This week-end I remembered that when I got my new phone, it counted my steps on its own, and I looked up why. I discovered that there’s a Google Play Service that enables developers to get the user’s activity (walking, running, cycling etc) and I decided to try to code my first Android app: Stravomatic.

I use Strava since a few years and find it great to keep track of statistics , but sometimes I forget to start it each morning and evening when commuting.

Development went much better than I expected and I think I have a good and reliable app that starts a Strava activity if I start bicycling (or running) (for completeness, because I never run) (apart this week-end where I went around the garden numerous times for testing). It’s a simple app with a settings page and a background component that keeps track of what happens :

As it doesn’t use GPS, and takes advantage of Google Play Services, it doesn’t seem to take a noticeable toll on the battery, so I’m quite happy about that.

I published it on Google Play : Stravomatic, and I’m quite proud about it! I hope it’ll help other forgetful people :)