WeWard, the Paris-based app that rewards users for walking, is expanding its focus beyond physical activity with a new feature designed to help people reduce screen time by tying access to social media and other apps to daily step goals.
A New Incentive To Get Moving
The feature, called Walking Mode, allows users to lock selected apps until they reach a preset number of steps. Someone, for example, can choose to block TikTok or Instagram until completing 3,000 steps, with the target fully customizable.
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The addition builds on WeWard’s existing model, which rewards users with in-app currency called Wards for walking. Those rewards can be exchanged for cash, gift cards or charitable donations, while a leaderboard introduces a social element by allowing users to compare their progress with friends and other members of the community.
Blending Fitness With Digital Wellbeing
Walking Mode reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour, as more people look not only to become more active but also to spend less time on their phones. Rather than encouraging users to quit social media altogether, the feature creates a simple behavioural incentive by linking screen time to physical activity.
The approach positions WeWard as more than a fitness app, combining movement tracking with digital wellbeing tools at a time when concerns over excessive screen use continue to grow.
Expanding A Growing Platform
WeWard says it now serves 30 million users across 29 countries, including 4 million in the United States, and estimates that its platform has increased users’ walking time by nearly 25%. The company is also backed by tennis champion and angel investor Venus Williams.
Co-founder Yves Benchimol said the new feature reflects a broader philosophy behind the product.
“We believe the next generation of products should be designed to create healthier behaviors in the real world, not simply capture more attention,” he told TechCrunch. “Walking Mode is our contribution to that vision, and we hope it inspires a broader conversation about mindful design and how the industry defines success.”
A Different Approach To Engagement
Unlike many consumer apps that aim to maximise time spent on their platforms, WeWard says users typically spend only a few minutes a day inside the app. The company views that as a feature rather than a limitation, arguing that products designed to encourage real-world activity should not compete for users’ attention.
Its business model also differs from many consumer apps. Rather than selling user data to third parties, WeWard says it generates revenue through premium subscriptions, affiliate partnerships, advertising and in-app purchases.
As competition among wellness apps intensifies, Walking Mode represents WeWard’s latest attempt to combine financial incentives with healthier digital habits, encouraging users to spend more time moving and less time scrolling.
