Best Walking Apps for the Movement 26.2 Challenge
There's no official Movement 26.2 app yet. The plan is to log walks through an online platform, your phone, or a smartwatch, with full details expected later in 2026. Meanwhile, any decent step-tracking app can count your 26.2 miles a month. This page compares Motion, Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, Garmin, and NHS Active 10, honestly.
Do you need a special app for Movement 26.2?
Part of our Movement 26.2 guide. Last updated: 4 July 2026.
No. There isn't a Movement 26.2 app, and nobody has announced one. What we do know comes from the news coverage of the scheme itself. The BBC reports that people will log their walks online, or through a phone or a smartwatch.
That's the whole technical picture right now. No app name, no download link, no confirmed sign-up process. The scheme isn't due to launch until around January 2027, according to Eastern Eye's reporting. There's time yet for the details to firm up.
Full sign-up and tracking details are expected later in 2026. We'll update this page the day they're confirmed. For what's currently known about joining, see our Movement 26.2 sign-up guide. In the meantime, this page compares the walking apps you can start using today, so you're not stuck waiting to begin.
Do you need a smartwatch for Movement 26.2?
No. A phone in your pocket counts steps just fine. The BBC's coverage of the announcement describes logging through an online platform, a phone, or a smartwatch, which makes a watch one option among several, not a requirement.
TechRadar's reporting backs this up. The scheme is built around a flexible monthly total rather than a fixed daily check-in. A walker who clocks 20 minutes one day and nothing the next isn't penalised for it. What matters is your total distance for the month, and phones are perfectly capable of measuring that.
If you already carry your phone on walks, you don't need to buy anything new to take part. Save the watch shopping for later, if you decide you want one for other reasons.
Will Apple Watch, Fitbit or Garmin work with Movement 26.2?
Nobody has named a specific compatible brand. Treat everything in this section as an informed guess, not a confirmed answer.
Here's the reasoning behind the guess. TechRadar's coverage discusses Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Garmin as the kind of devices people already track their walks with. The scheme's flexible, phone-or-watch design suggests it's meant to work with whatever people already own rather than one dedicated device. That's a reasonable expectation, but it isn't a promise from the NHS.
A rough sense of where things likely stand:
| Device | Likely scheme compatibility |
|---|---|
| iPhone (Health app) | Expected to work (unconfirmed, based on reported plans) |
| Android phone (Google Fit / Health Connect) | Expected to work (unconfirmed, based on reported plans) |
| Apple Watch | Expected to work (unconfirmed, based on reported plans) |
| Fitbit | Expected to work (unconfirmed, based on reported plans) |
| Garmin | Expected to work (unconfirmed, based on reported plans) |
Every row above is a guess based on TechRadar's reporting, not a confirmed device list. Until the NHS publishes one, the safest move is to keep using whatever already tracks your steps reliably. There's no reason to think you'll need to switch.
Which walking apps are best for a marathon-a-month goal?
Until an official app exists, any of the apps below can track the scheme's 26.2 miles a month. Motion is listed first because it's ours, but the verdicts underneath are honest, including where Motion isn't the best fit.
| App | Free version | Works with just a phone | Streaks & flexible goals | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motion | Yes, the full app is free | Yes | Yes, flexible daily goals and streaks built around habit-forming design | Anyone who wants encouragement and a forgiving target rather than a rigid daily one |
| Apple Health / Fitness (iPhone) | Yes, built in | Yes | Streaks aren't the focus, but awards are tied to daily move rings | iPhone owners who want the simplest possible starting point, with nothing to download |
| Google Fit / Health Connect (Android) | Yes, built in | Yes | No streaks, though some phones show a basic step history | Android owners who just want a running step total with no setup |
| Fitbit | Yes, core app is free, with an optional paid Premium tier | Limited, best with a Fitbit device | Badges and challenges rather than flexible streak goals | People who already own Fitbit hardware and want detailed step and distance data |
| Garmin Connect | Yes, free app | Limited, built around Garmin watches | Badges and challenges rather than flexible streak goals | Existing Garmin owners who want their usual training data alongside walking totals |
| NHS Active 10 | Yes, entirely free | Yes | Focused on daily brisk-minute goals rather than streaks or mileage | Anyone who wants a no-frills, NHS-backed way to check they're hitting brisk-walking minutes |
Where Motion falls short: it doesn't match Fitbit or Garmin for depth of sports data, and it isn't built for serious runners chasing pace splits. If that's what you need, Fitbit or Garmin Connect will suit you better. Motion also connects to most existing trackers, including Fitbit and Garmin data, if you'd rather keep your current watch. See our full tracker compatibility list for details.
For a broader look at step-tracking apps beyond this specific scheme, see our best step tracker apps guide. Want a personalised daily target instead of a monthly total? Try the step goal calculator.
Why do streak-based apps suit the Movement 26.2 monthly target?
Because the scheme itself is built around habit, not just distance. The BBC reports that Sir Brendan Foster hopes "streak culture, the habit forming behaviour as seen on Snapchat and Duolingo" will help people stick with the challenge. That's worth taking seriously when you're choosing what to track with.
A flexible monthly target only works well if one bad day doesn't feel like the whole month is ruined. Motion's daily goals adjust to your own activity rather than a fixed number. Its Motmot creature responds to consistency, not to a single missed day. That suits a 30-day target better than a rigid daily one. Whatever app you pick, look for the same thing: a goal that flexes with you, and a visible streak that survives an off day.
The scheme's own rewards are expected to start digital too, with streaks and badges first; our rewards guide tracks what's been reported.
What about the free NHS Active 10 app?
Active 10 is a genuinely free app, and the NHS's own walking guidance recommends it for brisk walking. It times your walks and counts your brisk 10-minute stretches towards the 150 minutes of weekly activity the NHS recommends.
It's a good app, but it isn't quite built for this challenge. Active 10 is built around brisk minutes rather than a mileage total. On its own, it isn't designed to show progress towards a 26.2-mile monthly target. Pair it with a distance or step tracker, such as your phone's built-in health app or Motion, if you want both the brisk-minutes reassurance and a running mile count.
How many steps do you need to track for Movement 26.2?
Roughly 52,000 to 59,000 steps over the month, or about 1,750 to 1,970 a day, depending on your stride length. That's based on about 2,000 steps per walked mile, a little fewer if you're tall. For the full workings, plus a table by height and pace, see how many steps is a marathon.
More on Movement 26.2
Movement 26.2: what it is and how it works
The full explainer: what's confirmed about the NHS walking scheme, what's still to be decided, and how the marathon-a-month target works.
Read moreHow to sign up for Movement 26.2
What's known so far about joining, plus how to get your walking habit ready before sign-up opens.
Read moreHow many steps is a marathon?
The full step-count workings for 26.2 miles, broken down by height, pace, and days in the month.
Read moreBest apps for Movement 26.2: FAQs
If you have anything else you want to ask, reach out to us.
Does Apple Watch work with Movement 26.2?
Nobody has confirmed this yet. The scheme says smartwatch logging will be supported, but no specific brand has been named. TechRadar discusses Apple Watch alongside Fitbit and Garmin as the kind of device people already track walks with. The BBC confirms logging will work via phone or smartwatch generally. Treat any brand-specific answer, including this one, as an informed guess until the NHS says otherwise.
Is a phone accurate enough to track 26.2 miles a month?
Yes, for a monthly-total goal like this one. Because the target adds up over the month rather than resetting daily, small day-to-day tracking differences matter far less. A phone's built-in step counter is generally all you need.
Will Motion connect to the NHS scheme?
There's no confirmed integration between Motion and Movement 26.2, and no official scheme app exists yet either. Motion works alongside the NHS Movement 26.2 challenge by helping you build the walking habit and track progress towards a monthly mileage goal. It doesn't feed data into the scheme itself. If the scheme opens up third-party app integrations once it launches, we'll update this page.
What is the NHS Active 10 app?
Active 10 is a free app from the NHS. It times your brisk 10-minute walks and counts them towards the 150 minutes of weekly activity the NHS recommends. It measures brisk minutes rather than distance, so pair it with a step or distance tracker if you also want to see your Movement 26.2 mileage.
Which app should a complete beginner start with?
Whichever one you'll actually open every day. That matters more than any feature list. The BBC reports that the scheme itself leans on streak culture, the same habit-forming design used by apps like Duolingo. Showing up daily is what makes a habit stick. Pick an app with a visible streak or daily reminder, whether that's Motion, your phone's built-in health app, or NHS Active 10. Start with whatever's already on your phone before downloading anything new.
Start your marathon this month - free
Whatever app you end up tracking with, Motion can help you build the habit that gets you through 26.2 miles a month with flexible daily goals, streaks, and a Motmot that notices when you keep showing up. See the full Movement 26.2 guide.
