Strava GPS recording problems. Phone-related?

[robjh]

I have at long last tried to move into the Strava age, using the app on my phone, and set the recording mode to GPS only (rather than GPS + data to save on battery + my data allowance).
Over several days, I have not managed to get a whole ride recorded. I either get the start or end missing, and sometimes gaps in the middle that are replaced by a straight line and daft maximum speeds (148km/h!). Additionally, today I got segments that ran parallel to but not on the roads, linked then by straight lines back to the real route.

In this example the western end is a straight line, missing about 6 miles, and it stops a couple of miles short of home.

My phone is a Huawei P8, and I gather GPS problems are not unknown on this make (but not limited to it either). I've tried various on-line tips to change phone settings but I've still not had 100% success.

Are other people managing OK using phones to record their rides on Strava?
Any ideas?

 

[LarryDuff]

I used to record my rides on my phone when I had samsung galaxy but since I changed to a Huawei P9 I have changed to using a gps computer. I had a number of rides where the gps cut out.

 

[vickster]

Never had an issue with iOS

 

[jefmcg]

I have at long last tried to move into the Strava age, using the app on my phone, and set the recording mode to GPS only (rather than GPS + data to save on battery + my data allowance).
Over several days, I have not managed to get a whole ride recorded. I either get the start or end missing, and sometimes gaps in the middle that are replaced by a straight line and daft maximum speeds (148km/h!). Additionally, today I got segments that ran parallel to but not on the roads, linked then by straight lines back to the real route.

In this example the western end is a straight line, missing about 6 miles, and it stops a couple of miles short of home.
View attachment 399909
My phone is a Huawei P8, and I gather GPS problems are not unknown on this make (but not limited to it either). I've tried various on-line tips to change phone settings but I've still not had 100% success.

Are other people managing OK using phones to record their rides on Strava?
Any ideas?

Seems phone related.

 

[robjh]

Never had an issue with iOS

I'm using Android, but

Seems phone related.

yes I think highly likely. Google results suggest that the Huawei phones may turn off GPS tracking through over-vigorous battery-saving settings, but to me that doesn't adequately explain why there are gaps in the middle of rides, or why a segment which is basically being correctly tracked, judging by the shape of the route, should then map to a quarter of a mile off-road when it is loaded onto a map.

 

[Spartak]

@robjh

In the battery settings you can uncheck the "close excessively power-intensive apps".

Perhaps try that ...

 

[Alan O]

I've actually had one fail with iOS, when Strava just stopped recording about two thirds of the way through a ride - it was still running at the end and I could stop and save the ride OK, it just had a big chunk of the route missing. Battery wasn't an issue, as it was connected to a power bank all the time and was still at 100%.

Having said that, if it's happening repeatedly on your Huawei, your problem probably is phone related.

 

[vickster]

I'm using Android, but

Indeed but you did ask about Strava and phones not Strava and Android phones specifically

 

[Lavender Rose]

I have never had issues with Strava and Android. I now have a Moto E4+ and before I had an LG G5. No real issues with either so far. It does depend on network as well.

 

[jefmcg]

. It does depend on network as well.

No it doesn't. Strava records rides perfectly well with no network at all.

 

[Jody]

Are you using any apps or opening the phone to say take a picture? That always causes Strava to pause and stop recording a ride.

Also, have you set up privacy zones near your house to blank the last mile out?

 

[robjh]

Are you using any apps or opening the phone to say take a picture? That always causes Strava to pause and stop recording a ride.

Not on the ride yesterday, but that may possibly explain one of my earlier rides where Strava lost everything before a 5-minute break I took half way, and looked at some phone apps (then still added some crazy straight line bits at the end to places I hadn't been).

Also, have you set up privacy zones near your house to blank the last mile out?

No, I hadn't heard of these but they sound like an interesting idea.

 

[robjh]

@robjh

In the battery settings you can uncheck the "close excessively power-intensive apps".

Perhaps try that ...

Yes I've done that.

 

[Alan O]

@robjh

In the battery settings you can uncheck the "close excessively power-intensive apps".

Perhaps try that ...

Perhaps close all apps other than Strava and see how that goes?

 

[jefmcg]

Strava lost everything before a 5-minute break I took half way, and looked at some phone apps

When android starts running out of memory, it starts killing apps. That sounds like what happened here. Strava can usually recover, but sometimes data is lost forever.

(then still added some crazy straight line bits at the end to places I hadn't been).

That's definitely phone related. With previous phones, I've occasionally taken a quick diversion to the mid Atlantic and back.