RunPackGuides · 5 min read
How to share your runs privately (without a public profile)
Want friends to see your runs but not strangers? The privacy settings to check in any running app, why your start and finish matter, and a simpler option.
Sharing a run with friends is great. Sharing your home address with strangers isn’t. A run map often starts and ends at your front door, and many running apps default to a public profile. Here’s what to check, whatever app you use.
Check who can see your activities
Most running apps let you choose between everyone, followers only, or only you. Check the default for new activities as well as old ones, and whether your profile itself (name, photo, city) is public.
Hide where your runs start and finish
If your runs start from home, the map shows where you live. Many apps can hide the first and last part of a route, or hide routes near an address you choose. Turn it on, or start your runs a street away.
Watch for leaderboards and “nearby” features
Public segments, leaderboards and “people near you” lists can show your name and runs to people you don’t know, even when your profile looks private. Check each one in the app’s privacy settings.
Think about patterns, not just single runs
One run says little. A month of runs shows when you’re out and when you’re not home. That matters more if your profile is public.
Or skip the public part entirely
The simplest fix is an app with no public profile at all, where runs only go to people you’ve chosen. That’s the idea behind a private crew: a small group you invite, and nobody else.
How RunPack does it
RunPack has no public profiles, followers or leaderboards. Runs are shared only if you turn on run sharing, and only with the crews you’re in. You can hide or delete any run, report anything that shouldn’t be there, and block anyone. Runs never include your heart rate. If you’re weighing it against the big social apps, see our private Strava alternative guide, or how a RunPack crew works.
Privacy settings in other apps change over time. Check each app’s current settings page.