How to Test iPhone Motion Tracking

The Motion Tracking page in Device Status⁺ visualizes device orientation using motion data. It is useful for checking whether the phone responds to tilt and rotation without needing to walk anywhere.

Check orientation changes

1. Open Hardware → Motion Tracking and allow Motion & Fitness access if requested.
2. Hold the phone still and observe its starting orientation.
3. Slowly tilt the top edge toward you and away from you.
4. Tilt left and right, then rotate the phone while keeping a secure grip.
5. Return to the starting pose and watch whether the visualization follows.

Move slowly enough to connect each physical movement with the on-screen response.

What counts as a useful result?

The orientation display should react consistently and settle when you stop. This combines motion information; it is not a separate physical sensor that can be certified by watching one animation.

If the starting pose is inconvenient, use a reference or reset control when available in your version. That changes the display’s reference rather than repairing or calibrating the underlying hardware.

Does this track position in a room?

This check concerns orientation. It does not establish that the app knows the phone’s precise position in a room, nor does it test walking distance.

For a narrower investigation, test the accelerometer and gyroscope separately. Use the GPS check for outdoor location updates.