So now it’s time to learn the method of picking up a block. The reason most drivers are not picking up extra blocks outside of scheduled shifts is because they are not refreshing their home screen. On the Delivery app it is necessary to refresh the home screen so that you can see when new blocks are available. To refresh the home screen you have to go out of the home screen and then come back in. In words, the four step progression, starting from the home screen, goes like this: Menu, Calendar, Menu, Home. Then repeat. Again. And again. And again. Like I said before. This is the job.
Below are screenshots of the progression:
In the second screenshot I said push either because you will find that your finger sometimes hits the Earnings button instead of the Calendar button and that’s fine. The main point is that you get out of the home screen and then come back in so it refreshes. After pushing the Home button in the last screen shot you will either go back to the first screen again, from which you start the progression over. Or you will see the screen below. This is the one you are looking for. Be careful, sometimes you are so in the zone of the progression that you let it pass by!
I suggest having a finger ready to push the Schedule Open Blocks button when it finally shows up. But the shift is not yours, yet. There are other hustlers that have been waiting for this screen to show up, too. You still need to click through the next progression, and fast. In words it goes like this: Schedule Open Blocks, Continue, Accept Deliveries. The screens look like this:
In the second screenshot, double check that the start time is the shift you are looking for. Sometimes people forfeit blocks for other times and those blocks seem to automatically go back out for someone else to claim. For instance, I was looking for a 12pm to 2pm shift at 11:30am the other day and suddenly a 6pm to 8pm block appeared. Definitely pay attention to the start time. The time and shift length menus can also be adjusted by scrolling sideways. Sometimes you can find other start times or shift lengths by changing these, but if nothing else is available they will auto scroll back (95% of the time). Mostly, trying to change these menus will only slow you down and make you miss the shift. Leave them alone. It’s best to just double check the time, and hit Continue to get to the Accept Deliveries Screen, which you should immediately push, of course!
If you were able to get the block and it begins in less than an hour, you will get a push notification that you have a scheduled pickup in an hour and your next screen progressions will be:
There is no need to rush anymore, you got the shift! If your shift begins over an hour from the time you got it, your home screen will now show the date, time and pickup location for the block instead of the No delivery blocks message.
You will not always get the block offered. Sometimes the app will kick you out and give an error message like Delivery Has Stopped. Or you will be automatically kicked back to the home screen with the No Delivery blocks are currently available message. Relax. Another driver was just a bit luckier this time. Remind yourself that it’s just one less person you will be clicking against when the next one comes. You need to get back to the progression and be ready for it!
And that is the method, in it’s simplest form, and the one that I see most drivers using.
Have you noticed a better time frame in which to be swiping?
I still have found my best luck around the hour before a shift begins. If I am trying for a 2pm then most of my efforts will be from 12:50 to 1:15. It can depend on the day though, as lately there have been a ton of rush hour shifts that come available within 25 minutes of the shift start time, meaning if the shift begins at 4pm I am seeing a lot of “Ready to Deliver Today” after 3:35. This is most likely due to the season, the roads being busier and their auto scheduling not adjusting to routes taking longer. If you haven’t seen this post it may be worth the read in just in case, https://flexdrivertips.com/2016/03/28/where-most-luck-is-found/
Good luck!
If you have an Android with the windows button on the bottom left of your phone, you can press that repeatedly to refresh. It’s so much faster!
Thank you so much for adding the tip, Jessica. With my phone I have to pin the app before I can refresh with my power button as I noted in this post: https://flexdrivertips.com/2016/04/02/the-pinning-method-for-shifts/ Maybe it’s time for me to look for a new phone!?
Hi,
Are you guys refreshing every second for 20 minutes, or is it every minute, every couple of minutes? I’ve been refreshing like crazy but if it only updates every five minutes anyway, I’d like to slow down a little, heh 🙂
Thank you! And the windows button thing is brilliant!
Hello LV, I am refreshing as fast as my phone will allow. Trust me when I say, if a block becomes available, it will be gone in a millisecond. So to answer your question, yes, I am refreshing every second. Best of luck to you!
HI Jessica, can you explain me about the windows button on the bottom left , my name is Jose my email is diuxs.dc@gmail.com, thank you for help me
New to flex here: do I need to be set as available on the calender when I’m trying to pick up shifts on the home screen? Thanks!
No, you are able to pick up shifts, even if you don’t add availability on your calendar. Let me know if you have further questions and good luck!
Hi,
Great tips. After I am done with my block, I never had a chance to go back and pick up more shifts because it always shows – No Delivery blocks are currently available.
I’ve seen many people getting back to pick up more shifts, but I never get a chance.
Do I have to refresh every second like crazy to get a chance to find – schedule open blocks and starting delivering again ?
Thanks
Hello WR. Yes, that it is how the process works. You have to be refreshing the home screen to see the blocks that become available. As fast as your finger and phone will allow. You will soon be a pro at clicking through the process to link shifts! If you complete your route early, I recommend pulling over in a safe spot to begin your search. Make sure your location is within reach of the warehouse so you can make it back in time when you do get a shift. Often, depending on time and distance, drivers will head back to the warehouse and begin looking from there. Check out this post on linking shifts if you haven’t already: https://flexdrivertips.com/2016/04/10/linking-delivery-blocks/
Good luck!
If you are scheduled for a block in the future, will the app still show open blocks?
Yes, absolutely. You can have a shift scheduled and still pick up a block. Even on the same day. Just keep refreshing the home screen.
I had gotten scheduled for a block of time in the future but completely forgot about it since I usually use the method of waiting until the night before to work. Could I have forfitted that the night before? How is it going to affect me?? ;(
Due to new rules that started on August 31st, you can forfeit a block up to 45 minutes before it begins and it won’t count against your rating. For a first time offender you shouldn’t be deactivated but don’t make it a habit!
Hi, i have a Samsung galaxy note 4, and I’ve not been able to pick a shift on my phone except only if i’m being scheduled. Please is there anything i have to do to my phone before i can pick a schedule on there. Also, some times the open schedule block appears but i can’t get any block except i’m being scheduled
Certain phones have different ways to refresh the home screen when looking for shifts, but other than that there is nothing special you would have to do to your phone. Once you see the Schedule Open Blocks, it all comes down to speed. You have to click through the process before someone else does. Schedule Open Blocks, Continue and then Accept. And remember, sometimes another shift will go out soon after the on you missed, so don’t stop refreshing the screen unless you are outside of your window to make it to the warehouse on time. Good luck to you.
I want download amazon flex app on my new phone. On my old phone I have but change to the new phone. Thanks for help.
Email support and they will either send you the link or get you into an online session and provide it there.
I have a question! So let’s say you got scheduled for 8am till 12pm shift and you get to the location that they sent you to and you wait around and 2 hours later no blocks have been given to you. Do you still get paid or how does it work?
Yes, you still get paid the base hourly rate if you are scheduled and they have no deliveries for you to complete. Some people like to get paid to just sit, but it freaks me out. For me it just means no tips! I try to make it to the warehouse early enough to ensure I go out on the big push at the beginning of each block.
I usually go early as well and eat till I 15 mins before so I could start but they sent me to An alternate location. 10 am came around i got frustrated and left to head out towards the warehouse and that’s when I got deliveries
Okay, here’s a question I have not seen addressed. What are the hours for this gig? I just was playing with the app and got a 10:00pm to midnight availability. Are there deliveries to customers during these hours? What are the hours?
It depends on the location. Some have their last block from 8pm to 10pm and won’t start again until the 8am to 10am block. Others go overnight. It’s all about the demand.
My amazon flex app unafortaly has been stoped how can I fix this
Were you notified that you were deactivated or is it an app error that’s not letting you in? With deactivation it seems you have an uphill battle to get reactivated. If it’s an app error, you can always try to delete and reload the app, or email support and inform them of the issue. Sometimes the app is glitchy and rebooting your entire phone helps. Good luck.
I was just hired and have not delivered yet. I just looked at the app tonight and it shows block available at 9:30am. There is no date. I am trying to determine if this is for the next day or if it is for the day I set as available. It’s odd to me that there is not a date or at least day of week listed.
It would be for the next day. Blocks that you pick up are based on volumes they are seeing in orders and a need for more drivers. If you are searching at 10pm or 11pm, the blocks are for the next day. Watch the times though, there may be a sneaker in there for a midnight shift! If you are checking throughout the day, the blocks that show up are for that same day. Hope this helps.
Hello, I recently got a check mark on the background check but the screen do not go further than the get started. It has been a week and i dont get to the next screen to select my availability of pick blocks.
Try rebooting your phone and reopening the app. If it still gets stuck I would delete the app and reload. Hopefully one of those methods works otherwise you have to email support.
Did you watch the 19 videos? If you don’t watch them, they won’t let you deliver
I have a question… New flex driver delivering Prime now in Vegas.. Last night I accepted a last minute popup shift 30 minutes before the shift time.. (Shift was 8:30pm-10:30pm) I am 20 minutes away from the warehouse). I arrived on time and after a few short moments, i was called upon. They asked me which shift I was there for and then they gave me a cart and I scanned the deliveries/packages and headed out. Easy route, no problems.. After my last delivery (around 9:45pm) It instructed me to pickup packages and I headed back to the warehouse. I got there after 10:00pm and they had me load up 2 more carts worth of deliveries. I noticed that all the deliveries were for 10:00-12:00am. Should that have been a different block? After the end of these new deliveries it was almost midnight. The app said I was done, so I headed home. I noticed this morning I got paid for (1) 2 hour block. ($36 + pending tips). Should I not have gotten paid for two blocks? Communication at the warehouse was iffy at best. I voiced my concern and they shrugged their shoulders and said the “app let you scan them…”
Just still trying to figure all these details out! 🙂 Thanks in advance for any insight or suggestions for the future. And thank you for all your tips and articles. VERY HELPFUL!!!
Hello Ryan, I’m glad you find the site helpful. What happened to you happens to many new drivers. Unfortunately you should not have been allowed to scan items because you we’re actually finished with your block. If you had known you would have just told the warehouse workers that your block had ended and they would have given the route to a scheduled driver and told you to head home. The fact that the app let you scan the items needs to be corrected but it’s been that way since the beginning. In this case, since you weren’t scheduled for the next block, it will be hard to get them to pay you the flat rate, however you will get the tips from your deliveries. Maybe next time, when you get called back to the warehouse that late, you can take the time to try and link the next shift. That is normally what I end up doing. The reason the warehouse workers couldn’t give you a straight answer is because they really don’t know why it happened either. At this stage it’s just best to move forward, but you can take it up with support if you like. I hope the tips turn out being huge for you! Best of luck and ask any more questions if you have them.
Can anyone explain how the 10pm scheduling works? I have tried night after night to pick up a block through the week 4 to 8pm. It never goes through. I have gotten faster and faster at it but I never get that block. I even figured out a way around the app pinning issue. (my phone wont allow me to pin). I disabled the “swipe” to unlock and it works the same way as pinning. This allows me to refresh using the power button just like pinning does. Can you only get a 2 hour block at 10? I am not sure what I am doing wrong.
Thanks for the tip on what to do if someone can’t pin the app on their phone. That will be very helpful to many, I’m sure. The theory on the 10pm (and sometimes 11pm) blocks that go out is that you can pick up times throughout the next workday. Since the models only have a clear picture for orders on the early shifts, those are most likely to be the ones that show up. They definitely don’t want to speculate too far in advance and risk having too many drivers. That’s not to say the 4pm to 8pm won’t be there, it’s just less often.
When it says schedule open blocks is it for that day or is it for any day you want. I’ve never made it that far lol. I always got no blocks and I set my availability as more than 40 hrs but like today I’m supposed to work at my other job at 9am and the block says either 11am or 12 pm but it doesn’t say for today because I didn’t click it because I was confused and didn’t want to click if it was for today because I didn’t want to get deactivated because I didn’t go. Confused.
Yes, the block would have been for today so you were good not to accept it due to your other job!
What about getting past the “where would you like to deliver” screen? I’ve been stuck in this screen since I was approved and flex support is a joke and I’m starting to believe not even reviewed by actual humans.
Hopefully they will get back to you soon and things will be sorted.
How can I refresh automatic my app
So, how can I refresh my home screen
You are now able to swipe down on the “Offers” screen to refresh the app as Mike pointed out below.
I’m brand new to flex. I just want to be sure I’m understanding about refreshing. Are you saying that if I’m on the offers screen and just swipe down it will refresh completely? When I do this I see a tiny unformed circle for about half a second. Is that it?
Yes, with the new app update you are able to stay on the Offers screen and just swipe down to get it to refresh. Sometimes you can even get the refresh circle to appear with a simple tap. I had been suspect that the process was refreshing my screen at all so I’ve mostly still been pinning my home screen and refreshing that one. I did spend some time testing the swiping method out the other day and was able to pick up a 3 hour block, so it does work. It’s just about personal preference at this point. Have fun out there!
Has anyone been deducted money? I got a $-36 on this weeks pay.
The information says
“pay including tips” (like the normal ones)
I am a new driver in san diego
I am still waiting for my first block.
I recieved this email(below) from amazon-flex support, but nothing ever happened on friday.
I was hoping you knew something about this.
Thanks, Steve
Thanks to your feedback, we’ve made improvements to the Amazon Flex experience giving you more control over your schedule.
Starting this week,
· You’ll be able to accept or decline blocks released on Fridays for the following week. In the app, you’ll see these blocks marked as “Reserved” — meaning they are only offered to you! You will need to take action before the “accept by” times expire to secure these blocks. Any unaccepted “Reserved” offers will be released once the 24-hour “accept by” window expires.
· You can accept next day blocks continuously throughout the day. These offers — available to everyone — for the following day will be released up to 24 hours before the block time instead of just at 10 p.m. the night before.
· You will be able to view locations, start times, block lengths, and earnings estimates before accepting an offer. To see this information, just select an available block.
Learn More
Scroll down to see how these changes will look in the app.
Your feedback is an important part of the Amazon Flex experience. If you have any comments or questions, please contact Support at amazonflex-support@amazon.com.
Thank you for delivering smiles with us!
The Amazon Flex Team
Hi guys! My onboarding is complete (background check, video training, et al) but when I opened the app this morning (Friday) all it says is that no blocks are available, written inside a bright red box. I do not have access to a main menu or anything. How should I proceed? It is my understanding that blocks are released on Fridays and also that I should at least have access to a menu to input my availability. I have researched Flex on this site and I completely understand that blocks are often unavailable which is totally fine. I just want to make sure my account is fully online and active, as I don’t have access to any main menu or anything.
Please let me know how to proceed, or if I should just be patient and keep checking the app. Thanks for your help!
Hello Dan. Something does not seem right because you should definitely have a little menu icon in the upper left of your screen. From that menu icon you would be able to go to your calendar to set up your availability. Sometimes things like this occur with new locations and people get on boarded before the site is ready to go. If you know for a fact your site is up and running you definitely should reach out to support via email. You are correct that blocks come out on Fridays for scheduled shifts throughout the next week. We have all learned not to expect many pre-scheduled blocks and pick up most of our blocks through the method of refreshing the offers screen. Hope you get sorted soon and feel free to ask any more questions if you have them.