If your steps show on your Pacer Home screen (or in your wearable/health app) but do not appear in your Pacer for Teams Organization Challenge leaderboard, it’s usually caused by one of these:
- The leaderboard needs a manual refresh / app restart
- Your step data source (Phone / Apple Health / Google Fit / Watch / Fitbit / Garmin / Samsung Health) isn’t syncing into Pacer
- Your steps are outside the challenge scoring window (time rules)
- You’ve hit a daily scoring cap (your Home steps increase, but the leaderboard score doesn’t)
- Background/battery restrictions are preventing updates
Follow the steps below in order.
1) Quick Refresh (Most Common Fix)
- Open Pacer → Your Organization Challenge
- Pull down to refresh the challenge page (if available)
- Fully close Pacer (swipe away), then reopen it
- Re-open the challenge leaderboard and refresh again
If you’re using a third-party source (Apple Health / Google Fit / Watch / Fitbit / Garmin / Samsung Health), continue to Step 4.
2) Confirm Pacer Is Actually Receiving Steps (Not Just the Wearable App)
Open Pacer and check whether your daily steps are increasing on the Home screen.
- If steps are NOT increasing in Pacer at all: this is a tracking/permission/background issue (go to Step 3).
- If steps ARE increasing in Pacer but NOT in the leaderboard: this is typically a sync/scoring issue (go to Step 4 and Step 5).
3) Fix “Pacer Not Counting Steps” (Phone Sensor Source)
Android (Phone source)
Android often blocks background activity to save battery. Adjust battery optimization and required permissions so Pacer can track and update properly.
Checklist
- Turn off battery optimization for Pacer
- Allow Pacer to run in background
- Confirm required activity permissions
- Restart the phone if needed
iOS (Phone source)
If you’re using Phone as the step source, ensure iOS allows motion tracking and background refresh, and avoid Low Power Mode during troubleshooting.
4) Verify Your Step Source in Pacer (Critical)
Your leaderboard can only show what Pacer successfully pulls from your selected Steps Data Source.
In Pacer, go to:
- Settings → Steps Data Source (wording may vary)
Confirm you’ve selected the correct source and it shows In Use (or is connected).
This matters because if your device is counting steps in one system (e.g., Apple Watch) but Pacer is reading another (e.g., Phone), totals will differ.
5) Check Challenge Scoring Rules (Time Window + Daily Cap)
A) Time window / “Why today doesn’t match”
For Pacer for Teams workplace challenges, activity is measured midnight-to-midnight in each participant’s local day, and there may be an additional sync buffer after the end date for final updates.
If your steps happened:
- before the challenge started,
- after it ended,
- or during a timezone edge case,
they may show on your Home screen but not count toward the leaderboard for that challenge day.
B) Daily scoring cap (very common)
Some challenges apply a daily step limit/cap (example: 30,000/day). Once you hit the cap, your Home steps can keep increasing, but leaderboard score won’t.
6) Source-Specific Fixes (Choose the One You Use)
iOS Sources: Phone / Apple Health / Apple Watch / Fitbit / Garmin
If your source is Apple Health
- In Pacer → Steps Data Source → choose Apple Health and tap Connect
- Enable Use Apple Health as Primary Data Source
- Tap Sync Now (leave Pacer open until it finishes)
- Restart Pacer
If sync seems stuck, update iOS/Pacer and restart your iPhone (Apple Health can occasionally glitch and a restart often resolves it).
If your source is Apple Watch
Apple Watch steps flow Apple Watch → Apple Health → Pacer. Confirm that chain:
- On iPhone: Health → Steps → Data Sources & Access
- Ensure Apple Watch is listed and prioritized (move it to the top if needed)
- In Pacer → Steps Data Source → select Apple Watch / Health → Connect
- Turn on Use Apple Health as Primary Data Source and allow permissions
If your source is Fitbit (iOS)
- Make sure Fitbit is syncing in the Fitbit app
- In Pacer: Me → Settings → Apps & Devices → Fitbit → Connect
- If steps are missing, disconnect and reconnect Fitbit in Pacer
If your source is Garmin (iOS)
- Make sure Garmin is syncing in Garmin Connect
- Disconnect and reconnect Garmin inside Pacer
- If it still fails, contact support from Pacer using the Feedback/Support entry point
Note: Pacer’s Garmin integration may require eligibility (often Premium, Virtual Adventure, or a Pacer for Teams challenge).
Android Sources: Phone / Google Fit / Fitbit / Garmin / Samsung Health
If your source is Google Fit
- In Pacer → Steps Data Source / Step Counter Settings
- Enable Save Power with Google Fit (or select Google Fit)
- Confirm the correct Google account and grant permissions
- Confirm it shows Google Fit – In Use
If syncing is unreliable, re-check the connected account and permissions first (most common cause).
If your source is Samsung Health
- Pacer → Steps Data Source
- Select Samsung Health/Watch and set it as the primary source
- If it still doesn’t update, toggle it off/on or reconnect
If your source is Fitbit (Android)
If you have “no data synchronization,” confirm Pacer is connected to the correct Fitbit account (Fitbit User ID) in:
- Pacer → Steps Data Source → Fitbit – In Use → Connected Fitbit Account
If your source is Garmin (Android)
- Confirm Garmin is syncing in Garmin Connect
- In Pacer → Steps Data Source → connect Garmin
- If needed, disconnect and reconnect Garmin
7) If Steps Still Don’t Appear on the Leaderboard
After completing the steps above:
- Refresh the challenge page again (Step 1)
- Confirm you are viewing the correct challenge + organization
- If the challenge just ended, allow time for the post-challenge sync buffer (some Team challenges may finalize later)
Contact Support (Fastest Resolution)
If your Pacer Home steps are correct but the Organization Challenge leaderboard still shows 0 or is missing your updates, contact support and include:
- Organization challenge name
- Your device model + OS version
- Your Steps Data Source (Phone / Apple Health / Google Fit / Apple Watch / Fitbit / Garmin / Samsung Health)
- Screenshot: Pacer Home steps vs Challenge leaderboard
- Approximate time the missing steps occurred (and your timezone)