Runners who already live in Strava for logging miles and analyzing splits are increasingly discovering INTVL, the gamified running and cycling app that turns your everyday route into contested territory on a live map. Naturally, the first question most people ask is whether they have to pick one app or can keep both running their training life without doing double work.
The short answer is yes, you can use both — but the way the two apps talk to each other has a few quirks worth knowing before you connect them. This guide covers exactly how to link INTVL and Strava, the best workflow if you also train with a GPS watch, and the mistakes that lead to duplicate or missing activities.
Quick Answer
Yes, you can use INTVL and Strava at the same time. INTVL has a built-in Strava connection that automatically sends the activities you record in INTVL to your Strava feed. The sync only runs in one direction — from INTVL to Strava — so anything you log directly in Strava won’t appear back in INTVL.
How to Connect INTVL and Strava
Install INTVL from the App Store or Google Play and create an account. Then open the app’s Settings and look for the Connections (or Integrations) menu, where you’ll find a Strava option. Tap Connect and you’ll be redirected to Strava’s own login screen to authorize the connection; once you approve it, INTVL is granted permission to post activities to your Strava account and you’re returned to the app.
This authorization is a one-time setup — you don’t need to reconnect before every run. Any activity you record and save in INTVL afterward is queued to post to Strava automatically. If you ever want to disconnect the two, you can revoke INTVL’s access from Strava’s ‘My Apps’ settings page as well as from within INTVL itself.
The Best Way to Run Both Apps Together
Because the sync is one-way, the smartest approach is to pick a single source for recording each run rather than tracking it with two separate GPS trackers at once. Running INTVL’s live tracking and Strava’s own record screen simultaneously on your phone drains battery fast and can create two separate GPS files for the same run, which then both try to post — leaving you with duplicate entries in your Strava feed.
If you train with a paired watch — Apple Watch, Garmin, COROS, Polar, Suunto, or a Wahoo or Hammerhead bike computer — let the watch capture GPS, pace, and heart rate, and have INTVL pull that activity in afterward. INTVL’s Strava connection then forwards the same file on, so you get territory-game credit and a clean Strava upload from one recording, not two.
If you don’t use a watch, just record directly in the INTVL app with your phone and skip opening Strava’s own recording screen for that same session. Let INTVL’s auto-post handle the upload to Strava once you finish.
Tips / Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is leaving both your watch’s native Strava integration and INTVL’s Strava integration switched on for the same device. That combination often produces two separate posts for one workout. Pick one path per activity: either let your watch’s own companion app (like Garmin Connect) send it to Strava, or let INTVL do it — not both.
Use INTVL for the motivation side of training — the territory game, local leaderboards, and reason to get out the door — while keeping Strava as your long-term training log, route history, and performance analysis. That’s the workflow the app is actually built around; it isn’t meant to replace Strava, and the developers explicitly rely on Strava’s own record-keeping strengths.
Don’t expect edits made in Strava, like renaming an activity, adjusting distance, or marking it private, to sync back into INTVL. Since the connection only flows one way, make any game-related corrections inside INTVL itself.
Check your GPS signal before you start a run. INTVL relies on live location data to calculate territory captures in real time, so a weak signal affects both your in-game results and the accuracy of what eventually gets pushed to Strava.
If you ever reinstall INTVL or switch phones, you’ll likely need to reauthorize the Strava connection from Settings > Connections — old authorizations don’t always carry over automatically.
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INTVL and Strava FAQs
Does Strava sync activities back into INTVL?
No. The integration only works one way, from INTVL to Strava. Activities recorded or edited in Strava won’t appear in INTVL.
Will using INTVL create duplicate posts on Strava?
Only if another connected app or device records and posts the same run separately. Stick to a single recording source per run — either INTVL directly or your paired watch — to avoid duplicates.
Can I use INTVL without ever connecting it to Strava?
Yes. INTVL works as a standalone app with its own territory maps and leaderboards; linking Strava is optional and can be done at any time from Settings.
What devices can I pair with INTVL besides my phone?
INTVL supports Apple Watch, Garmin, COROS, Polar, Suunto, and Fitbit watches, plus Hammerhead and Wahoo bike computers, so you can record a run or ride without carrying your phone.
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Images: Intvl.
