Strava, the popular social networking app for athletes and a leading digital community, has introduced a new feature in its latest update – Messaging. This feature allows Strava members to connect with each other and provide motivation in new ways. Read on for more details about Strava’s Messaging feature.
Introducing Strava Messaging
With a community of over 100 million athletes, Strava is finally releasing the ability for its members to communicate with each other through direct messages and group chats in version 335 of the app. The introduction of Messaging is based on Strava’s research, which shows that people perform better together. The goal of Messaging is to empower athletes to motivate each other, coordinate workouts, share progress, and inspire one another. According to Strava:
Strava Messaging bridges the gap between tactical planning and meaningful engagement, embodying Strava’s commitment to empowering athletes and fostering a thriving community. It’s a catalyst for real-time connections and discussions to transform the athletes’ experiences.
Strava’s decision to introduce Messaging is based on the idea that having others push and inspire you during workouts can make a significant difference.
Messaging in action
In its debut in version 335 of Strava, Messaging offers two modes of communication: one-to-one direct messages and group messages. Members can celebrate each other’s achievements, coordinate activities, and enjoy additional features such as:
- Share an Activity and/or Route: Easily share activities and routes in messages to assist with coordination and celebration.
- Group Message Customization: Message creators can personalize group chat names for a more tailored experience.
- Have Fun: Athletes can bring motivation, excitement, and friendly competition through message reactions, gifs, and replies.
Strava members can choose their level of engagement with Messaging, allowing them to customize their in-app experience. They can select “Following,” “Mutuals,” or “No One” to control who can message them directly or invite them to a group chat.
Michael Hicks of Android Central tested Strava’s Messaging feature and noted:
I tested Strava Messaging with a colleague. It’s basic compared to the best messaging apps, but it includes essential features like sharing links, replying to messages, adding emojis, marking messages unread, and customizing group chat names.
While photo sharing is not yet available in Strava Messaging, it is expected to be introduced in early 2024.
What are your thoughts on Strava’s Messaging feature? Will you use it with your friends or other Strava community members? Let us know in the comments below.
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