Exciting news for Apple Watch enthusiasts who love running: Strava has now enabled route navigation directly from your wrist. While route navigation isn't a brand-new concept for compatible devices, it has been notably absent on Apple's platform until this update. The announcement from Strava's product team has been met with enthusiasm from runners, cyclists, and hikers who have long wondered why their Apple Watch lacked features that Garmin and Coros devices have offered for years.
Discover the Latest Features of Strava's Apple Watch App
The key enhancement allows users to view maps on their Apple Watch during activities, enabling them to see their direction and easily backtrack if they veer off course. For subscribers, saved routes can now be accessed hands-free and function offline, eliminating the need to check your phone mid-activity.
To utilize routes on your watch, simply tap the Route icon while selecting your sport type. After choosing the desired saved route, your activity will begin recording.
During your workout, you can access the map by swiping up on the watch face. This will display your live location and, if applicable, your selected route. To interact with the map, tap the watch face to enter interactive mode; you can zoom or pan as needed. To return to your statistics screen, either tap the back icon or use the scroll button on the watch.
In addition to route navigation, Strava has introduced two more training features:
Custom Laps allow you to easily mark intervals with a single tap, perfect for tempo runs, hill repeats, or comparing your performance over time.
Live Segments provide instant feedback as you navigate tracked segments. Subscribers can see if they're ahead or behind their personal bests in real-time, while all users receive live progress updates.
Users can also benefit from route suggestions based on Strava's extensive activity database, which includes paths tested and favored by real users.
Final Thoughts
This update is a game changer for Apple Watch users who have adapted to Strava's previous limitations. Less reliance on phones means greater focus on the road, trail, or workout itself.
Although this feature may have taken longer to arrive than expected, Apple Watch users are finally on par with others. Whether this will be sufficient to retain those who have switched to other platforms remains uncertain, but for loyal users, this update is a welcome change.
