Can you cheat a Pedometer App?

sburiel
sburiel Posts: 18
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi Everyone,

We have a healthy lifestyles program at work. Basically, you weigh in, you participate in group activities like walks at lunch time or cardio class after work. It is left up to you what you want to participate in. For each activity you participate in you get one point, if you weigh in every two weeks you get one point including points for each pound lost. At the end of each two month period, depending on how many points you have, you can receive $5 Subway gift cards or Clark's Nutrition Cards for every 10 points you've accumulated.

Currently if you bring in a print out from your gym for each time you have gone there, you receive a point for each day you've gone to the gym. I would like our healthy lifestyles committee to accept reports printed from an app. Basically if the app records my steps and miles for the day because I went walking, I want to be able to turn this in so I can get points (I walk everyday). My question is this: is there any way to cheat the app? What the committee wants to know is if someone can hang their phone off the treadmill, will the app record that I walked or ran etc..?

Your help would be greatly appreciated if you have an answer for me!

Thanks!

Replies

  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    Are you asking us to tell you how to cheat so you get money from your employer through deception/fraud to spend in Subway?
  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
    Are you asking us to tell you how to cheat so you get money from your employer through deception/fraud to spend in Subway?

    No, she is asking because the health and wellness committee wants to know if people can cheat on a phone app like this, because if so they will not accept it.

    To my knowledge, I really can not think of anyway that it could be cheated. Most of them either work off of GPS to see how far you traveled, or like a pedometer which would record how many steps you have taken by the movement of having it n your body, say in your pocket. There probably is a way to cheat it, though, but I guess being an honest person I can't really think of one!
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Are you asking us to tell you how to cheat so you get money from your employer through deception/fraud to spend in Subway?

    I'm pretty sure the OP was making sure you CAN'T cheat the app so her employer will know it's a valid workout. Yes?

    Pretty sure you cannot cheat the app, no. Unless you attach the device to an animal and let it run around your house all day. It has to be on a moving object.
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    Ah, I see. Wanted to be sure.


    Yep. You can cheat them. They work using the accelerometer, so all you need to do is sit in front of the telly making small movements of your hand/wrist and it will record as steps.

    I know this from holding my phone in my hand when checking an app and seeing the step count go up as I turned the phone sideways to use it in landscape rather than portrait.
  • llabbott77
    llabbott77 Posts: 24
    Yes, the various methods will vary depending on the app. Some will be as simple as modifying the log file, or lying the device on the desk and tapping it with a finger repeatedly.
  • sburiel
    sburiel Posts: 18
    Thanks to everyone who responded. i was feeling a little offended that someone would think I was trying to cheat the app for work, that is definately not the case! Just doing research so that I can keep the committee informed. Thanks again everyone.
  • sburiel
    sburiel Posts: 18
    Okay, I tried the tapping of my finger on my phone with my Accupedo app and it does not record anything! Good to know that it can't be cheated that way.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    Okay, I tried the tapping of my finger on my phone with my Accupedo app and it does not record anything! Good to know that it can't be cheated that way.

    Did you try the gently tilting the phone back and forth method? If it goes by movement that will surely record steps. If it is going by GPS alone then you might be safe as far as "easy" ways to cheat it. Just remember people can "cheat" anything as long as they are creative enough.
  • TAMayorga
    TAMayorga Posts: 341 Member
    Are you asking us to tell you how to cheat so you get money from your employer through deception/fraud to spend in Subway?

    I'm pretty sure the OP was making sure you CAN'T cheat the app so her employer will know it's a valid workout. Yes?

    Pretty sure you cannot cheat the app, no. Unless you attach the device to an animal and let it run around your house all day. It has to be on a moving object.

    Just don't attach it to a cat. It'll lie around the house all day! *chuckle*
  • almostfamous84
    almostfamous84 Posts: 1
    Cheat with a fit bug by putting it in the dryer on air fluff (no heat) with some laundry.
  • SillyC2
    SillyC2 Posts: 275 Member
    Well, you can cheat at anything, right?

    I mean, everyone with a receipt from the gym could have just gone there and played Words With Friends the whole time, right?

    A lot of pedometer aps can be "cheated" by shaking them.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    Of course there are many ways to cheat such as a non runner giving the app to a runner friend to put in his/her back pocket. I can think of many more easy methods.

    The real issue here is whether or not your employer trusts is employees. I cant imagine many people would have any desire to cheat the system for such a small reward. The purpose should be getting fit. If your employer really worried about being cheated out of $5?
  • cevalid
    cevalid Posts: 59
    I once got 600 steps from a 90 min car ride thanks to my fitbit. Also i've kept an app on when on the bus (
    Pedometer I think) and it counted non-steps too. Not sure why.

    My friend had an old school pedometer and we were wobbleboarding one morning. Just by vigorously shaking the board, she got 2000 steps without moving her feet.

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