Strava is coming for your favourite hiking app with smarter maps, offline navigation, hands-free navigation and more

Strava might still be best known for helping runners and cyclists track their workouts, but the fitness platform has spent the last few years building a fully fledged outdoor navigation app.

(Not to mention all the strength training stuff, but that's another story.)

Its latest update, announced on 22 October, takes that ambition another step forward by introducing smarter route searches, improved offline mapping and community-powered recommendations, with hands-free turn-by-turn navigation also on the horizon.

For hikers, in particular, the changes could make Strava a more compelling alternative to dedicated outdoor apps such as AllTrails and Komoot, especially for those already paying for a Strava subscription.

Finding your next adventure just got easier

One of the biggest improvements puts Strava's LLM to good use by letting you look for routes and points of interest using natural language.

Strava has also expanded its library of recommended routes, while redesigned route cards now provide additional context through photographs and activity data contributed by the platform's community of more than 200 million users.

The idea is to make choosing a route less of a guessing game, particularly when exploring unfamiliar areas.

Further improvements are on the way, too, including community-generated descriptions and tags that highlight interesting features along routes, such as waterfalls and notable trees.

Strava says these insights will be informed by aggregated activity data from its users, potentially making the information more relevant to the routes people actually explore.

No signal? No problem

Perhaps more importantly for outdoor enthusiasts, Strava is improving how its app behaves when mobile reception disappears.

Saved routes will now appear directly on the home screen when offline, and you can start and record activities offline, with your workouts automatically uploaded once connectivity returns.

Strava has confirmed that subscribers will soon be able to access hands-free, turn-by-turn audio navigation when following routes on hikes, walks and runs.

According to the company, you will receive spoken directions telling you when to turn, bringing the experience closer to that offered by dedicated navigation apps.

Strava also plans to introduce improved route discovery through its website.

Strava's outdoor ambitions are becoming impossible to ignore

These updates are the latest in a series of improvements that have gradually transformed Strava's outdoor credentials.

The company acquired specialist outdoor mapping platform FATMAP in 2023, subsequently integrating elements of its advanced terrain visualisation technology into Strava's mapping experience.

Since then, the platform has continued expanding its route planning, trail discovery and navigation capabilities, increasingly catering to hikers and outdoor adventurers alongside its traditional running and cycling audience.

Of course, dedicated hiking apps still have their advantages, and Strava isn't necessarily ready to replace every specialist navigation tool.

Nevertheless, with smarter route discovery, improved offline functionality and spoken navigation on the way, Strava is making an increasingly convincing argument that the app you already use to track your workouts could also help you find your next adventure.

You can sign up for Strava for free.