Strava is pushing deeper into the outdoors with a massive update aimed entirely at hikers. The fitness platform just added new tools for route planning, real-time navigation, and social sharing. With hiking groups growing at a massive rate over the past year, the company wants to give walkers the same level of detail that runners and cyclists already enjoy. The new update brings welcome improvements to both the phone application and compatible smartwatches.
Subscribers get offline maps and wrist navigation without a phone
The new hiking package brings several navigation upgrades to keep you on the right path. For paying members, the app now supports downloadable routes. This means you can save map data directly to your device for areas where you lose your cell signal. The update also adds specific alerts that notify you when you wander off your planned trail.
If you use wearable devices, the integration is much tighter now. You can sync your custom paths directly to compatible fitness trackers, and the platform officially supports direct route following on your Apple Watch. This lets you keep your phone in your backpack and navigate straight from your wrist.
During a hike, you can view a full-screen map with a single tap. The system also displays live elevation changes, helping you pace yourself for steep climbs. Later this summer, the map style will get an upgrade to show trailheads, campgrounds, and surface types, giving it detail levels closer to what you find in Apple Maps.
Social sharing tools let you post 3D replays of your hike
Because group hikes are becoming a huge part of the platform, Strava added new ways to show off your weekend trips. Free users get access to special stat stickers that overlay distance and elevation numbers onto your photos. The platform also introduced a 3D landscape view that shows the true depth of your trek right in the activity feed.
For subscribers, the social features go a bit further. You can use a new replay function to automatically animate your completed route from start to finish. There is also a flyover option that builds a 3D aerial video based on real elevation data, giving your friends a clear look at the mountains or valleys you just crossed.
This heavy focus on walking and climbing proves that Apple and other major tech brands are not the only ones chasing the outdoor fitness market. By building tools specifically for trails, Strava wants to be the main application you use from the moment you plan a route until you share the final pictures with your friends.
