How To Block Followers on Strava

Can you block followers on Strava? Are they notified if you remove them? Can you track an athlete without them knowing? How do you get new followers on Strava? This page will answer all these questions and more.

I use Strava constantly. Not in an obsessive way, I’m not interested in KOMs, more tracking distance, time over that distance and measuring improvement and decline in my fitness. Millions of others also use Strava, which often prompts questions about the app. This page is going to answer a few of the more common ones I see.

Can you block followers on Strava?

You can block followers in Strava. This isn’t Facebook though so you should rarely ever have to do this. You would be much better off unfollowing them. I’ll show you both.

To block a follower on Strava, do this:

1. Log into Strava.
2. Select your profile image on the top right and select My Profile.
3. Select Following from the center tab.
4. Select the follower open their profile page.
5. Select the gear icon under their name.
6. Select Block Athlete.

I think it easier to just unfollow them but it’s up to you. The main downside here is that they can follow you again at any time.

To unfollow someone on Strava, do this:

1. Log into Strava.
2. Select your profile image on the top right and select My Profile.
3. Select Following from the center tab.
4. Hover over the Following button by the person’s name.
5. Select Unfollow when highlighted.

When you hover over the Following button, it changes to orange and Unfollow. Select the button at that time and you will unfollow that person.

Are they notified if I remove them?

If you decide to unfollow instead of block, are they notified of this? No. There are no notifications sent if you have been unfollowed by someone. Strava uses the same methodology as social networks. Nobody wants to hear bad news so negative notifications like this are suppressed and not sent to users.

Can I track a Strava athlete without them knowing?

You can check on a Strava user without following them. All you need to do is search for their name and look at their profile. Depending on their settings, you will be able to see their rides, trophies, clubs and more. There is nothing to tell them you visited their profile as far as I can tell.

If the athlete has set their Strava account to private, you won’t get to see anything except their name. Private accounts only share data with followers.

How do I get new followers on Strava?

Strava isn’t Facebook. More followers doesn’t mean more success or more miles. It’s not even counted as a measure of success on the platform. Your mileage and PRs are the metrics that count here. However, kudos is a useful thing to have and that is given by followers, so if you’re the type that needs external validation, kudos might prove useful.

Here are some ways to gather followers on Strava.

Use the app a lot

This is the most obvious one. If you want people to follow you on Strava, give them something to follow. Frequent activities, lots of variations, special events and more will all see you gain followers and get kudos.

Make your account public

Another obvious one for Strava, keep your account public. Having a private account is all very well but it won’t get you followers unless you invite them. If you’re collecting kudos, you need a public account. People need to see you in search or in activities and be able to follow you.

Be imaginative with your descriptions

Rather than just calling it ‘Morning Ride’, be a little more descriptive or imaginative. Something like ‘Every hill in town and then some’ or ‘Highway to Hell and Back’ is going to gather a lot more attention than something mundane.

The same for if you participate in events. Name them well, ‘Boston Half Marathon’, ‘Hell of the North’, Mudfest 2019’ and so on. This will also gain attention as they are events that will be recognized and will have mass participation.

Give kudos

You have to give to receive. If you want kudos, give kudos. This is a great way to acquire new followers especially after an event. If you’re running or riding with hundreds of others, handing out a bunch of kudos will have people following you in no time. Be generous and be consistent. Credit where it’s due and all that.

Do you have any questions about Strava? Want to know anything in particular? Tell us below if you do!