How to Upload a TCX File to Strava (Desktop & Phone) + Fixes

Strava accepts activities from files, not just from the app or a paired watch. It is the official route for moving activities off an old device, restoring a lost recording, or uploading a file built with a tool like Fakepace. This guide covers the steps on desktop and phone, what to edit afterwards, and the errors people hit most.

Accepted formats: TCX, GPX, FIT

If you want the activity to show a heart-rate graph and per-kilometre splits, use TCX or FIT. Fakepace exports TCX.

Upload from a desktop browser

1. Go to strava.com and sign in.
2. Click the + icon at the top right and choose Upload activity.
3. In the left menu pick File, click Choose Files, and select your TCX, GPX, or FIT.
4. Wait for the progress bar. Files under 1 MB usually take a few seconds.
5. Strava opens the edit page. Set the title, activity type (Run, Ride, Walk), and privacy, then Save.

You can select several files at once; Strava processes them one by one.

Upload from a phone (browser, not the app)

The Strava app on Android and iPhone has no file upload. Instead:

1. Open strava.com in Chrome or Safari and sign in.
2. Switch to desktop mode: in Chrome tap ⋮ and tick Desktop site; in Safari tap aA then Request Desktop Website.
3. Follow the desktop steps: + → Upload activity → File.
4. Pick the file from your Downloads folder.

If the + button is missing, the page is still in mobile layout; reload after enabling desktop mode.

What to edit after upload

• Title. Strava names it after the start time ("Morning Run"). Rename it to match your other activities.
• Activity type. Make sure it is Run, not Workout, so it counts in your running stats.
• Privacy. Everyone, Followers, or Only You; you can change it later.
• Gear and description. Optional, but consistency with your other activities helps.

Distance, duration, pace, elevation, and heart rate come from the file and cannot be edited in Strava. If a number is wrong, build a new file.

Fixing common errors

"The file is empty"

The file has no trackpoints with timestamps, or the download was cut short. Check the size: a 5K TCX is normally a few hundred KB. Download again and retry.

"Duplicate of activity"

Strava found another activity with the same start time. Delete the old one if you mean to replace it, or create a new file with a different date or start time. Uploading the identical file twice is always rejected.

Wrong date or time

Timestamps in the file are UTC; Strava converts them to the time zone of the route's location. Files from Fakepace already account for your browser's time zone, so the start time you entered is the one displayed. A file from another source that lands seven hours off has a time-zone problem in the source file.

Activity not in the feed

Check My Activities. Activities set to Only You do not appear in followers' feeds, and an activity dated last week sorts by that date, not at the top.

No map

The file has time and distance but no coordinates (treadmill-style). For a mapped activity, use a file with latitude and longitude trackpoints.

Building a TCX file yourself

If you have no file from a watch, you can build one in Fakepace: draw the route, set pace and heart rate, download the TCX, and follow the steps above. If you were thinking of a location-spoofing app instead, read fake GPS vs a generated file first. And remember that uploading activities you did not do violates Strava's terms of service; use it sparingly and responsibly.