Creating Routes on Mobile

With a Strava subscription, you can build new routes from scratch on the Strava mobile app, leaning on community-powered data and popular spots or crafting your dream route entirely on your own.

Create Your Route

Go to the Maps tab and tap Create Route on the lower right. Choose or confirm your sport type, then tap on the map to set your activity's starting point. Once the starting point is set, there are two ways to add to your Route.

Add Points to Your Route

1. Tap the map to add a point where you want the Route to go. It could be any spot along a street or trail, but you can also tap on a specific viewpoint or a nearby cafe.

2. When you add a point, the routebuilder automatically connects it to the last one based on where others have uploaded the same sport in that area.

3. You can add points far apart from each other and see what community-powered suggestion comes up, or you can place them close together to better control the results. If you know exactly where you want to go, you might prefer sketching the route directly on the map (see below.).

4. To undo a point, tap the backward arrow icon in the lower right. To relocate a point, tap it, then select "Move Point." On the map, tap the new location for your point.

5. Continue adding points until your route is complete. You can add more points by tapping the polyline and then Add point.

Draw on the map

1. Tap the pencil icon and trace your finger where you want the Route to go. The route you draw will snap to the nearest roads or trails. For example, if you are creating a road bike route, it will fill in on paved surfaces.

2. When you lift your finger off the map, the Route will end, but you can keep adding to it by tapping the pencil icon and continuing on. 

3. To undo your previous sketch, tap the backward arrow icon next to the pencil icon. Be careful – this will delete everything you last sketched in one go, so it could be extensive.

Manual Mode

1. In the Strava app, select Create Route and then tap on the ellipses in Route Builder to switch to Manual Mode. 

2. In Manual Mode, tap the map to add a straight line from point to point or draw the path you would like to take.

If you are having trouble routing along a specific path, enabling Manual Mode lets you add to your route wherever you want. Toggle to Manual Mode, then click the map to drop a waypoint.

On the mobile app, you can create routes for the following sport types: Run, Trail Run, Walk, Hike, Ride, Mountain Bike Ride, Gravel Ride, Nordic Ski, and Backcountry Ski. On the Strava website, you create a route for any of our sport types.

Edit and save your Route

Even after a Route is complete, you can continue to edit it. 

• To move an existing point, tap it, then select Move Point. On the map, tap the new location for your point.
• To delete the last point you added or sketch you made, tap the backwards arrow in the bottom right. You can also delete any point from the Route by tapping on it and selecting Delete from the prompt. (This could cause the Route to be altered.)
• To reverse or delete the Route, tap the ellipses on the bottom left.

Once you’re happy with your route, tap Save. Create a Route name, and decide if you’d like to download the route for offline use. Additionally, you can set your privacy settings to either Everyone or Only. 

When set to Everyone, your route will be visible and shareable under the routes section of your profile to anyone who can see your profile. When you choose Only You, your route won’t be visible to others or shareable by anyone, even you.

Whichever privacy setting you choose, you’ll be able to access it under Routes in your profile.

 FAQ

Why am I not seeing Winter Sport types on the mobile Maps tab?

At this time, we do not offer suggested routes for ski routes, so you will not see them on the maps tab until you select the create route option. After selecting Create Route in the bottom right, adjust the sport type from the sport picker found there. You may also browse winter sport heatmap data by selecting map-only mode in the top-left corner, then adjusting the sport type. Finally, you can create a winter-sport route on the Strava website.