Hiding a map on Strava's public display does not withdraw that activity from apps you have already authorized. To check whether private activity data was voluntarily granted, open your current authorization settings and read each app's scopes: look separately for profile data, private activity access, follower-only access, and editing or uploading rights. Public map hiding and app authorization are two separate controls.
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Two different controls, two different audiences
A public map display setting changes what appears on Strava's own public surfaces. It does not reach backward into an authorization you granted to a third-party app. The authorization settings documentation describes scopes that distinguish basic or complete profile data, public or follower-only activities, private activities, and editing or uploading rights. That means an app you approved for broader activity access can keep receiving the activity data within the scope you gave it, even when the map itself is hidden from public view. Read the two controls as separate decisions: one is about display, the other is about data access. [Strava Help: third-party app authorization]
- List every app you have authorized, then write beside each one the exact scope wording shown in your current settings.
- Mark any app whose scope includes private activities or editing rights as a broader grant than you may have intended.
Why hidden does not mean withheld
The source states directly that authorized activity access can include portions of maps hidden on the public display. In plain terms, public map hiding is not a restriction on all authorized applications. This is not a flaw you can fix by changing a visibility toggle; it is how scopes work. The useful question shifts from "is my map hidden?" to "which apps did I authorize for activity data, and at what scope?" Keeping that distinction clear prevents the false comfort of assuming a single privacy switch covers every recipient. [Strava Help: third-party app authorization]
Reading your own grant without overstepping
This review is for the consenting owner of the account. You are checking your own authorizations, not another person's activities. Review only authorizations on an account you own. A public profile does not grant access to another person's restricted activities. If a setting or scope description is unavailable to you, record it as unavailable and stop at that boundary rather than guessing. Use the official current help pages for your account, or ask for a voluntary current link if someone is sharing their own situation with you. [Strava Help: third-party app authorization]
| observation | limit | next step |
|---|---|---|
| An app holds private-activity scope | Explains access you granted, not whether the app used it | Decide whether that scope still matches your intent |
| Your map is hidden publicly | Does not cover authorized app access | Review app scopes separately |
| Scope wording is unclear or missing | You cannot confirm what was granted | Record unavailable; consult current official help |
Deciding what to keep, narrow or revoke
Separate what you observed from what you decide. Observed: the scope labels and permissions listed in your current authorization settings. Not observed: how any app stored, used or shared that data after receiving it. With that gap acknowledged, a practical order is to identify broad grants first, then narrow or revoke anything you no longer need, and only then re-check the public map display for consistency. Avoid treating an app's badge, status or popularity as proof of safety; those do not describe the scope you granted.
- Revoke authorizations for apps you no longer use.
- Re-authorize a needed app with the narrowest scope it offers, rather than assuming its previous grant is fixed.
- Recheck public display settings after, not instead of, the authorization review.
A clearly hypothetical example
Suppose an athlete hides a route map from public view but previously approved an app for private activity access so it could build training summaries. The hidden map does not change that grant; the app may still receive the activity data within its approved scope. The owner's corrective step is not toggling visibility again but reviewing that authorization and deciding whether the private-activity scope is still wanted. This illustration is hypothetical and describes scopes, not any named app's behavior. Do not infer intent, safety or identity from a visibility setting alone. [Strava Help: third-party app authorization]
A couple more questions
Does hiding my map stop authorized apps from seeing my activity?
No. The source says authorized activity access can include portions of maps hidden on the public display, so hiding a map publicly is not a restriction on all authorized applications.
How do I check whether I granted private activity data?
Review your own authorization settings and compare each app's scopes, which distinguish profile data, public or follower-only activities, private activities, and editing or uploading rights.
Can I use these settings to see someone else's hidden activities?
No. This is an owner authorization review, not a method for accessing another person's restricted activity; if a setting is unavailable to you, record that and stop there.
Sources & editorial notes
Official references checked on October 23, 2026. Checklists, comparison tables and example wording are DateClues editorial tools, not official tests or validated risk scores.
General information. No guide or tool can certify a person’s identity, intentions or safety. Read our editorial standards.