How to go live on race day, step by step

Going live takes one tap, once the race is set up. This guide is the race-morning routine for both apps: what to check the night before, which buttons to press, what you'll see while you race and what to do if it won't start.

You go live from the Windline app for a cycling race or the RunFast app for a running race, on your phone, signed in to your own account. A web browser doesn't send your position, on any phone.

What must be set before race day?

Live tracking must be on for the race, and you must be signed in to the app on the phone you'll carry. Do these the day before, not on the start line.

• Live tracking on for the race. Windline switches it on for a new race. RunFast leaves it off until you switch it on, and needs the route and the gun time first ("Drop in the route first", "Set the gun time").
• Your link sent to the people who'll watch. See how to get friends and family following you.
• Notifications allowed for the app, so the reminder reaches you.
• Battery settings on Android, so the app keeps running in your pocket. See the race-day phone checklist.

How do I go live in Windline?

Tap the reminder about 30 minutes before the start, then Start live tracking.

1. The reminder says, for example, "The 94.7 starts at 06:15". Tap it, and Go live opens for that race. On a club race, you can also tap Go live on the club. On your own race, you can open its day from Today's ride on the Events screen.
2. Tap Start live tracking. The first time, Android asks to use your location: While using the app is enough. Allow notifications too.
3. Let it run in the background. When Windline asks to keep running in the background, tap Allow, then Allow again when Android asks. Samsung and some other phones put apps to sleep to save battery.
4. Pocket the phone and ride.

On a stage race, Go live picks today's stage, and you can choose another under Stage. Going live on a race is in Windline's Android app today. Windline's help on going live has every screen.

How do I go live in RunFast?

Tap Go live on the reminder 2 hours before the gun, and live tracking starts straight away.

1. The reminder says, for example, "Comrades starts at 05:30", with a Go live button. Tap it and you're live, with nothing else to tap. Until the gun, your followers see you at the start; from the gun, they see you running.
2. Or start it yourself: open Runs, open the race and tap Go live. Check START (the gun), YOUR PLAN (your pace) and FINISH, then tap Start live tracking.
3. Allow location. On Android, allow location and notifications. On iPhone, choose Allow While Using App: RunFast doesn't need "Always".
4. Pocket the phone and run.

If you haven't gone live, RunFast reminds you again 30 minutes before the gun, and once more at the gun. Once you're live, the reminders stop. RunFast's help on going live has more.

How do the two apps differ on race day?

Very little. The main differences are when the reminder comes and how tracking stops.

What will I see while I'm live?

A notification shows you're live, with Pause and Stop, and the app shows how far you've come and how many positions are waiting for signal.

• Windline, Android: the notification says, for example, "Live · 84.2 of 161 km", with the time ridden, Pause and Stop. Live now at the top of the Events screen has them too. Tap it for your taps on the back and who they're from.
• RunFast, Android: a notification shows you're live and how far you've run, with Pause and Stop. The app shows when your position was last sent and how many positions are waiting: "nothing is lost".
• On iPhone, when the apps arrive there, the Lock Screen shows you're live.

Taps on the back reach you quietly while you race. See taps on the back.

How do I pause or stop?

Tap Pause to stop sending for a while and Resume to carry on. Tap Stop to end it: both apps ask first.

• Pause: followers see "Paused", for example "Paused at km 21.1".
• Stop: followers see that you stopped, not that you finished, and where. On Android, Windline asks for your PIN, fingerprint or face before it stops, and RunFast needs your phone unlocked. On Windline, you can start again for the same day.

When does it stop by itself?

At the finish. You don't need to touch the phone.

• Windline stops within 150 m of the end of the course: "You're at the finish. Live tracking has stopped." Your followers get your time.
• RunFast stops at the finish with the same words, and your time goes to your followers.
• If you forget, both stop 3 hours after your planned finish. Windline never stops while you're still moving.

Your race moves to Past the next day, with "Finished in" your time and your taps on the back.

What if it won't start?

The app says what's missing. Fix it and tap Start live tracking again.

If Android closes the app on a long day, you get Tap to carry on live tracking. One tap carries on with the same race and the same line.

What if I lose signal?

Keep going. Your phone keeps every position and sends them all when it has signal again, and your followers see "No signal" until then. See what happens when you lose signal.

For the setup itself, who sees you and how to share your link, see how to share your live location in a race.