How to Change Location on Doordash

DoorDash uses zone maps to tell its drivers where the hot spots are located. The DoorDash GPS intuits where drivers are located, and lights up the DoorDash zone map in his/her area if it’s “Very Busy.” As a driver or dasher, you might want to leave your own area to dash in another hot spot.
That means you’ll need to know how to change location on DoorDash. It’s a simple one-two-three thing to do, so we’ll walk you through it in this step-by-step in-depth tutorial. Luckily, you have everything you need right there in your app, so let’s get started.
Related: Food Delivery
How To Change Location On DoorDash: Know Your App
One of the first things a dasher will notice is the DoorDash coverage map and the DoorDash zone map. The zone map highlights neighborhoods or “zones” that are light to medium to very busy:
- A highlighted area in gray means that the area needs no help.
- A light pink area indicates some business and dashers can “dash now.”
- Regular pink means there’s more business in that area, so you can “dash now.”
- An area highlighted in red is “very busy” and dashers can jump right in there to dash.
The DoorDash coverage map is another thing altogether. Most food deliveries operate within a ten-mile delivery area. For some restaurants, it’s five miles. The coverage map tells the driver if a neighborhood is outside the delivery area or out of range. The customer will know this when his/her order won’t go through, and they must order from someone closer.
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How To Change Starting Point On DoorDash
Now that you know what your map is all about, it’s time to begin dashing. Let’s say you notice an area outside your own that is red and “very busy.” You can begin taking orders in that area in one of two ways:
- If your Dash Now is on, the app will ask if you want to begin in a different location. Tap “Okay,” and your starting point will be changed.
- If your Dash Now isn’t on, then just drive into a very busy area. Tap on Dash Now, and you’ll begin receiving orders. Tap on “Change” when the app asks for a location update.
- Another way to change your starting point is to click on the desired starting point:
- Then click Dash Along The Way.
- When you reach the desired starting point, DoorDash will put you in the system, and you can begin receiving orders.
- You’ll tap on the length of time to dash to the desired area.
- You can stop dashing whenever you wish, just like in your own area.
Full Guide: How to Get Multiple Orders on Doordash
How To Change Location On DoorDash: Why Can’t I Change My Starting Point?
There are a few reasons you won’t be able to change your starting point, but not all of them will show up on your DoorDash maps.
How Many DoorDash Drivers Are In My Area?
There is no map or other app that will tell dashers when there are too many dashers in one area. The best indication you’ll get is that an area is highlighted in gray. You could possibly drive to a light pink area and tap on Dash Now because there might not be many drivers in that area.
DoorDash Map Not Working
Anything electronic is going to take a break at some point in time. It happens to our cell phones, laptops, cash registers, and the computer in our cars on a regular basis. So, if you can’t change your starting point, check that the app is up and working properly. If your DoorDash map not working, that’s a good indication of something wrong.
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Is DoorDash In My Area?
Rather more important than maps on the fritz or how many Doordash drivers are in my area is if the service is in your city at all. The only way to find out is to pull up the DoorDash app. Input a delivery address and tap on a restaurant from which to order. If the app tells you you’re out of range or DoorDash doesn’t deliver in your area, then that’s a good reason why you can’t change your starting point.
Not In Your Home Country
Part of knowing how to change location on DoorDash is knowing in which countries DoorDash operates. The company currently operates in Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. including Puerto Rico. If you’re abroad and can’t dash, then be aware that you can only dash in your home country.
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Best Places To DoorDash In Los Angeles
As an example of how to change location on DoorDash, let’s use Los Angeles and some of its most famous neighborhoods. The food delivery service operates in thousands of cities all across the country. DoorDash info on your city is going to include all the neighborhoods, not just our example of the best places to DoorDash in Los Angeles.
Twenty-six neighborhoods comprise the heart of L. A., and they stretch from the Hollywood sign outward in an ever-growing area. L.A. County is the most populous in the country, so you’ll have a healthy time dashing! These are the top neighborhoods in Los Angeles:
- Central L. A. encompasses everything from downtown out to the residential parts of Beverly Grove, Fairfax, Hancock Park, Griffith Park, Silver Lake, and more.
- West Hollywood or WeHo is where you’ll find the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Blvd. Lots of expensive condos and mansions in WeHo.
- South Bay is where you’ll find the beaches such as Manhattan and Long Beaches. Don’t be fooled by the small-town atmosphere; these are some of the most expensive houses in L. A.
- The Westside is where you’ll find Rodeo Drive, the Getty Center, and UCLA. Silicon Valley is somewhere around here. The place is a bit understated, but the money’s there, so dash to your heart’s content.
- It wouldn’t be a “top” L. A. list without Beverly Hills. This is the area for people with lots of green who want to flaunt it. These people have personal chefs, so if anyone here orders, you’ll be delivering to the gardener (or his pet.)
- The San Fernando Valley hosts the major studios (Universal, Warner Bros., and Disney. Also, of course, the theme park.) You’ll be driving along Ventura Blvd. to deliver your food. You’ll probably see film crews shooting “on location” shots.
- Spanish churches, the Rose Bowl, and Native American artifacts make Pasadena a special place, and that’s outside of the movies. It’s near the Verdugo Mountains north of L. A. You’ll be delivering to quiet, beautiful close-to-the-mountains homes.
As you visualize this DoorDash map, you can better see how to use DoorDash info on your city to work out how to change location on DoorDash in your own city.
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Another Way How To Change Location On DoorDash: DoorDash Driver Change Address
We said there were two ways for a DoorDash driver to change their starting point. The second method is to pull up the app. It will give you an option to view the city. Tap on it. Tap on the area in which you want to dash. Now you’ll see an option to “change.” A message will appear asking if you want to change your starting point to this address. You’ll tap on “yes,” and you’ll be good to go.
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Pros And Cons Of Changing A Dasher’s Starting Point
In the past two years, the use of food delivery services has spiked for obvious reasons. Today, the rising gas prices make using DoorDash a no-brainer. Those are two of the advantages of using the food delivery service. What’s it like for the dasher, though? What are their pros and cons?
Pros
DoorDash driver change address has access to the hottest of the hot spots. One of the pros of dashing lies in keeping his/her deliveries close to the restaurants. If they don’t have to drive too far, those high gas prices won’t matter so much.
Another plus is that many restaurants are grouped into one strip mall or in nearby locations. These hot spots are often near several different neighborhoods. Parking in these hot spots almost always guarantees dashers plenty of orders. They can take multiple orders, thereby saving gas and making money.
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Cons
It’s a heartbreaking but irrefutable fact that there are folks out there who have money either to eat or to put gas in their cars. Some can eat, or they can pay for their medications. Dashers obviously don’t know these things, so they fail to deliver the food these people need, no matter at which point the dasher started, because the order total or the tip or both wasn’t enough. Dashers only see this as a disadvantage.
Another disadvantage for dashers, no matter where their starting point is, is the closing of both small businesses (restaurants) along with national chains. These former hot spots are causing dashers to locate other hot spots in any area to which they can drive in order to find enough business to make their bills (and gas money.) Sometimes changing their starting point isn’t worth it due to the gas it would have taken to get to another area whose restaurants might or might not be closed.
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How To Change Location On DoorDash FAQ
Why Won’t It Let Me Change My Location On DoorDash?
This will happen for different reasons:
- DoorDash doesn’t service this area
- There are no orders in this area
- There are too many dashers in this area
- A glitch in the system. Contact DoorDash Support for answers
Can You Dash In Another State?
Absolutely. Most states allow you to Dash Now whenever you’re in the “zone.” If DoorDash operates in the city in which you’ve arrived, then you can dash there. Some states have restrictions, so contact the company to find out what these are.
Can You Re-Sign Up For DoorDash?
Yes, you can. To be fair, you have to mess up pretty badly to become deactivated. Your customer ratings have to fall beyond the point of no return, you canceled too many orders, you cheated or abused the platform, you annoyed the vendors (restaurants,) or you disobeyed the independent contractor agreement.
DoorDash will deactivate your account, but they’ll send you an email explaining why. Not every dismissal allows for an appeal, but the email will alert you if you can appeal. It will tell you how to begin the appeal process. If the reason you were deactivated isn’t serious, then you can re-up after the appeal process.
Final Thoughts
For a dasher to change his/her location, s/he must first understand within what area, usually five to ten miles, the restaurant delivers. S/he must also recognize the colors on the map highlighting neighborhoods. Gray means there’s no business to be had in a neighborhood. Light pink represents a little business in that neighborhood. Pink is a bit busier, with red very busy.
Dashers can simply drive to another area and hit Dash Now as a how-to change location on the DoorDash method. The app will also ask if you want to drive to a different location if your Dash Now is on. Just tap Okay and you’re good to go.
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