App Review: WeWard
Daily walks offer so many benefits for your physical and mental health. But if that’s still not enough to motivate you to get up and move, the right app can help. I’ve spent years downloading, testing, and (usually) deleting different apps that claim that they’ll pay me to walk—apps like WeWard.
WeWard is another app that allows users to earn points (called Wards) for their daily walks. Users can earn up to 25 Wards per day by getting their steps (starting at just 2,500 steps and going up to 20,000) and beating their weekly average. 10,000 steps will get you 10 Wards—and 1,000 Wards will earn you $10 in rewards, meaning that, if you’re averaging 10,000 steps a day, you can earn $10 in just 100 days. Of course, this step count relies on the counter on your phone—not on your watch. So if your phone tracks on the low side, like mine, it may take longer. Steps don’t automatically convert to Wards, though, so you have to be sure to convert them. Sometimes this means watching an ad—but not always, since there are ways to earn ad-free days.
When I use an app like this one, I always cross my fingers when I try to cash out, but the cash-out process here is easy—and you actually get your cash. I had $10 sent to Venmo, and I didn’t have to wait long to get my payment.
Beyond just earning Wards and getting paid, though, here are so many different aspects to this app—and I probably haven’t fully explored most of them. In addition to collecting Wards for your walks, you can also earn XP. I’m not entirely sure what that means (Xtra Points, maybe?), but it’s a way to take part in additional challenges, to climb to different levels, and to compete against other users. It’s a way to rise through the ranks in various leagues, too. While none of these things are especially important to me, they offer different ways to motivate you to walk more and earn more than your friends. And, admittedly, I find myself wanting to collect more XP, even though I’m not even sure why. That’s the joy of gamified apps. If you’re a social kind of person, you can also connect with friends and even create communities to set up your own challenges and track progress together.
I also love the WeCards—and, again, I don’t really know why. The app offers opportunities to collect cards while on your daily walk. They can be on any street or path—and when you’re within range, you can click on the app to collect your card. You can then collect sets of WeCards, trade them, swap them, and earn extra rewards when you complete a set. It’s just another way to gamify the experience—and I’ve often myself wandering off my usual path into neighborhoods and side streets to collect more cards. And that’s actually encouraged me to try new routes to spice up my daily walks
After months of testing, WeWard is one of the walking apps that I’ve kept. It offers different ways to reward walks—and add some extra fun and competition—and it actually pays. So if you’d like to add some extra benefits (or extra games) to your daily walks, it’s worth trying.
If you want to join me, you can get 150 Wards for using my referral code: WatchfulBullfinch0895. And if you’re already a member and would like to connect, my username is (of course) WillWalkForCoffee.
Pros:
– Earn rewards for walking
– So many different ways to motivate you, whether you like to compete with yourself or others
– It actually pays out—within a short period of time
– WeCards add an extra layer of walking fun
Cons:
– It seems to take longer to earn after your first reward
– Counts steps through phone—not watch
