Strava Live Segments on Garmin Devices

Garmin and Strava have partnered to bring Strava Live segments to your Garmin device.

• Requirements
• Linking your accounts
• Selecting segments
• On your Garmin device
• FAQs

Requirements

• Strava subscription
• Garmin Connect account
• Compatible Garmin device
• Live Segments are only available for riding and running activities

Edge Explore devices are not Strava Live Segments compatible.
Looking for Live Segments on your Garmin Edge 1030? Please see this article.

Linking your accounts

• From the Strava website, hover over the plus sign icon at the top-right of the screen and select Upload Activity to open the device upload page.
  • Click Get Started under the Garmin logo.
  • Select Connect with Garmin and follow the prompts and enter your Garmin Connect account credentials.
• From the mobile app, open your settings from the icon in the upper right corner of the You tab.
  • Tap Applications, Services, and Devices on iOS or Link Other Services on Android > Connect a new device to Strava > Garmin > Connect Garmin.
  • Follow the prompts to enter your Garmin Connect account credentials.

Selecting Segments

• Your starred segments will show up automatically. If you star another one, it will load on your device the next time you sync. You can star segments almost anywhere you can view them - from an activity, in segment explorer, in the mobile app, etc.
• If you set a goal on a segment, it will load onto your device as well, along with an effort representing your goal time.
• A selection of 20-30 popular segments from your area can be loaded on your device as well. Popular segments can be enabled on the Starred Segments page.
• At this time we only sync 100 segments (this includes the 20-30 popular segments if you have them enabled).

• We do not sync downhill segments to devices for Strava Live Segments. Please keep in mind that our system recognizes even the slightest negative grade so there may be segments that display a 0% grade that is considered downhill and therefore will not sync to devices.

On your Garmin device

• You will be alerted when approaching the start of a segment that’s on your device, and when the segment starts. Please be aware that Live Segments are only available for riding and running activities.
• During the segment, you can choose which effort to be compared against. You will always be able to select the KOM/QOM, and you could also have your PR, your goal, or the time from another athlete. The default priority is as follows: 

1. 1. 1. Goal (if you have one set for the segment)
      2. Rival (next person above you that you're following on the leaderboard)
      3. PR
      4. KOM/QOM

• You will be notified when you complete the segment, and whether you beat the time you were competing against. The times shown on the device during an activity are preliminary and the times shown on Strava after uploading are final.
• Segment notifications appear automatically, but you can cancel out the Live Segment experience as it is happening
• On your device, you can also temporarily disable individual segments or the entire Live Segments experience, or permanently delete some or all segments from your device. This will not affect your starred segments or anything else in your Strava account.
   
   

FAQs 

Why is my segment time different after I upload than it was on my Garmin?

Garmin devices use a different algorithm for determining when a user starts and finishes a segment than Strava uses, which can affect the elapsed time reported for the segment. To ensure consistency between users, the times shown on the Garmin during an activity are preliminary, and the times shown on Strava after uploading are final.

Why didn’t one of my starred segments show up while I was riding it?

During a ride, if the GPS signal is poor, it can be hard to determine whether a user is on a particular segment or not. After the activity is uploaded, Strava can examine the entire activity and more accurately determine which segments were ridden - including the ones that didn’t show up in real-time.

Can I use Live Segments on my Garmin while following a course?

At this time, the Live Segment feature will not overlay on top of the course screen.

What if I cannot get my segments to load to my Garmin?

Your Garmin may still be set to use Garmin segments instead of Strava segments. To check this, open Garmin Connect, go to Training & Planning > Segments, and ensure that Strava Segments is selected, not Garmin Segments.