Allow Beacon to be sent to email addresses

[ajpoe17]

My mother uses an iPad and iMessages with her iCloud email but no phone number. So, I can't add her to my Beacon list because she doesn't have a phone number that can receive text messages. It would be extremely helpful to be able to send a Beacon to an email address, too. Right now, I have to have the Beacon texted to my own cell number so I can copy the text and paste it into an email to her. And, that is not very safe to do once I've started cycling.

[Soren]

Thanks for submitting your idea regarding Beacon. It has been reviewed by our moderation team and is now open to voting.

[zecanard]

Until Strava implements this, and provided you’re an iPhone user (since you iMessage your mom), you can set up an automation in the iOS Shortcuts app. It’s an Apple app, but I can’t remember if it’s installed by default, so you may have to download it from the App Store.

Set up the automation like so:

• Personal Automation.
• Trigger: Message.
• Sender: The number Strava sends Beacons from (may have to be in your Contacts).
• Message Contains: Leave blank, or type in some part of the Beacon message to avoid false positives.
• Action: Send Message or Send Email.
• Message: Scroll the menu above the keyboard all the way to the right and tap <Shortcut Input>.
• To: Your mother’s iCloud email.
• Show When Run/Show Compose Sheet: Tap the ⧁ to expand options, then switch it Off.

Shortcuts will pop up a notification to confirm that you want to forward the message, so there’s still that extra step. But it’s much easier and quicker than what you’re currently having to do.

[ajpoe17]

Awesome! I am not well versed with the automation app and thought that might be a solution. But, I could not figure it out and could not find steps online. I will give this a shot!

[zecanard]

@ajpoe17 iOS 17 expands the ability for a lot more Shortcuts triggers to execute without requiring a confirmation from the user. This includes reacting to a message received:

iOS 17 will be released in mid-September for iPhone XS/XR and later, with a public beta coming in mid-July (install at your own risk).

[ajpoe17]

I appreciate the update. I run Strava on my watch using cellular so I don't have to carry my phone. I've been using the automation and it is pretty easy to tell it to run from my watch when the notification pops up. But, to have it automatically do it will be really nice! This will eliminate the need for the feature on Strava and gives a lot more flexibility. Thanks again!