Before resorting to getting the food yourself
Written by: Patrick Hearn, Twitter: @PatrickS_Hearn
Posted on: in: Help Desk
Doordash is one of the most popular apps on the market today. Whether you’re trying to avoid exposure to people due to the pandemic or you just don’t feel like going out for food, apps like Doordash (and GrubHub, InstaCart, or Postmates) have become commonplace.
No one wants to go through the headache of troubleshooting your food delivery service app, but sometimes even the most well-made ones go down. If you encounter app issues, try these steps to straighten out the problem.
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How to Tell if Doordash Is Down
It’s not always easy to tell if Doordash is down. Many users have reported glitches that only arise at checkout or—if you’re a Doordash driver—problems that only appear when you try to accept delivery. Other times, the issues might be caused by a Doordash outage.
If the Dasher app is down, it might prevent you from logging in, or it might throw a “503 service temporarily unavailable” or “502 bad gateway” error when you login. You can also check social media or the Doordash Reddit page. Reddit is a common source of information and where drivers gather to exchange tips and advice on making a living through the app.
How to Fix Doordash App Not Working
If Doordash doesn’t work for you, try one of these steps.
Check For Outages
If Doordash is down, there’s not much you can do except wait for it to come back up. The easiest way to check the status of Doordash is to use Downdetector, a service that checks the current status of websites and services across the web.
To check, you can go to Downdetector and type DoorDash into the search bar. Alternatively, just search for Doordash and DownDetector on Google to go straight to the service’s page. This will show you if other people are having problems, too. If Doordash is down, you’ll just need to wait until the problems resolve themselves.
Check Your Internet Connection
Most people leave their iPhone or Android connected to Wi-Fi. But if your home internet is down, the app can’t connect to the internet. If you can’t connect to the internet, try these three steps:
- Check that Airplane Mode isn’t enabled.
- Turn off your phone’s Wi-Fi and turn it back on.
- Switch off Wi-Fi and use your mobile data.
If you can’t achieve an internet connection after all this, the problem might lie with your ISP. Try turning your router off and back on and troubleshooting your home Wi-Fi.
Make Sure Your Credit Card Is Valid
One of the requirements of Doordash is that you have a valid credit card connected to the account, at least if you’re using Doordash for Work. If the app has no way to charge you for your purchase, then you won’t be able to proceed with your order. If your existing credit card is locked due to a security freeze or it has expired, you’ll need to enter new payment info.
If you aren’t using Doordash for Work, then you have four options:
- Apple Pay
- PayPal
- Venmo
- Credit/Debit Card
You can’t pay with cash on delivery. That option has been removed, although many people wish it would return in the future.
Force Close the App
If the Doordash app freezes or just doesn’t work right when you use it, try force-closing the app and restarting it. This works similarly to using Alt + Control + Delete on a PC to shut down a glitched-out program.
The Doordash app should work after you’ve force-closed the application, depending on the problem. This method won’t fix most connectivity issues, but it will help correct slow loads or app crashes.
Use Doordash.com
Most people only use the Doordash app without ever realizing there’s a website version. However, if your phone isn’t working or the app won’t load, you can use Doordash.com to place an order and have it delivered to your home.
The website works just like the app. You can place orders, track your order status, and more straight from the website. If you’ve recently moved or are traveling and looking for food, the website might be the better option since it provides an easier way to browse the options around you.
Uninstall DoorDash
If all else fails, uninstalling the app and reinstalling it can correct problems caused by glitchy installations or faulty code. Remove the app from your device and then re-download it from the iOS or Google Play Stores.
Call Customer Support
If you’ve tried every other method on this list and you still can’t access the service, contact Doordash customer service. The team can help you work through potential problems within the app, the website, and more.
The customer service team is particularly helpful if you’re a Doordash dasher and are experiencing problems picking up orders, or if you’re a DashPass subscriber (Doordash’s subscription service) and you can’t activate DashPass benefits.
If Doordash isn’t working, try one of these methods to correct the problem. If nothing helps, try using a different app like Uber Eats. It’s a good idea to check various apps before placing an order, anyway – a delivery fee might be far less expensive on Doordash than on Uber Eats during the same time frame.
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Patrick is an Atlanta-based technology writer with a background in programming and smart home technology. When he isn’t writing, nose to the grindstone, he can be found keeping up with the latest developments in the tech world and upping his coffee game. Read Patrick's Full Bio
