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Location and activity data

How fitness routes and activity sharing expose location

Strava and Garmin document separate controls for activity audiences, map visibility, connected apps, community maps and live tracking. One choice does not cover every route copy.

Sources checked .

Conceptual illustration

An activity can combine route, time and personal metrics

Strava describes an activity details page containing date, time, biometrics, maps, segment matches and other metrics. Its Everyone, Followers and Only You choices control access to that page. A private detail page does not mean every related challenge-progress indicator disappears. Strava: activity audiences and future defaults

Map hiding and activity audiences serve different purposes

Strava says hiding part of a map does not replace the activity's audience choice. It also warns that additional information can still permit someone to infer a hidden location and that its map-visibility settings do not travel with activity data shared to another service. Strava: hidden-map controls and limits

An authorized app can have a different view

Strava's private-activity API permission can allow a connected app to read Only You activities and hidden portions of their maps. The granted permission matters. A hidden area on the activity screen is not proof that every authorized recipient receives a similarly shortened route. Strava: private-activity API permissions

A personal heatmap is different from a community map

Strava describes Global, Weekly, Night and Personal heatmaps with different purposes. The Personal map is a private view of the account's GPS activity and can include private activities or areas hidden to others. Its display choices should not be mistaken for a community-contribution opt-out. Strava: community versus personal heatmaps

Garmin separates default, individual activity and course privacy

Garmin's current U.S. help documents global privacy settings, individual uploaded activity privacy and separate course privacy. It also notes that certain features have their own rules and child-account settings can vary. Review the actual activity or course instead of assuming one default describes every item. Garmin: global, activity and course privacy

LiveTrack can share an activity as it happens

Garmin says a LiveTrack session can display current location, a planned route and specified activity or health metrics to designated viewers. Compatible devices can start sessions automatically. Pausing an activity can leave location updates running until the activity is saved or discarded; Garmin also documents an explicit Stop LiveTrack control. Device and connectivity requirements vary. Garmin: LiveTrack sharing, Auto Start and stopping

Questions and answers

Does a hidden map endpoint guarantee a hidden location cannot be inferred?

Strava expressly warns that additional information can still reveal it. Strava: hidden-map controls and limits

Can an app permission include private activity maps?

Strava documents that scope for private-activity API access. Strava: private-activity API permissions

Does pausing a Garmin activity necessarily stop LiveTrack?

Garmin says location updates can continue while paused. Garmin: LiveTrack sharing, Auto Start and stopping

Sources and scope

Primary Strava and Garmin documentation checked 10-24-2026. Strava map/FAQ/settings articles are dated 09-14-2026, API permissions 09-18-2026 and heatmaps 09-17-2026. Garmin instructions are the current U.S. public pages and retain feature/device qualifications. These are provider disclosures and control scopes, not measurements of a person's activity or proof of any account's present settings.

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