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How can an Android app read real-time Strava app data whilst it is being recorded?

  • February 3, 2026
  • 0 replies
  • 27 views

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If this isn't the right place to post this question, then please tell me where I should (I'm aware the API is only for finished activities).

I want to create an Android app that analyses real-time distance and time data. I hope to use the Strava Android app as my real-time data source because (1) it’s my primary app for recording activities; (2) avoids reinventing a distance algorithm; and (3) no two apps will perfectly agree on distance. However, I cannot find any Strava app supported way to do this and I'm wondering whether anyone has any ideas?

So far, I’ve explored the following:

  1. The Strava app supports Android Intents, but it appears limited to another app starting/stopping recording.
  2. An Android NotificationListenerService can read the Strava app recording notification, however I need distance with at least two decimal places, like everywhere else in the Strava app, whereas in the notification Strava have made distance only one decimal place.
  3. An Android Accessibility Service might be created to read the Strava app recording screen, which I'm attempting, but I don't have a working proof of concept yet.

I’ve emailed developer@strava.com, who replied saying that real-time metrics aren't available through the API, only finished activities, which I'm aware of, but they didn’t mention the Strava app itself, so whilst I continue that conversation, I thought I'd post here to see if anyone is aware of any methods?

If the Strava Android app doesn’t have any supported way for doing it, then perhaps the simplest solution would be for them to increase the Strava Android app recording notification distance decimal places from one to two to make it consistent with the number of decimal places displayed in every other location within the Strava Android app, but I digress.

Thanks