How to see total calories burned on your iPhone
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Your iPhone keeps two calorie numbers in Apple Health, Active Energy and Resting Energy, and your total burn for the day is the two added together. You can add them yourself in the Health app, or use Total Calories, a free iPhone app that shows the combined number on one ring, in widgets and on your Apple Watch.
Where is the total in Apple's own apps?
Apple's apps show the parts, not the daily sum. The Fitness app's Move ring counts active calories only. The Health app records Resting Energy and Active Energy as separate rows under Browse, Activity. A workout summary in Fitness lists Total Calories, but only for that workout.
How to add it up yourself
- Open the Health app and tap Browse, then Activity.
- Open Active Energy and note today's number.
- Open Resting Energy and note today's number.
- Add the two. A 520 kcal active day on 1,650 kcal resting is 2,170 kcal burned.
That works, but it is a lot of taps for a number you may want to check several times a day.
An app that shows the total for you
Total Calories reads Active Energy and Resting Energy from Apple Health and adds them for you. Free, with no account:
- Today's total calories burned on one ring, with an optional goal
- Steps with their own goal
- Pacing: whether you are ahead of or behind your usual day at this hour
- Home Screen widgets in three sizes and Lock Screen widgets; the large widget shows active and resting separately
- Apple Watch complications for every face style
- History for 7, 30, 90 or 365 days or a custom range, with CSV export
Vitals+, the optional upgrade, adds the active and resting breakdown on the dashboard, 30-day TDEE and BMR averages, net deficit against food you log in Health, and macros.
Why the total is the number to watch
Resting energy is usually 1,200 to 2,000 kcal of your day, so the Move ring alone can look far lower than what you actually burned. The total, averaged over a week, is your working daily energy expenditure. Active vs resting calories, explained.
Informational only, not medical advice.
Common questions
Can I see total calories burned on iPhone without an app?
Yes, by adding Active Energy and Resting Energy in the Health app under Browse, Activity. Apple's apps do not show the daily sum on one screen.
Is there a free app that shows active plus resting calories on iPhone?
Yes. Total Calories is free to download and shows your daily total burn, steps, widgets and Apple Watch complications without an account. The dashboard's active and resting breakdown is part of Vitals+.
Does Total Calories change my Health data?
No. It only reads Active Energy, Resting Energy and steps from Apple Health, and your data stays on your phone.
