Strava Notifications: How to Manage Alerts on Mobile and Web

How do I turn off notifications on Strava?

Managing your Strava notifications is straightforward and can be done through both the mobile app and the Strava website, allowing you to customize alerts for activities, social interactions, challenges, and more, thereby optimizing your focus and digital well-being.

Understanding Strava Notifications

Strava, a leading platform for athletes, provides various types of notifications designed to keep you engaged with your fitness community and personal progress. These typically fall into categories such as:

• Activity-Related: Kudos, comments, shares on your activities.
• Social Interactions: New followers, follow requests, messages.
• Challenges & Clubs: Updates on challenges you've joined, club activities, or leaderboards.
• Product Updates: Information from Strava itself.

While these can foster community and motivation, an overload of alerts can disrupt focus, particularly during recovery or dedicated training blocks. Customizing your notification settings allows you to maintain control over your digital environment.

Turning Off Notifications on the Strava Mobile App

The Strava mobile application offers granular control over push notifications directly from your smartphone. The process is largely similar for both iOS and Android devices.

1. Open the Strava App: Launch the Strava application on your smartphone.
2. Navigate to Your Profile: Tap the "You" icon (or "Profile") located in the bottom right corner of the screen.
3. Access Settings: Tap the gear icon (⚙️) located in the top right corner of your profile screen. This will open the Settings menu.
4. Select Notification Preferences: Within the Settings menu, you will typically find options for "Push Notifications" and "Email Notifications."
   • Push Notifications: This controls the alerts that pop up directly on your phone screen.
   • Email Notifications: This manages the emails Strava sends to your registered email address.
5. Customize Your Alerts:
   • Tap on "Push Notifications." Here, you will see a list of various notification categories (e.g., "Kudos," "Comments," "New Followers," "Challenges," "Club Activities").
   • Toggle off the specific categories you no longer wish to receive alerts for. You can choose to disable all push notifications or selectively turn off those that are most distracting.
   • Repeat the process for "Email Notifications" if you wish to manage the emails you receive from Strava.
6. Device-Level Notifications: For complete silence, you may also need to adjust notification settings directly within your phone's operating system (iOS Settings or Android Settings). Navigate to Apps > Strava > Notifications and modify permissions there. This can be useful if you want to temporarily mute all Strava alerts without changing in-app settings.

Managing Notifications on the Strava Website

For those who prefer to manage their settings from a desktop or laptop, Strava's website provides similar control over email notifications and, in some cases, browser-based push notifications.

1. Log In to Strava.com: Open your web browser and go to www.strava.com. Log in with your credentials.
2. Access Your Settings:
   • Once logged in, hover your mouse over your profile picture (or avatar) located in the top right corner of the page.
   • From the dropdown menu, select "Settings."
3. Navigate to Notification Preferences: On the left-hand sidebar of the Settings page, click on "Email Notifications."
4. Customize Your Email Alerts:
   • You will see a comprehensive list of email notification types, mirroring those found in the mobile app.
   • Uncheck the boxes next to any category for which you no longer wish to receive email alerts.
   • Click "Save" at the bottom of the page to apply your changes.
5. Browser Push Notifications: If you have previously enabled browser push notifications for Strava, you may need to manage these directly through your web browser's settings (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari) under "Site Settings" or "Notifications."

Why Customize Your Notifications?

From an exercise science and kinesiology perspective, managing digital distractions is crucial for optimizing performance, recovery, and overall well-being.

• Enhanced Focus During Training: Constant pings can break concentration during critical warm-ups, main sets, or cool-downs, impacting proprioception and motor control. By minimizing alerts, you can maintain a heightened state of awareness and focus on your body's signals.
• Improved Recovery and Mindfulness: The recovery phase is as vital as the training itself. Reducing notification noise allows your mind to truly disengage, promoting mental recovery and reducing cognitive load, which can indirectly support physiological repair processes.
• Intentional Data Review: Rather than reacting to every kudos or comment, muting notifications encourages you to intentionally set aside time for data analysis. This structured approach allows for a more thorough review of metrics, identification of trends, and thoughtful planning for future sessions, aligning with principles of periodization and progressive overload.
• Digital Well-being: Excessive notifications contribute to screen fatigue and 'always-on' syndrome. Customizing your alerts promotes healthier digital habits, fostering a better work-life-training balance and reducing stress associated with constant connectivity.

Troubleshooting Common Notification Issues

If you've adjusted your settings but are still receiving unwanted notifications, consider these steps:

• Check Both App and Email Settings: Ensure you've modified preferences in both the "Push Notifications" and "Email Notifications" sections of the Strava app/website.
• Verify Device-Level Permissions: Double-check your phone's system settings to ensure Strava has the correct notification permissions. Sometimes, system-level settings can override in-app preferences.
• Clear App Cache: For persistent issues on mobile, clearing the Strava app's cache (via your phone's app settings) can sometimes resolve glitches.
• Update Strava App: Ensure your Strava app is updated to the latest version, as bugs can sometimes affect notification delivery.
• Reinstall App: As a last resort, deleting and reinstalling the Strava app can sometimes resolve deep-seated issues (ensure you know your login details).

By taking control of your Strava notifications, you can transform your digital experience from a source of potential distraction into a powerful tool that supports your fitness journey on your terms.