STRAVA app | Apple Watch Series 6
From getting it, using it and customising it, to some interesting Top 10 tidbits, here’s everything you need to know about the STRAVA app for Watch OS.
The STRAVA Watch OS app is a straightforward way to replace much of what is offered by the Apple Watch’s inbuilt Workouts. Sure, there are more immersive alternatives to the STRAVA app out there, though the great thing with the STRAVA app is its simplicity and its ability to sync your workout data to the rest of the STRAVA platform, including your heart rate and GPS data.
Installing the STRAVA app on the Apple Watch
This should be as easy as installing the STRAVA app on your smartphone and then using the Watch app to install it on your Watch (Watch app on your smartphone>Available Apps>Install).
Tip 1: However, Watch OS7 has bugs (18Oct2020) where that approach doesn’t always work and, instead, you have to uninstall the STRAVA app from your smartphone and then use the App Store on your watch to find and install STRAVA. That will also install STRAVA on your phone.
Create or log into your account and you are good to go once you have given the app the permission to access your location and motion data. If you have the Apple Watch cellular or if you plan to carry your phone with you on your workouts then you can optionally allow the STRAVA app to use mobile data (Settings>STRAVA).
Getting Around the STRAVA app
The STRAVA app on the Apple Watch is purely for recording workouts. That’s it. All the clever analyses that STRAVA offers will be either on your iOS STRAVA app or on STRAVA.com. Thus the STRAVA app is fairly simple and isn’t especially different from many other workout apps. It has 2 pre-workout screens and 2 other in-workout screens.
Pre-Workout Screens
Here you choose your sport ‘profile’ such as ‘Outdoor Run’ or ‘Outdoor Ride’ and then you choose whether or not you want splits to be displayed and for the app to pause the recording if you pause moving. There is some other stuff too but perhaps the only interesting option is BEACON.
Beacon is a safety feature that allows Strava users to share their location as a URL with up to three contacts, none of whom need a Strava app themselves. Providing you are a Strava subscriber and have mobile data as you move, you are good to share. This is a great way for your overzealous partner to check whether you are cycling or at a cafe having coffee and cake.
Workout Screens
There’s nothing too exciting here, only the most basic of metrics are available for you.
Tip 2: For outdoor runs, you can tap the screen to toggle the display between split pace and average pace.
Tip 3: Not a lot of people know this. STRAVA recently removed support for 3rd party sensors, such as heart rate straps. However, that was only on their smartphone apps. the Watch OS and Wear OS app still display and record the heart rate from your watch’s optical HRM. (Strava plans to add back support for 3rd party sensors!)
Swipe and finish and your workout is done. You shouldn’t have to do anything else and your workout is sent to the STRAVA platform
Tip 4: Can’t see your completed workout on the STRAVA platform? It’s probably still unsynced on your watch. Open the Strava app on your phone and your workout will sync to there and then on to the web too.
Navigation with Watch OS 7 – Apple Watch Bicycling Directions
The STRAVA watch app doesn’t support live segments or courses or anything at all fancy like that. However, with caveats, you can use two apps at the same time. Thus you can follow the new cycling directions that were introduced to Apple Maps in Watch OS7 whilst also recording the workout in the STRAVA App. That combination works well and STRAVA is continuously displayed except when a direction change is required – you get a nice buzz on your wrist and a ‘Turn left in 200m’ arrow and instruction pops up.
You will get superior routing instructions from many other places, yet Apple Maps bicycling instructions work perfectly well for casual cycling, running or walking uses.
Complications & Watchfaces
You can add the STRAVA complication to many of the watch faces. Strava’s is the most basic of complications and is effectively only a Strava shortcut icon to open the Strava app. Here you can see I have a watch face with the swim.com complication, the Stryd.com complication and the Strava complication too. Above it is a more data-rich and dynamic complication from Training Today, showing a chart of my readiness to train over the last week, or so.
Tip 6: as in the image above, you could create a watchface just for your sports. Add shortcuts/complications to the apps you use. When you want to do a workout you can change watch faces. Of course, you can open Strava via the crown as well.
More Top Tips
Tip 7: You can (dis-)allow STRAVA to save your workouts to Apple Health (Settings>Health>Data Access & Devices>Strava). Linking to Apple Health is probably a good idea as it lets Apple and other apps use your workout data to give you a richer experience around your activities, like readiness-to-train with Training Today
Takeout – STRAVA app | Apple Watch Series 6
The Strava app for your Apple Watch delivers basic workout recording functionality and it’s a reliable way to get your workouts to either Apple Health or to the Strava platform.
There are many alternatives including Ride with GPS, Runtastic and Nike Running Club and the right one for you depends on what you plan to do. As a casual workout recording tool, it’s fine but it is seriously lacking in functionality compared to a dedicated sports watch. If you are somewhere within those two extremes just give it a go…the Apple Watch app is 100% free, or ask a question below.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Question for Strava on the Apple Watch
Yes, the Apple Watch Workout or apps on the Apple Watch like Strava will record your route. Use Apple Maps to give you directions
The Strava app on your Apple Watch adds minor features beyond what the Apple Watch Workout gives you and it also more easily syncs your workout to the Strava web platform. You do not NEED the Strava app on your watch.
Yes you can leave your smartphone at home but you will need STRAVA installed on the iPhone for your workouts to sync
No. There are many ways to create workouts with other apps and sync them to STRAVA.
You can leave your smartphone at home but you will need STRAVA installed on the iPhone for your workouts to sync
Most likely the Apple Watch will have incorrectly recorded your route. The Apple Watch may not have started recording your distance immediately but there are many more complex reasons why the distance could be wrong.
Yes, there is a ‘Outdoor’ Walk’ and ‘Hike’ modes
Yes, a watch is a convenient way to view and record your walking and running, perhaps a bike computer is better for cycling but the Apple Watch is fine for recording casual cycling too.
Yes, the Apple Watch with Strava is more accurate than a Fitbit watch.
Yes, with watchOS 4.0 or later and iOS 10.0 or later
Yes, with watchOS 4.0 or later and iOS 10.0 or later
Yes, with watchOS 4.0 or later and iOS 10.0 or later
Yes, with watchOS 4.0 or later and iOS 10.0 or later
Yes, with watchOS 4.0 or later and iOS 10.0 or later
Yes but you will need to carry your iPhone with you for GPS
Yes but you will need to carry your iPhone with you for GPS
Yes, with watchOS 4.0 or later and iOS 10.0 or later
Yes, with watchOS 4.0 or later and iOS 10.0 or later
Yes, the GPS and HR on the Apple Watch should be accurate enough for many people. Accuracy improves with newer models of Apple Watch.
Open the Strava app on your iPhone to enable the link to HealthKit by going to Profile>Settings>Applications, Services, and Devices>Apple Health>Connect>Send to Health.
Yes after you enable the link to HealthKit by going to Profile>Settings>Applications, Services, and Devices>Apple Health>Connect>Send to Health.
No, but your the STRAVA iOS app will support Live Segments if you are a Strava subscriber.
Yes (not recommended). Although if the other apps are also recording GPS positions or heart rate then your Strava recording might be interfered with.
No, the Strava Apple Watch app only records your workout, instead try the Apple Maps app for your watch.
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Hello,
Did you get any issue of AW simply…blacked out while using strava on a run?
It happened a couple of times to my wife, after around an hour or so, the AW simply shutdown. Puttin it on the charger awakens it (only solution), and the watch still had something like 40% battery…
After the watch being exchanged (suspected battery issue)….it happened once again. Strange thing, it usually (always?) happens in the same place in our town.
Does is sound possible that incorrect GPS/Cellular reception may cause this issue?
sounds very strange. i have not had that.
could be linked to an older AW with NOT always-on display
if it’s linked to gps then it could depend whether your phone is with you or not.
Hello! So I want to listen to my Spotify and strava cues through my phone and headphone. But want to see the strava display on my watch.
Can I do this if I start the strava route on my phone? And see the distance etc on the watch? Or do I have to start strava through the watch and connect the headphones to the watch?
Thanks
to see the display on the watch you have to start the app on the watch.
you can listen to apple music at the same time, I think spotify should work too.
but I think the strava watch app is too basic to follow a route of any kind
so if you load up the route in apple maps then you should be able to have that give you direction on the watch with nice haptics too.
not sure how long that battery will last doing all that !
Have noticed many inaccurate segments on Strava recorded by Apple Watches, giving course records greater than world record paces for example. Also noticed my daughter’s Apple watch recording her runs faster than she is able to run and much faster than my pace, when I ran with her using my more accurate Garmin Fenix 6x
gps accuracy: every sports watch tested: https://the5krunner.com/2016/11/05/test-route-for-gps-devices/
I bought the Apple Watch to get the heart rate data. I also want to hear the audio cues and listen to spotify. I have them all turned on, can only seem to hear one or the other through my headphones. Any ideas?
hmmm good question. i dont really know the answer. give me some details and i might have a play
maybe it depends on the app you are using.?
if you are using an app that has an audio play screen as part of the app then maybe those apps will play both sets of audio?
i vaguely remember the scenario you describe working with ismoothrun and spotify.
Q: what app(s) are you using, what happens if you try apple workout app? have you tried apple music as a test to see if it behaves in the same way?
I want to see my route, speed, etc on my iphone mounted on my handlebars, but want my iWatch to collect heartrate data. If I initiate from my iWatch, the iPhone isnt aware, and vice versa. How to get both working in concert??