The company’s new feature, Beacon, lets you trigger the app to begin recording your location when you start an activity. The thinking is that it will offer these contacts – be it friends, family or otherwise – some peace of mind while the athlete is out riding.
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Strava announced the addition to its new safety feature called “Beacon” that allows loved ones to see the user’s location in real-time. Whether you are training regularly, commuting back and forth, or heading out for the occasional workout, we’re confident that all types of athletes will find Beacon valuable’.
To use Beacon, the user must update to the latest version of the app and make sure that location services for Strava is turned on.
The friends, partners, and parents who use Beacon don’t have to log in to Strava, or even install the app. Strava users just send them a secure and randomized URL, compatible with any desktop or mobile browser.
“Let’s say it’s 3:30, you said you’d be home at 3:00 and you’re not moving towards home”, said Ethan Hollinshead, Senior Product Manager on Strava’s blog. If you’re not back on time, they can check in and, if necessary, see your location via Global Positioning System. Then, when you start a new run or ride, tap the Beacon icon in the lower right and pick three safety contacts to receive your location. They’ll then get a text message with a link to view your Global Positioning System location.
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Note that the tracking stops after every activity, so if you’re going to start a new one, do not forget to send out the Beacon again. Premium memberships costs $6 (£4) a month or $59 (£40) a year.
![Strava app adds Find Friends-style Beacon feature for Premium users [Video]](http://lidtime.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Cycling-and-running-app-Strava.png "Strava app adds Find Friends-style Beacon feature for Premium users [Video]")
