Strava announces app will no longer support Bluetooth and ANT+

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.

UPDATE: Strava offer further explanation of ‘difficult decision’ to remove Bluetooth and ANT+ from app

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.

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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.

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“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.”