If you’re an Oura Ring user, get ready for a major upgrade in how your daily movement and workouts are tracked. A new global update is rolling out across the platform, and it brings some powerful changes under the hood—thanks to smarter algorithms designed to provide a clearer (and sometimes more humbling) view of your activity.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s new—and why it matters.
Meet Real Steps: Greater Precision, Less False Positives
The most significant difference? The most significant difference is a new algorithm for counting steps called Real Steps. Instead of just sensing general movement, Oura now applies a sophisticated machine learning algorithm that identifies real steps, excluding motions that don’t count, such as fidgeting or adjusting in your seat.
What does this do to your step count? It may decrease by as much as 20%. As Oura describes, past counts may have included motions that weren’t technically steps. So if you’ve been congratulating yourself on 10,000 daily steps, you might be surprised to find the actual number is more like 8,000.
This may feel like a demotion at first, but it’s a step (sorry, we couldn’t resist) toward more authentic and valuable tracking.
Calorie Burn: Now Better in Sync with Your Effort
Oura has also redesigned the way it estimates active calorie burn. The new algorithm includes heart rate to more accurately represent workout intensity. That is:
- High-intensity exercise (such as running or HIIT) might now report a greater calorie burn than previously.
- Lower-intensity exercise (such as walking or yoga) could result in a lesser burn.
This change puts Oura’s calorie estimates more in line with physiological fact, and it provides you with a better indication of the work you’re doing.
Complete 24/7 Activity Tracking: Your Midnight Moves Included Now
The update extends activity tracking to cover activity from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. as well. So whether you’re dancing the night away, working the night shift, or strolling in the moonlight, Oura will now count those activities as part of your daily totals.
It’s all part of the platform’s wider shift toward genuine around-the-clock tracking, making sure nothing gets missed.
Intelligent Workout Logging: Customize Your Past
Missed logging yesterday’s workout? No worries. Oura now allows you to add or modify activity logs up to seven days in the past. After updating, your Readiness and Activity Scores will automatically recalculate based on the new information, keeping your scores accurate.
New Metrics & Improved Integrations
There are also some upgrades for data enthusiasts:
- Run splits are now supported through Automatic Activity Detection, employing the GPS of your phone to dissect your runs and walks in detail.
- Oura now imports heart rate data when syncing activities from third-party apps such as Apple Health, Strava, and Android Health Connect, providing you with a fuller picture of your workouts.
What This Means for You
These updates are arriving for all Oura Ring users, regardless of what model you have. The changes may alter your day-by-day figures, but they’re intended to provide you with a more precise, trustworthy picture of your health and fitness.
Whether you’re preparing for a marathon or just attempting to keep moving, the enhanced tracking enables each step, each calorie, and every heartbeat to count more accurately than before.
So don’t worry if your numbers are a bit different. It’s not a bug—it’s progress.
