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Strava launches new "Beacon" safety featureStrava Beacon_screenshots (image courtesy of Strava)

Strava launches new "Beacon" safety feature

The new feature, for Premium members only, means up to three people can be notified of where you are, even if they're not Strava users...
by Laura Laker
Thu, Aug 04, 2016 11:07
9

Strava has launched a new safety feature that lets people know where you are, even if they are not on Strava themselves.

Called Strava Beacon, the new feature on the fitness social media app can be turned on before a ride and up to three contacts will be able to see your location on a map in real time – but only if you’re a premium member.

Beacon shares your location via a text message, with a URL, so anyone with a smartphone and internet connection can track the progress of the Beacon user. The idea is if you stop for longer than expected, or are back later than expected, loved ones can track you down.

 “Let’s say it’s 3:30, you said you’d be home at 3:00 and you’re not moving towards home”, Ethan Hollinshead, Senior Product Manager, said.

“That’s a good indication that they should reach out to you and see what’s up. Maybe you stopped for a coffee, or maybe you got a flat tire. Where it’s really designed to help the cyclist or runner is in that peace of mind scenario – to keep people from unnecessarily worrying about you.”

Strava said the concept for Beacon came the community. “We started by surveying our athletes to find out what types of features they would be most interested in and safety ranked highest,” according to Rayleen Hsu, Strava Director of Product Marketing.

Strava points out where GPS or mobile signal are poor, location data can be delayed or inaccurate, and Strava doesn’t guarantee Beacon accuracy.

You can find out more about how it works by visiting Strava’s blog.

Strava
Strava Beacon
Laura Laker

Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.

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9 comments

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slbovey | 8 years ago
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For android i use 'Where's my droid' - if someone texts you a  keybword of your chosing it responds with where you are (GPS co-ords + google map link) without you doing anything. (can also have key words for making it ring if you loose you phone etc - i think the premium one allows you to take photos remotely too)

You dont' have to start it or do anything - just runs in the background and free when i got it.

 

e.g. my friends know if they text me with 'GPS' it tells them where my phone is (and hopfully me) - you might want to choose a better word !

 

For a real tracking i'd use Glympse - I think it's ISO and Android - you have to start it but provides a realtime map track as long as you have a data connection - when i've tested it it's normaly less than 30 seconds behind realtime.

https://www.glympse.com/ - also free when i started using it.

 

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neilspinney | 8 years ago
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I use Google+ location feature and only share locations with my close family that way they can always see where I am when out cycling.

Avatar
Spiny replied to neilspinney | 8 years ago
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neilspinney wrote:

I use Google+ location feature and only share locations with my close family that way they can always see where I am when out cycling.

 

Yeah that's a good one as it doesn't rely on you having to remember to turn it on. I forget sometimes with LiveTrack. My Mrs uses Endomondo so I can see her ride whareabouts, the tracking in that is free.

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Yorkshire wallet | 8 years ago
4 likes

It sends a text to tell you wife you've been run over by a lorry driver who will shortly be fined £80.

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tritecommentbot | 8 years ago
1 like

Hopefully this actually works, unlike Garmin Livetrack which I've found to be useless on 4 seperate devices. 

 

Always liked the idea of being trackable, Missus tends to worry a bit. She's also starting to talk about taking her bike out by herself recently. I know the sort of encounters I've had and imagining her having to deal with them fills me with nothin gless than an actual sense of dread.

 

 

Avatar
King_Louis replied to tritecommentbot | 8 years ago
1 like

unconstituted wrote:

Always liked the idea of being trackable, Missus tends to worry a bit. She's also starting to talk about taking her bike out by herself recently. I know the sort of encounters I've had and imagining her having to deal with them fills me with nothin gless than an actual sense of dread.

 

Mine does too. I just turn on find friends on my iphone and have my strava on a TomTom Multisport handle bar mount. That way my battery doesnt get demolished.

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hawkinspeter | 8 years ago
0 likes

Cyclemeter (iOS only) has a similar function - you can set it up to send emails at the beginning and end of your ride to various people. The emails contain a link that goes to a more-or-less (updated every 5 minutes or so)  live view so someone can see where you are.

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thereverent | 8 years ago
0 likes

Good idea (similar to Garmin Live Track as jthef says), as along as it doesn't drain the battery too much.

Avatar
jthef | 8 years ago
1 like

Sounds like garmin live track to me.

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