If you’re looking to make a private run or ride on Strava, there are a few things you need to know. First, make sure that your account is registered and logged in. Second, be sure to set up your ride’s difficulty level. Finally, be sure to have a good plan for where you’re going and when you’ll arrive.
The three options are:
Viewable to everyone, regardless of whether they have a Strava account or not Viewable to your followers Only viewable to you
We suggest you follow our guide to locking down Strava’s privacy settings so that, at most, only your approved followers can see your activities. However, if you want to feature on Strava’s segment leaderboards, your activities (or at least your best ones) must be public. Here’s how to manage it.
RELATED: How to Stop Strava From Making Your Home Address Public
On Your Computer
To manage Strava privacy settings on a computer, head to the Strava website, view the activity you want to change the privacy settings for, and click the “Edit” icon (the pencil) in the sidebar.
Under “Privacy Controls,” change “Who Can See” to “Everyone,” “Followers,” or “Only You”—depending on what option you want.
You can also check “Hide Heart Rate Data” if you just want to keep that secret.
With the Strava App
In the Strava app for iPhone and Android, navigate to the activity you want to change the privacy setting for. Tap the “Settings” icon (three little dots), then tap “Edit.”
Scroll down to “Privacy Controls” and change “Who Can See” to “Everyone,” “Followers,” or “Only You”—depending on who you want to be able to see your run.
You can also toggle “Hide Heart Rate Data” if you just want to keep that hidden.
Making All Past Activities Private
If you’ve used Strava for a while and want to bulk edit the privacy settings of your past activities, you can only do it through a web browser. Head to Strava and go to Settings > Privacy. Under “Edit Past Activities,” select “Activity Visibility,” then click “Next.”
Select either “Everyone,” “Followers,” or “Only You,” then click “Next.”
Confirm your choice and Strava will update all the activities’ privacy settings at once. If there are any activities you want public so you can be featured in a leaderboard, you can reedit their privacy settings individually.
By default, Strava shares a lot of information you might not be aware you’re sharing. Make sure you use the privacy controls available to keep things under control.
