How to sync Strava runs to Apple Health

Strava is where many runners keep their log, and the Strava iPhone app can write each run to Apple Health as a workout. Once it does, any app that reads Health, including Runtile, sees your runs.

Turn on the Health connection

1. Open the Strava app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your profile picture, then the gear for Settings.
3. Tap Applications, Services and Devices.
4. Tap Health, then Connect.
5. In the Apple Health sheet, turn on Workouts and the other categories, then tap Allow.

From now on, every activity you record with the Strava app is saved to Health as a workout with its distance, duration and, if you had a heart rate sensor, heart rate.

The one thing Strava does not sync

Strava only writes to Health the activities recorded with the Strava app. Runs that arrive in Strava from a Garmin, Coros, Polar, Suunto or Wahoo device are not passed on. Strava does this on purpose so the same run is not written twice by two apps.

So:

• Record with the Strava app on your phone or Apple Watch: Strava writes to Health. You are done.
• Record with an Apple Watch using the Workout app: Apple writes to Health. Strava reads it. Nothing more to do.
• Record with a Garmin or another watch: turn on the Health sync in that brand's app instead. See the Garmin guide or the Coros, Polar and Suunto guide.

Reading Strava too

If Strava is also set to read workouts from Health, an Apple Watch run can appear in Strava and in Health once each. That is fine. Problems start only when two apps both write the same run. Runtile merges those, and this guide explains how.