[Closed] Strava Beacon now free

That could be useful, thanks for sharing.

It’s better than the Android phone locator IMHO as the recipient gets a real time map

Interesting. I couldn't figure out why someone just wouldn't use Location Sharing in Google Maps.

Just tried it and it's coming up as a free trial with sub to follow.

Beacon is now free on a phone but not a device connected to your phone

https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/31/22649880/strava-beacon-live-location-tracking-map-data-privacy

As i'm signed up for a year i can't check. I recieved the news in an email this morning, i'm in the uk

What does this give you that LiveTrack / Assistance on a Garmin device doesn't?

It's surely just the same thing but for folk that are just using the Strava app to record rides.

As scottroutes says Garmin users have it covered any way. This just brings it free to all smart phone users. It's why i payed for strava

If you do use this make sure to go back to the app and make sure your ride recording has started once you’ve sent the text to you chosen contacts. I tried it for the 1st time tonight and somehow managed to balls this up so that I didn’t record my ride and my wife couldn’t see where I was at any point (assuming she bothered to check at all).

Only works if using your phone to record the activity - which sounds great, but given how mince phone GPS is, I'm not sure how safety-led this actually is as it can be wildly inaccurate.

Maybe not as inaccurate as I'm making out but seeing some routes recorded on the phone app, I'm not convinced it is as accurate as it could/should be, but it relies on the phone GPS which isn't as reliable/accurate as a dedicated device.

There are all kinds of weaknesses with this system but i wouldnt have thought gps accuracy was a huge issue her. Firstly the only measurements I've ever seen show iphone gps to be way more accurate than watches like the fenix. My phone seems to know where i am although its less good under trees, in a wet bag or pocket where you block the sky. Certainly no worse than my suunto watch

But if some is searching for me a location within 100m would be a big boost to the chances of finding me. Most gps is better than that

https://fellrnr.com/wiki/GPS_Accuracy

Those times I've used my iPhone to "locate me" it's been pretty accurate, within 10m or so. Not tried it in tree cover (I've a Garmin for actual biking use*) but it works in city centres which can have similar problems for GPS systems.

*I think I used my phone once earlier this year to record a ride, I'd either forgotten the Garmin or the battery on it was flat.