Finally! Strava now lets you message your friends without leaving the app

How many times in the last few years have I thought, 'Man, wouldn't it be, like, 100 times easier if I could organise a session with my running group in Strava instead of going back and forth between that and WhatsApp/Messenger/Slack/whatever?' It seemed Strava wasn't interested in adding a messaging feature – until now!

Today, Strava has announced Messaging, an "efficient avenue for athletes to coordinate adventures, connect for inspiration or tips, share their journey, and more." Considering that messaging apps are the most used smartphone applications these days, it's strange that Strava waited so long to add this feature. Not complaining, though.

The new feature offers two core options: direct (one-on-one) and group messages.  Additional features integrated into Strava Messaging include the ability to share an Activity and/or Route, group message customisation (i.e. rename group) and share GIFs.

The most exciting bit, of course, is the first of those additional features. Setting up a group chat with your local runners/riders and sharing Activities and Routes will make it 1,000 times easier to coordinate sessions. Plus, it'll also make it easier to brag about your achievements to people you've just beat on the track!

Settings will be automatically set based on your profile visibility but can be adjusted to receive messages to and from ‘Following,’ ‘Mutuals,’ or ‘No One’ under settings in the Strava app. We all know the dangers of oversharing location information on Strava, so it's great to see that the app won't let this happen unless you allow it. Nevertheless, we'd recommend checking the settings once the update rolls out.

Strava is planning on expanding the messaging feature in early 2024 by allowing you to use messaging within Strava Clubs (e.g. conversations based on specific topics within a club, uploading photos with messages, and the ability to share clubs, posts and events within Messaging. To learn more about Strava Messaging, visit Strava today.