Making an Android home screen shortcut to record a Strava ride
Created: 09 Jun 2013
I use the Strava Cycling Android app to record my cycle commutes.
One minor frustration is the amount of time it can take to start recording a ride. The application doesn’t always open on the record activity page and the navigation from other parts of the app to the record activity screen involves hitting and selecting from a smallish menu. This is mostly an issue during the colder months when I’m wearing gloves, making my fingers fatter and clumsier than usual.
Since the app doesnt currently have a record ride widget, I decided to work out how to make a shortcut directly from my home screen to recording a ride. This turned out to be easy.
How to create a shortcut
Note that these instructions also work for Strava Run, which is basically the same app, the only difference being that it defaults to recording runs and has some different image decoration.
Take two minutes to micro-optimise your Strava recording:
- Install QuickShortcutMaker from the Play Store.
- Open the app and search for strava.
- Click on the activity that’s called com.strava.com/com.strava.NewRideActivity (see below).
- Hit the Try button to test it works.
- Call the shortcut “Record ride” or something that is similarly meaningful to you.
- Hit the OK button
- Revel in the 4 or 5 seconds saved per day.
Pimping your ride icon
If you’d like to make it a bit more obvious what your shortcut does, by visually differentiating it from the Strava app icon, then you can search for a freeware record button icon. I used this one from the helpful IconArchive, I’m sure there are lots more a short google search away.
- Visit the image url in your browser.
- Touch the image until the option to save the file appears.
- Repeat the steps above to start saving a shortcut.
- Instead of accepting the default Strava icon, choose your downloaded image instead.
- Revel in the 400 or 500 milliseconds saved each day.
