An iPhone remote for under-desk walking pads.

I walk on a small treadmill under my desk while I read and work. The app that came with my pad wanted an account and more personal data than a remote should need, so I wrote my own.

What it does

• Hold Start for a second and the belt starts at 0.5 km/h. Every 30 seconds it goes up by 0.5 km/h until it reaches 2.5 km/h. Tap + or − at any point and you’re in charge from there.
• Stop is one tap. The button is big and always in the same place.
• Cool down brings the speed down a step at a time, then stops the belt.
• Your speed, time, distance and steps stay on the Lock Screen while you walk, with buttons to change speed or stop.
• The screen stays on while the belt is moving.

No account, no internet

Footpace talks to your pad over Bluetooth, and that’s all it does. There’s nothing to sign up for, no ads, no tracking, and the app never goes online. The privacy page has the details.

Which pads it works with

It works with pads that use the same Bluetooth controller as mine, which shows up as KS-HCSY-BR1A. The same controller is used in pads sold under more than one brand.

When you pick a pad, Footpace first checks that it answers the way it should. If it doesn’t, the pad is marked “Not supported” and Footpace sends it no commands. If that happens with yours, tell me which pad it is.

Safety

Footpace is an extra remote, not a replacement for the controls on your pad. Keep the pad’s stop button, safety key or remote within reach. If the Bluetooth connection drops, the belt keeps going until you stop it there.

Footpace is an independent app. It isn’t made by or affiliated with any walking pad maker, and none of them has tested or approved it. Use it at your own risk.

Getting it

Footpace is for iPhone and needs iOS 26 or later. It isn’t on the App Store yet.