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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchYou can let a few trusted people follow a run in real time without making the finished route public. Keep live tracking, saved-activity visibility, group recognition, map visibility, and third-party app access as separate settings. On Strava, Beacon is for live sharing; activity privacy and map controls govern what people can see later. Garmin LiveTrack is another option on compatible setups, but anyone who gets its link may be able to see the device’s live location.
Choose what to share—and with whom
“Tracking a group run” can mean two different things: letting a safety contact see progress while the run is underway, or having a platform recognize that several athletes recorded the same activity. Neither requires making the saved route visible to everyone.
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| Sharing surface | What it does | Audience and timing |
|---|---|---|
| Live location | Shows a runner’s current progress during an activity | Selected contacts or people with a live link, while the activity is recording |
| Saved activity | Shows the completed activity, such as its route and details | Audience depends on activity visibility settings after upload |
| Group-activity recognition | Matches an activity with another athlete’s activity | Platform feature; it does not set who can see the activity itself |
| Map visibility | Limits how much of a route map other users can see | Applies to map display on the platform; connected services may behave differently |
For a private check-in, share live location only with people you trust, then separately restrict the saved activity and its map. A live link is sensitive: a recipient may forward it, and anyone who obtains some live-sharing links may be able to view the location.
Use Strava Beacon for a live check-in
Strava Beacon shares live location from a recording in the Strava mobile app. Strava’s current Help Center instructions describe a limit of up to three safety contacts. A recipient does not need a Strava account; they view a live page in a mobile browser.
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- In the Strava mobile app, open Record.
- Expand the recording menu and choose Share Live Location.
- Enable Beacon and, if desired, select up to three safety contacts.
- Start the recording, then send the Beacon text from the record screen. Confirm that the message is sent for this run; enabling Beacon does not automatically send a link for every later recording.
If you decline contact access, Strava says you can still generate and copy a link. Share it only with the intended recipients. Strava describes location updates as occurring about every 15 seconds, depending on cell service, so do not treat that interval as guaranteed. Recipients can see current and past location, where recording began, recording status, and the time of the last status update. After the activity is saved and uploaded, they see the finished activity.
Strava’s instructions are on its Strava Beacon help page. Beacon is a way to share location, not a guarantee that someone will respond or an emergency-response service.
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Restrict the Strava activity after the run
Set the saved activity’s visibility independently of Beacon. Choose the audience you intend for the completed activity; do not assume that a private live share makes the uploaded activity private. Strava’s group-activity control governs whether activities are grouped with another athlete’s, not who can view an activity. Its privacy guidance says the group setting cannot be toggled separately for each activity, applies to existing and new activities, and can be changed later. An individual activity can also be removed from a group. A more restrictive activity privacy setting takes precedence over group matching.
- Set Activity visibility to the audience you want for the saved run.
- Set Group Activities to Followers or No One if you do not want broad group recognition.
- Review Flyby and profile visibility as separate controls; do not assume changing one setting changes the others.
For current setting details, see Strava’s Privacy Controls and Group Activities help pages.
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Limit what the route map reveals
A route can disclose more than the fact that you ran. Strava’s Map Visibility controls can hide address areas, activity starts and ends, or the entire map. Consider which option fits the activity: hiding a home or work area may still leave much of the route visible, while hiding the full map removes more route detail from the Strava display.
Map controls on Strava do not necessarily carry over to third-party services. Strava warns that certain authorized services may access private activities or map portions hidden on Strava. Review connected apps and the permissions you have granted, and check each service’s own sharing controls. Restricting a map reduces exposure on one surface; it does not guarantee that location patterns cannot be inferred from other shared information.
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Consider Garmin LiveTrack if your setup supports it
Garmin LiveTrack shares real-time location through a link on some Garmin devices. Availability depends on device and setup, so check current Garmin support for compatibility before relying on it. Garmin’s Connect Privacy Policy, dated June 18, 2025, warns that anyone with access to the link can see the Garmin device’s real-time location and advises sharing it only with people you trust not to pass it on.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteGarmin Connect activity data is private by default, according to Garmin, but interacting with other users or enabling a sharing service can expose selected data. Treat live location and saved activity privacy as separate choices here, too. Garmin’s Connect Privacy Policy explains its warning about LiveTrack links.
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Reduce exposure before, during, and after a run
- Before: Decide which trusted person needs live progress, and send the live link only to that person or the intended safety contacts.
- During: Confirm the live share was actually sent for this recording. Avoid posting or forwarding the link in a public group.
- After: End the activity promptly, select the saved activity’s audience, and check its map before sharing or leaving it visible.
- Across services: Review connected apps and remove access you no longer need; a platform’s map or activity restrictions may not apply to an authorized third party.
South Wales Police advises that exposed running data can reveal routes and patterns such as time of day, and recommends restrictive activity, group, and map settings. A 2022 proof-of-concept paper by Ulku Meteriz-Yildiran, Necip Fazil Yildiran, Joongheon Kim, and David Mohaisen examines predicting a city or borough from shared elevation profiles under specified threat models. That does not establish that every route or elevation profile reveals a home location, but it is a reason not to treat a hidden map as a complete privacy guarantee. See the South Wales Police running-data guidance and the 2022 paper on location prediction from elevation profiles.
Carrying a phone for Beacon
Beacon uses the Strava mobile app, so you need a comfortable way to carry your phone if you plan to record with it. An armband is one option, but it does not change privacy settings or provide emergency protection; no accessory is needed if you already have a secure, comfortable way to carry your phone.
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