped it grow in the first place.
