Can I replace 可以不用 with 不需要？ This sequence: 可以不用 sounds odd to me. Maybe for Chinese ears it sounds perfectly natural. I suppose my brain immediately puts it in English, but I think the meaning is not 'you can not use' but rather 'you don't need'.
Can I replace 可以不用 with 不需要 here?
如果想准确地知道自己到底消耗了多少卡路里，平时可以不用计步软件或运动手环，只在开始跑步的时候使用就可以了。
&quot;可以不用&quot; and &quot;不需要&quot; can be used interchangeably when it means 'don't need to' and followed by a verb or verb phrase
Example:
[可以不用][付钱] = [不需要][付钱] = [don't need to] [pay]
[可以不用][用糖] = [不需要][用糖] = [don't need to] [use sugar]
~
&quot;可以不用&quot; (able to/ allow to not use) followed by a noun and &quot;不需要&quot; (don't need) followed by a noun, have different meanings
Example:
[不需要][糖]= [don't need] [sugar]
[可以][不用][糖] = [able to/ allowed to][not use][sugar]
Example of &quot;可以不用糖&quot; in context:

&quot;我可以不用糖做甜品嗎？&quot; (Can I make dessert not using sugar?)

~
[(可以不用)(用糖)] = [(don't need to) (use sugar)].
It is grammatically correct, but &quot;可以不用用糖&quot; (don't need to use sugar) may sound a little bit awkward in Chinese (two 用 back to back). Better change it to 不需要用糖

&quot;不需要 + verb&quot; = &quot;don't need to + verb&quot;

&quot;不需要 + noun&quot; = &quot;don't need + noun&quot;

&quot;可以不用 + verb&quot; = &quot;don't need to + verb&quot;

&quot;可以 + 不用 + noun&quot; = &quot;able to/allowed to + not use + noun&quot;



Can I replace 可以不用 with 不需要？

Yes, but only when it means 'don't need to' and followed by a verb, not noun

平时可以不用计步软件或运动手环

计步软件 is a noun, therefore, &quot;可以不用计步软件&quot; means &quot;able to/ allowed to not use steps counting app&quot;