Not every Cadoo game is a camera workout. In a step game, you bet on hitting a daily step goal with friends, and you win by staying on your feet. There's nothing to film and no reps to count — Cadoo simply reads the steps your phone already tracks. Here's exactly where those steps come from and how they count.
Where your steps come from
Cadoo doesn't run its own pedometer. It reads the step total your phone is already keeping, from your device's built-in health app:
- iPhone — Apple Health.
- Android — Google Health Connect (shown in the app as Google Fit).
You connect once, grant permission to read your steps, and from then on Cadoo can see your daily totals. Because the count comes from the same health app that powers your phone's own step tracking, it's steps you're already taking — no extra app running in the background, no separate tracker to charge.
How your steps sync and count
When you open Cadoo, it reads your recent daily step totals from your health app and adds them toward your goal. Each day is counted once and only once, so there's no double-counting and no way to pad a day by re-syncing. Your progress simply reflects the steps your phone recorded.
If your steps look behind, it's almost always a sync or permission thing — open the app, make sure Cadoo still has permission to read steps, and give it a moment to pull the latest day.
How step games work
A step game sets a daily target — say, a certain number of steps each day — across the length of the challenge. Hit your target on enough days and you win your share of the pot. Because everyone's steps are read from their own phone's health app, every player is measured the same honest way.
Steps vs camera activities
Cadoo has two kinds of games. Step games run quietly in the background off your phone's health data — great for staying active all day, hands-free. Camera activities like pushups, squats, situps, pullups and dips are recorded and verified by your camera and AI pose tracking. One difference worth knowing: because a step game has no video, it doesn't produce a shareable highlight clip — those come from camera workouts.
Tips for smooth step games
- Connect your health app — Apple Health (iPhone) or Google Health Connect (Android) — before the game starts.
- Grant Cadoo permission to read your steps, and keep it granted.
- Keep your phone on you during the day so your steps get recorded.
- Open Cadoo daily so your latest steps sync toward your goal.
That's it — walk your day, and Cadoo counts it. Prefer a challenge you can crush in a few minutes? Try a camera activity like pushups, squats, situps, pullups, dips, or a plank hold.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Cadoo get my steps?
From your phone's own health app — Apple Health on iPhone, Google Health Connect on Android. Connect once and grant permission to read steps.
Does Cadoo support Fitbit, Garmin or a smartwatch for steps?
Step games currently read from your phone's health app (Apple Health or Google Health Connect), not separate wearables.
Why are my steps behind?
Open Cadoo so it can sync your latest daily total, and make sure it still has permission to read your steps.
