Strava’s premium Beacon location tracking feature is now available for free to all users

Strava is a fitness app that allows users to upload their workout activities, while also letting its users build communities. Its popular Beacon feature allows users to share their live locations with trusted friends or family members for a safer workout experience. Previously only available for premium subscribers, Strava has now made Beacon free for all users.

The Beacon feature is great for lone runners, cyclists or hikers, and it can be a lifesaver if you get into trouble. During your workout, your selected contacts can track your progress until you’ve completed your workout.

Beacon works by recording your location in real-time and you can share your progress through a unique link. Similar to taking an eHailing ride on Grab or Uber, your contacts can view your progress through a web browser and they don’t need to install the Strava app. Besides showing your current location, Beacon will also show your previous location and where the workout was first recorded. You’ll be able to select up to 3 contacts for the location tracking service.

Furthermore, contacts will be able to see your activity time and battery percentage. Your location should be refreshed every 15 seconds depending on the network signal. Contacts will also receive a notification when your workout is done. Beacon will continue to remain activated if it is previously toggled on, but location texts will not automatically be sent out to your contacts. You will receive a prompt before you record a new workout.

However, there is a limitation to the free Beacon availability – it is only applicable on smartphones. If you were to use Beacon from connected devices such as an Apple Watch or a Garmin bike computer, you’ll need to be subscribed to Strava, which starts at RM30.90 per month or RM229.90 per year. First-time Strava users can enjoy a free 30-day trial.

According to The Verge, Beacon sharing via wearables and connected devices will remain a premium feature due to the complexity of integrating the feature. Paying subscribers will also gain access to a multitude of features including detailed workout analysis, training plans, weather information, custom heart rate zones, and much more.

Apart from free Beacon availability, Strava recently updated its app to bring more privacy settings for users. Since Strava is a social network for fitness, users can choose what stats to be excluded when they share their workout activity.

Not just that, users will soon have more control over their GPS map visibility. Maps up to 1.6km from the start and end locations of a chosen address can now be hidden. Users may also add private notes in their workout activities too. You can download the Strava app on Apple App Store and Google Play.

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