Strava update finally gives users their most requested feature: dark mode

Runners and cyclists have long complained that opening the app could mean being hit by blazing light

(Getty Images)

Strava has finally introduced dark mode, one of its users’ most requested features.

The new look is perhaps the headline update of a whole host of features that Strava recently announced, and which are expected to roll out soon. Last month, Strava said that it would be working at a new speed to add new initiatives and product developments.

Strava said that the new tool will reduce eye screen, make the app more accessible, and allow users to customise the app better to their preferences.

As with most apps, it simply offers a flipped version of the colours of the normal app: the white backgrounds become black, with white text and details on top. Strava’s maps will also change to a darkened mode.

The setting can be found on the latest version of the app, where it will be found by clicking “you”, then choosing the settings icon, going to “preferences” and then “appearance”. The option will then be presented, with the default matching the phone’s operating system settings.

Dark mode was first introduced to the iPhone in iOS 13, in 2019, which allows users to set their preferences and have it reflected across both Apple’s own and third-party apps. Since then, almost all apps have looked to introduce it.

But Strava was a notable holdout. As the technology gained popularity, it meant that users expected their phone to stay dark – and that those apps that kept a white background were likely to be even more surprising.

Now Strava will finally offer the option. As with most apps that have integrated dark mode, users can choose to have it match the setting of their device, or have the app always in dark or light mode.

It comes amid a range of updates announced by Strava last month. They also include AI-powered tools to spot when people are cheating on leaderboards, a new family subscription, and initiatives including new tools aimed at making women feel safer when working out and using the platform.