You can record activities on Strava when you have no service, meaning no cellular signal. With a Strava subscription, you can also download routes and follow them offline.
Recording offline is free for all athletes. Athletes without a subscription won’t see offline route options in the app. The steps are the same on iOS and Android.
How Offline Works
When you save a route in the Strava app, Strava downloads it to your phone. You can then follow it without service.
When your phone has no service, the Home screen shows two sections: Navigate offline and Record offline. Navigate offline is for athletes with a subscription. Record offline is for all athletes.
Strava keeps recording your GPS data without service and saves your activity on your phone. The activity uploads automatically once your phone connects to cellular data or wifi. If an upload fails, there is no manual way to sync the activity.
Save a Route for Offline Use
You need a Strava subscription to download routes. Follow these steps to save one:
Open the Strava app and tap Maps.
Find or create the route you want.
Tap Save. A sheet opens with Download for offline use turned on by default.
Tap Confirm to save the route and start the download.
If you don’t want to download the route, turn off Download for offline use before you tap Confirm.
Once the download finishes, you’ll find the route under Navigate offline on the Home screen when you have no service.
Record an Activity Without Service
To record an activity without a route, follow these steps:
Open the Strava app.
On the Home screen, find Record offline.
Tap the play button next to your sport, such as Walk or Ride.
Start your activity as usual.
Save your activity when you finish. It uploads once you are back in service.
To follow a downloaded route instead, you need a Strava subscription. Then follow these steps:
On the Home screen, find Navigate offline.
Tap Start on the route you want. The route opens, but recording doesn’t begin yet.
Tap Start on the recording screen to begin.
Save your activity when you finish. It uploads once you are back in service.
Manage Your Downloads
Downloaded routes use storage on your phone. Most routes use about 10 MB. Cycling routes can be larger. To remove a download, open the route details page and turn off Download for offline use.
Route Not Available Offline
If a route you saved doesn’t show under Navigate offline, try these steps:
Check that you saved the route in the Strava mobile app. Routes saved on the Strava website aren’t downloaded to your phone automatically.
While your phone is connected to wifi or cellular data, open the route details page. Confirm that Download for offline use is turned on.
Requirements and Limits
The Strava mobile app on iOS or Android.
A Strava subscription to download and follow routes. Recording offline is free.
Routes you already downloaded still work offline if your subscription ends.
Offline routes and maps aren’t available on the Strava Apple Watch app or other connected devices.