Strava – Big Changes
Strava has modified and introduced many features over the last year or so, only a few weeks ago there were some quite significant changes to the maps used and the addition of 3D Personal Heatmaps (for subscribers).
Today sees the rollout of new Android and iOS apps that put every existing feature into a cocktail mixer followed by one almighty shake. The result is a fully refreshed Strava user experience on all our smartphones.
Yep, this is for subscribers and free-app users alike.
Why?
Like you, I use Strava reasonably regularly. I have 4 accounts, one of which I stump up the cash for the premium version. Yet, despite my familiarity with the Strava platform I tend to use it more on desktop than smartphone although when I do venture onto my iOS app, I sometimes find the interface to be less intuitive than I would hope.
Today’s changes rectify that and are also in preparation for more new features that will come throughout 2021.
How will I know if I have the new version?
Have you been automatically upgraded yet to the latest version?
Check out the header image, above. The bottom of your smartphone app should look like that if you have the upgrade and you should have a version greater than 200.0.0 if you check the details in the app store.
So, what’s new?
Previously Strava grouped our experiences into “Feed, Explore, Record, Profile, and Training” whereas now the groupings are “Home, Maps, Record, Groups and You“.
The ‘maps’, ‘groups’ and ‘you’ sections have seen the biggest changes. Let’s have a look.
MAPS – changes
This is a new menu tab. In part, it replaces the old Explore area which, let’s be honest, was a bit of a mess.
The new MAPS tab brings together most map-related features. So for any given section of the world, you can much more easily see the popular segments, routes, starred segments, and see your Local Legend or other performances (KOM/QOM).
There are some nice ways to filter the view using the tools at the top of the maps to chose the sport and other terrain-related preferences.
Some great uses of this will be to explore popular sections of roads in the Segments tab or get route suggestions for your next adventure.
RECORD
The recording functionality is unchanged, just choose your sport and go. Just like you always did.
GROUPS
This is a new menu tab and it merges together the old Profile & Training areas
Sometimes I’m using Strava for ‘me’ and sometimes I’m using it in relation to other stuff happening on Strava like the occasional challenge but, most often, to check out what’s happening in my club. The new layout just seems to make more sense here rather than having bits of it cluttering up my experiences elsewhere on the app.
YOU
Sometimes you want to check out others…sometimes you want some ‘me time‘
I tend to use Strava the most to see certain aspects of my personal performance as well as for routing.
I don’t use Strava as my main personal analysis tool but there are many of you that do. I reckon you will like what you see here with your activities all in one tab and your progress stats covered separately in another, nearby tab.
HOME
The Home tab is where you will see your friends’ stuff.
Take Out
There is a significant amount of work that’s gone on here to improve our experience when using Strava and Strava needs to be applauded for that. Strava clearly wants to drive new subscription growth and simply adding new features is not always the best way to achieve that. The Strava app needs to be a place you yearn to come back to and need to come back to. Once you rely on Strava and need Strava THEN you will be more inclined to stump up the cash.
The new app experience goes some way toward that. What do you think?
new STRAVA Local Legends – Segments, Jim, but not as we know them
Sports Apps 2020 Report & Table – Winners & Losers of 2019 – Best Sports App
Something different? Why not check out my Apple Watch 7 review…it’s a much more awesome watch than you think and only a battery and two buttons away from destroying Garmin’s market share. Just sayin’
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