Edit: Zwift official came out of beta on Android in mid-May 2019. Read more about it >
Big news for Zwifters today as Zwift Beta for Android is now available. While not nearly as polished as Zwift for iOS, it is a very functional beta version which will surely be improved over time as beta users test and send feedback to Zwift support.
With this announcement Zwift takes a big step towards making it that much easier to start riding and running indoors. Availability on the Android platform means a dramatic increase in the number of people who can have Zwift at their fingertips using a device they already own.
Speaking of devices: it is not yet clear which Android devices are capable of running Zwift. The app description simple says “… we will only be supporting devices with higher-end graphics processors.” My guess is that, like running Zwift on a PC, users may need to simply install and test to see how good the experience is on their specific phone or tablet.
Here are more details from the Google Play listing:
Thank you for trying Zwift Beta for Android. Zwift has a fairly high requirement for our world full of Zwifters to run smoothly, so we will only be supporting devices with higher-end graphics processors. Since Android devices exist across a broad spectrum of performance, we need your help testing against your devices. Simply giving it a try will allow us to monitor how the software performs, and if you have additional feedback please email [email protected]
One last thing – we do know of several major outstanding issues, and we’re actively working to resolve them. They include:
- For trainers that emit power and cadence, cadence is approximated
- Trainer resistance not reliable across all trainers
- Trainer spin-down not supported
- In-game screenshots not supported
- Some heart rate monitors may not work
- ANT+ not yet supported on Samsung devices
- Entering text into Zwift may require 2 taps into the text field to activate keyboard….
SUPPORTED BLUETOOTH HARDWARE:
- Cycling Power Meters
- Cycling Speed Sensor (for non-smart trainers)
- Cycling Cadence Sensor (optional)
- Smart Trainers
- Running footpods
- Select Bluetooth 4.0 Treadmills
- Heart Rate strap (optional)
SUPPORTED BICYCLE TRAINERS:
- Wahoo KICKR & SNAP
- Tacx Smart models
- Elite B+ models
- Kurt Kinetic inRide
- Kurt Kinetic Smart
- Cycleops Bluetooth models
- All classic (non-smart) trainers, with use of a Bluetooth speed sensor
SUPPORTED TREADMILLS AND FOOTPODS FOR RUNNING:
- BowFlex BXT116/BXT216 treadmills
- Any StarTrac treadmills with a bluetooth button
- LifeFitness T3 home treadmills
- True Fitness Performance 300
- Stryd foot pod
- Milestone pod
- Polar Stride Sensor
- UnderArmour Record Equipped shoes
