New User Guide

Let’s get you
started.

Everything you need to go from zero to your first logged workout, tracked habit, and dialled-in nutrition in under ten minutes.

Download The 1% → Browse help docs
5 min
Initial setup,
start to finish
2 min
To log your
first workout
Day 7
When most users
feel the difference
37×
Better after a year
of 1% daily gains
Setup checklist
Six steps to your first session

Follow these in order. Each takes two minutes or less.

1
First · 2 minutes
Download and start your free trial

Search The 1% on the App Store or download it here. Requires iOS 18 or later. Every new account gets a full 7-day free trial with no charge until it ends. Cancel anytime from iPhone Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions. After the trial it’s $4.99/month with all 15 features included. No tiers, no upsells.

iOS 18+ 7-day free trial Cancel anytime
2
Onboarding · 30 seconds
Go through onboarding and allow permissions

When you first open the app, you’ll be walked through a short onboarding flow. Allow Apple HealthKit access when prompted to enable two-way sync with the Health app so your workouts, bodyweight, heart rate, steps, and sleep all stay connected. Choose Allow All unless you have a specific reason not to.

Also allow notifications. Habit streak reminders and workout nudges make a genuine difference to daily consistency. You can adjust exactly which alerts get sent from within the app at any time.

HealthKit sync Notifications Adjust anytime
3
Account · 2 minutes
Create your account and fill in your profile

Create an account with your email, then fill in your profile: height, weight, age, and your primary goal. This powers the Nutrition Tracker’s macro calculations and lets the AI give you relevant suggestions. Take two minutes to do this properly as without it nothing personalises. You can update everything later in Settings.

Height & weight Age & goal Sets your macro targets
4
Day one · most important
Pick one feature and use it today

Do not try to use everything at once. The users who stick with The 1% are always the ones who start with a single feature, build a routine around it, and layer more in over time. Trying to track workouts, food, habits, meditations, and running simultaneously on day one is the most reliable way to do none of them properly.

If you train at a gym, start with the Workout Tracker. If you want daily consistency and lifestyle change, start with the Habit Tracker. Either way, log something today, even one set or one habit. That’s your first 1%.

Workout Tracker Habit Tracker Add more in week 2
5
End of week one
Add nutrition once the basics feel natural

Once workouts or habits are starting to feel routine, open the Nutrition Tracker. Set your macro targets, scan a few meals, and see where your baseline is. You don’t need to be perfect. The goal in week one is understanding what you’re actually eating. That insight alone is usually enough to start making better choices without additional effort.

3M+ food database Barcode scanning Macro tracking
6
Week two and beyond
Layer in everything else at your own pace

Running tracker, meditations, focus timer, journal, mini-books, daily quotes, bodyweight logging, health stats. They’re all there when you’re ready. No right order. Add whatever feels relevant to where you are. The app is designed to grow with you, not overwhelm you from the start. Most users naturally explore more features as the ones they started with become automatic.

15 features total No rush 1% at a time
Your first week
A day-by-day plan
Mon
Setup Day
Profile, HealthKit, notifications
Tue
First Workout
Log your first session
Wed
Add Habits
Create 2–3 daily habits
Thu
Active Rest
Walk or light activity
Fri
Nutrition
Log your first full day of food
Sat
Workout 2
Keep the streak going
Sun
Reflect
Journal what’s working

Week one is about momentum, not perfection. Log something every day, even just checking off one habit. The habit of opening the app daily is more valuable than any single workout or meal you could track.

Feature guides
Quick-start each feature
Workout Tracker
2 minutes to your first session
  • 1Tap Workout in the bottom navigation
  • 2Tap + to start a new session
  • 3Search for an exercise or choose from the library
  • 4Add your sets, log weight and reps as you go
  • 5Tap Finish Workout and it saves automatically
Nutrition Tracker
Set targets and log your first meal
  • 1Tap Nutrition in the bottom navigation
  • 2Set your macro targets using the built-in calculator
  • 3Tap + next to any meal to add food
  • 4Use the barcode scanner for packaged foods
  • 5Watch the progress rings fill as you log each meal
Habit Tracker
Build your first habit in 60 seconds
  • 1Tap Habits in the bottom navigation
  • 2Tap + to create your first habit
  • 3Name it, pick an icon, set how often to do it
  • 4Add a daily reminder at a time that makes sense
  • 5Tap the circle each day to check off and build your streak
Running Tracker
Record your first GPS run
  • 1Go outside. GPS needs an open sky to lock on
  • 2Tap Running then Start Run
  • 3Allow Always On location access when prompted
  • 4Pocket your phone and run. It records in the background
  • 5Tap Finish to see your route, splits, and pace
Common mistakes
What to avoid in week one
Avoid
Tracking everything on day one

Opening all 15 features before you’ve built any routine is the most common reason people don’t stick with self-improvement apps.

Start with one. Add a second only once the first feels automatic, usually 5–7 days in.
Avoid
Setting unrealistic habit targets

Creating ten daily habits and expecting to complete every one is a setup for failure. Most people overestimate what they’ll do in a day and underestimate a month.

Start with two or three. Keep them small and specific. Once automatic, add more.
Avoid
Skipping the HealthKit setup

Denying HealthKit means Health Stats won’t work, workouts won’t sync to the Health app, and Apple Watch heart rate won’t connect.

Allow it now. Adjust individual data types anytime from iPhone Settings → Health.
Avoid
Giving up after missing one day

Missing a day isn’t failure. It’s just a day. The mistake is letting one miss become two, then three, until the routine quietly collapses.

Never miss twice. One miss is noise. Two is the start of a new pattern.
Avoid
Skipping your profile setup

The Nutrition Tracker, AI system, and macro calculator all depend on your profile data. Without it your calorie targets are guesses.

Fill in height, weight, age, and goal before doing anything else. Under two minutes.
Avoid
Logging food at the end of the day

Recalling everything you ate at 10pm is inaccurate and frustrating, and means you have no chance to course-correct during the day.

Log in the morning or plan the night before. Two minutes and you have all day to adjust.
FAQ
Common questions
What is the 1% rule, and why does the app use it?
The 1% rule is the idea that if you improve by just 1% every single day, you’ll be 37 times better by the end of the year. The maths: 1.01 to the power of 365 equals 37.78. The gains compound. Conversely, getting 1% worse each day leaves you with almost nothing: 0.99365 ≈ 0.03. The app is built entirely around this compounding principle. Not dramatic transformations, not thirty-day challenges, just small, consistent daily improvements that add up to something extraordinary.
Do I need to set up every feature on day one?
No, and we’d actively recommend against it. Start with one or two features, build a routine around them, then add more as they feel natural. Trying to use all 15 simultaneously on your first day is the most common reason people don’t stick with self-improvement apps. The app is designed to grow with you, not overwhelm you from the start.
Is The 1% suitable for complete beginners?
Yes, entirely. The app is designed for everyone from people who have never tracked a workout in their lives to experienced athletes running structured programs. The interface is intentionally straightforward, onboarding is guided, and you can start with something as simple as checking off one habit per day. No assumed level of fitness knowledge required.
What should I do if I miss a day?
Keep going the next day. Missing one day is completely normal. Everyone does it. The mistake isn’t the miss; it’s letting one missed day turn into two, then three, until you’ve quietly stopped. Streaks reset but all previous data stays intact. The most reliable rule in habit research is never miss twice. One miss is noise. Two is the beginning of a new pattern.
How many habits should I start with?
Two or three. Research on behaviour change consistently shows that fewer, well-maintained habits are more effective than a long list that’s hard to sustain. Start small, make them specific, and build in a reminder notification for each one. Once they feel genuinely automatic, usually after a few weeks, add more.
When will I start noticing results?
It depends on what you’re measuring. Most users who log workouts consistently notice strength improvements within two to three weeks. Those who dial in nutrition alongside training often see body composition changes within four to six weeks. Habit improvements such as better sleep, more consistent routines, and reduced stress are often felt within the first week simply from having visibility over your daily patterns.

Ready to start your first 1%?

Download the app, spend five minutes on setup, and log something today. Every streak, every personal best, and every result starts with a single session.

Download on the App Store →
iOS 18 or later · 7-day free trial · $4.99/month after · Cancel anytime