With the Nokia Lumia 635, Microsoft had a lot to consider. No other device maker has competed in the cheap smartphone race. Many were not interested and chose to compete with Apple’s iPhone, high-end smartphones packed with advanced features and quality building materials. Everything changed last year, so much so that Microsoft needed an extra hook if the Lumia 635 was to compete successfully with the Moto X and other inexpensive Android devices.
The company found the secret weapon it needed in Sensor Core, a suite of software that allows apps to record and monitor sensors on the Lumia 635 without completely ruining battery life. With Sensor Core and the Bing Health App, users can find out how many calories they’ve burned and how many steps they’ve taken in a given week, month, or year.
Here’s how to use Microsoft Health & Fitness to track your steps and stay happy and healthy with your Lumia 635.
Sensor Core and Bing Health monitoring require Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.1 update to behave and look the same as it did on the Lumia 635. Fortunately, the latest software updates are already installed on the Lumia 635. So you don’t have to do any real setup work when it comes to your phone’s core software.
That being said, there are a few details. You will need your Microsoft Account username and password. This is the same account you used to set up your Lumia 635 smartphone. If you’re using Microsoft’s Outlook.com email service or have an Xbox console, it’s all the same. Second, Bing Health and Fitness relies on Microsoft’s Health Vault to function properly. We’ll show you how to add and create one in the tutorial. Let’s start.
Turn on and unlock your Lumia 635.
Open it by tapping on the shopping bag icon that needs to be loaded somewhere on your Start Screen.
Chances are, you may not have a Windows Store app on your Start Screen. No problem, Windows Phone actually lists all installed apps and services away from the Start Screen. Put your finger anywhere on the Start Screen and swipe left to reveal the list of installed apps.
Search for the Health app in the Windows Store by tapping at the bottom of your screen.
Tap or click in the list of installed apps.
If you already have Health & Fitness installed, all you have to do is tap the button at the bottom of your screen. We have not installed Health & Fitness on our device, so we have to press the button.
Faucet . Now wait for the application to load. Tap now
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Before Health & Fitness can track some of your activities, you need to allow it to access your location. If that’s okay, tap Yes, then tap .
Tap at the bottom of your screen to open the list of options.
Faucet .
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Once connected, place your finger on an empty area of your screen and swipe right until you see a setting.
Tap and re-enter your Microsoft Account username and password.
Faucet .
You should now find yourself on the Health and Fitness homepage. Tap them again to open the menu.
Faucet .
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Now fill in your health profile with all the information it asks for. Scroll down to set weight loss goals and trigger audio cues as you run and walk.
This much. You have successfully set up health monitoring on your Lumia 635. The highlight of the Lumia 635 is the one thing expensive or cheap old Windows Phones can’t do. You can tap the blue Steps icon at any time to see how many calories you’ve burned and how many steps you’ve taken towards your weight loss goals. Pinning the Health & Fitness app to your Start Screen will display this information there as well.
Tapping into analysis shows you how you’ve been doing for the past few weeks or even a month. Dark blue means the steps you are running, and light blue means you are walking. You can view your results for specific days by tapping the calendar icon at the bottom of your screen.
You can also view your results on your Windows 8 PC or tablet, as it integrates with your Health Vault and Microsoft Account. There is no manual sync on your part.
To be clear, the Lumia 635 and the Health & Fitness app need to be with you to keep track of how many steps you’ve taken or how long you’ve been running. Happy health tracking!