FAQ

Stepline is a step tracking app that turns your daily walking into a virtual journey. Every step you take moves you forward on a real-world route of your choice — from your city to the next, or across an entire continent. Along the way you can compete in weekly duels with friends, walk together as a family group, and watch your activity heatmap grow over time.

Yes — Stepline has a free tier that covers all the core features: step tracking, virtual journeys, the activity heatmap, and family groups. A Pro subscription unlocks additional features like advanced statistics, longer journey history, and priority support. Early access users from the waitlist receive a free 3-month Pro trial at launch.

We're currently in development and plan to launch on iOS and Android later this year. Waitlist members will receive early access before the public release. Sign up below to be among the first to know.

Stepline will be available on iOS (iPhone) and Android at launch. It requires a device with a built-in accelerometer, which is standard on all modern smartphones. We are also exploring a companion web dashboard for later down the road.

You need a basic account to use duels and family groups, since these features connect you with other people. The account only requires an email address and a display name — no phone number, no social login required. Solo tracking and journeys work without an account.

Stepline uses your phone's built-in accelerometer to count steps. This is the same sensor your phone uses to detect rotation and motion. It works entirely on-device — no GPS, no internet connection required for basic tracking. The app runs in the background and counts steps passively throughout the day.

No — never. Stepline does not use GPS and does not track your location at any point. We made this a structural decision early in development: the app simply doesn't have access to location data, which means there is nothing to leak, sell, or misuse. Your steps are counted by your accelerometer, which only knows that you moved — not where.

Yes. The default goal is 7,000 steps per day, which is supported by research as a meaningful threshold for health benefits. You can change this to any number that makes sense for your lifestyle — whether that's 3,000 or 15,000. Stepline never penalises you for missing a day; your goal is there to guide you, not stress you out.

The heatmap is a monthly calendar view where each day is filled with a colour based on how active you were. Light green means you moved a little; deep green means you hit or exceeded your goal. It gives you a quick, satisfying visual of your movement over time — and a quiet motivation to keep streaks alive.

When you choose a virtual journey, your steps are converted into real-world kilometres and you progress along a route on a map. Walk 10,000 steps and you might cover 7–8 km along your chosen path. You can pick from a library of routes — city-to-city, coastal walks, mountain crossings — or suggest your own. Landmarks unlock as you pass through them.

A duel is a 7-day step competition between you and one other person. You each accumulate steps from Monday to Sunday, and whoever has the higher total wins. You can challenge anyone — a friend, a sibling, a colleague. The duel resets each week and you can run multiple duels simultaneously. It's deliberately simple: just walking, no power-ups or modifiers.

A family group lets multiple people walk toward a shared goal together. Everyone's steps are pooled and contribute to the same progress bar and virtual journey. You can see each member's individual contribution, cheer each other on, and set weekly group challenges. Groups work across different locations — one member could be in London and another in Munich.

Groups support up to 10 members in the free tier. Pro users can create groups of up to 25 people — useful for larger families, office teams, or communities.

Absolutely — this was one of our core design goals. We tested every screen with people aged 8 to 80. The interface uses large text, clear icons, and avoids buried menus. A new user can understand the main screen within seconds. We hear regularly from people on our waitlist that they're signing up specifically because they want something their parents or grandparents can actually enjoy.

Yes. Stepline is designed to be family-friendly across all ages. Children under 13 should use the app under parental supervision, and we recommend parents create and manage the account for younger children. The app contains no advertising and no social features beyond the closed groups and duels you choose to join.

We collect your step count, your in-app settings, and the minimum account information required to connect you with groups and duels (email address and display name). We do not collect location data, we do not build advertising profiles, and we do not sell data to third parties. Your step history is stored securely and is yours to delete at any time.

No. Stepline is funded by the Pro subscription, not by advertising. There are no banner ads, no sponsored content, and no third-party ad networks embedded in the app. We don't want advertisers in our product and we don't want you to be the product.

Yes. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time from within the app. Deletion is permanent and complete — we don't retain your data after you leave. If you have any issues, you can also contact us directly at stepline@mail.de and we'll handle it manually within 48 hours.

Yes. All data is stored on servers located in Germany. We comply with GDPR and apply European data protection standards. You have the right to access, correct, and delete your personal data at any time — see our Privacy Policy for full details.

Waitlist members get early access to Stepline before the public launch, so you can start walking and building your history from day one. You also receive a free 3-month Pro trial — no credit card required. We'll email you when it's your turn, typically a few weeks before the public release.

Rarely. We send updates when there is something genuinely worth sharing — a significant development milestone, your early access invitation, or the launch announcement. We won't email you weekly newsletters or marketing content. You can unsubscribe at any time with one click.

You'll receive a confirmation email shortly after signing up. After that, just sit tight. We'll reach out personally when early access opens for your spot on the list. In the meantime, feel free to follow our progress or get in touch if you have questions.

Yes — and we'd love it if you did. The more people who join before launch, the better the duels and group features work from day one. Just share the link to this page. There's no formal referral programme yet, but we notice and appreciate it.