Strava has announced its app will no longer support Bluetooth and ANT+ devices, which is bad news for anyone who records activities using their phone.
The social media for athletes has informed users that it found a bug which means pairing Bluetooth heart rate monitors and power meters directly with the app is causing Strava to crash.
Strava have now announced that to counter this the app will no longer support direct Bluetooth and ANT+ device pairing, as the company says most people don’t use these kind of sensors.
Nothing will change for Strava users who record using a GPS watch or bike computer like a Garmin, but for anyone who uses the app for their activities they will no longer be able to include power and heart rate data.
>>> Zwift Academy semi-finalists announced after biggest ever female field
Strava said: “When you record a workout on Strava, it’s our job to make sure your effort is captured accurately and reliably.
“We recently discovered that pairing Bluetooth heart rate monitors and power meters directly with the app is causing Strava to crash for millions of athletes – most of whom don’t even use these kinds of sensors.
“So to significantly improve the stability of the app, we’ll no longer support direct Bluetooth and ANT+ device pairing.
“We know that even small changes in your routine or equipment can make a big difference, so we appreciate your understanding.”
The change will be introduced from October 28 and Strava are recommending that anyone affected use one of the many other apps that upload to Strava.
Last month, Strava unveiled new “fitness” and “perceived exertion” features.
>>> Tour de France 2020 route analysis: An intriguing, unpredictable and open race in store
“Fitness” allows users to track their activity over time with a daily fitness score, while “perceived exertion” gives athletes the chance to note how intense a run, ride or swim felt on a scale from one to 10.
Strava CEO James Quarles said: “These features are a great way for an athlete to capture their effort and take a look at patterns over time so they can see how they’re progressing.”
Alex is the digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter and now as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output.
Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) and joining CW in 2018, Alex has covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.
Away from journalism, Alex is a national level time triallist, avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
Strava maps will now show points of interest for all users in the apps first 2022 updateStrava has identified the most popular spots and locations for its users and added them to maps feature
-
Strava reveals cyclists completed 10 billion miles over last year
Strava's Year of Sport 2021 report highlights the distance cyclists uploaded to the platform
-
Six tips to nail the Rapha Festive 500 on Strava
The Rapha Festive 500 returns to Strava in 2021, so here are our top six tips to complete the distance challenge
-
Cyclist uses Strava to create portrait of moustached man for Movember
Anthony Hoyte cycled 72.7 miles across London to map the image out
-
Strava announces surface types and personal heat maps have now been added to mobile app
Previously Strava users could only see these features on the desktop version of the app
-
Wout van Aert starts extended break before cyclocross season with an 11km run
The Belgian road race champion may be taking a break from the bike but he's still uploading to Strava
-
Strava unveils new 3D terrain to help with route-planning
The social media platform for athletes also now lets you choose your map style
-
Strava finally add 'Gear' option to mobile app
The gear feature has previously only been available on web browser, but now you can list your gear from your phone
