Strava reverses decision on third-party device sync with Apple Health

Strava has reversed course on its decision to stop allowing users to sync activities recorded with third party devices via its platform to Apple Health.

To remind – this is the bit that had changed in the Strava Apple Health policy update a few days ago.

“Strava will not send data to Health such as route information, activity type, distance, time and calories automatically. Please be aware that activities recorded from third-party devices (Garmin, Zwift, etc) will not sync to Health.”

Lots of unhappy customers

Customers took to social media to vent their frustration with the change. One example is a long thread on Reddit discussing the implications. Previously, users were able to use Strava as a go-between between certain third-party devices and Apple Health. It made things easier for lots of people.

The change meant that, only activities that originate from Strava will be synced to Apple Health. Another obstacle in getting the rings closed! For many people it was seen as a step back for inter-device operability.

If the decision had stayed – it would mean that if you have a Garmin or Wahoo – you would need to sync both to Strava and Apple Health. And Zwift does not talk directly to Apple Health. Unless you use the Apple Watch as a heart rate monitor. This enables a Zwift Health sync, as long as the Zwift Companion app has write permissions to Apple Health. Running Zwift on Apple TV and the Companion app on iPhone will also enable a Zwift to Apple Health sync. But it’s far from ideal.

Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets

There is a workaround. It turns out, there are third-party apps that can do this job for you. One that has been mentioned repeatedly on Reddit is RunGap. It offers a bi-directional sync between Apple Watch, Apple Health and Strava.

So the route would be: Garmin (or other device) > Strava > RunGap > Apple Health.

The settings on RunGap should look like this.

Mind you, you would need to fork out for a RunGap subscription which currently totals $3.99 for 3 months or $10.99 for a year. HealthFit is another app that was mentioned as a workaround.

Strava reverses course on its decision

We are happy to report that as of a few hours ago, Strava has turned syncing back on for 3rd parties into Apple Health. We thought the initial decision was because of a new requirement from Apple that the company is complying with. But it turns out this was not the case. Here’s what one user on Reddit received from Strava in his support ticket.

We appreciate your feedback and apologize for any inconvenience and frustration this change caused. We have turned syncing back on for third party applications to Apple Health. All your activities should start transferring again, including those missed from the last few days. 

This means your Zwift, Garmin, TrainerRoad, Peloton, Wahoo, or whatever app you use to record your workouts on Strava will once again make their way to Apple Health to close those rings. Keep striving on and we’ll go back to the lab to figure out a better way to prevent duplicates from happening on Apple Health.

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