# No More Surge Updates While Online?



## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

I can't believe there has been such little chatter here regarding this new stunt Uber pulled last week.

Before last week, while you were online, the surge display would update rather frequently. Nearly real-time actually!

As of last week, while you are online, the surge display updates NOT AT ALL. I've actually gone online, walked away for *an hour and a half*, then went back to my phone to find that the surge display remained 100% unchanged. Obviously at this point the surge numbers shown on the map are useless.

But go offline, and the surge updates immediately showing the real numbers.

Who else has been having this issue starting last week?

Who has a good workaround?

I'm currently in limbo trying to deal with this.

Closing and re-opening the driver app works for some. Force-stop and re-open works for others. Not me. When I do either of those things, when the app comes back up it renders only the gray clouds and no surge. It's stuck like this forever until I go offline - then BAM, up comes the updated surge.

If I do airplane mode on, force stop driver app, reopen driver app, airplane mode off, then I get a surge update. But then my vehicle becomes unselected, which forces me to go offline/online to reactivate it, making the entire process worthless.

If you have a workaround that works, please describe it AND note your phone model and OS version (very important).

I'm also looking for ways to get a surge update on an *offline *phone (without going online). Anyone know of a way to do that? That would be fantastic as then you could use a second phone in offline mode for surge-chasing. But normally, you get 1 maybe 2 surge updates several minutes apart in offline mode before it stops displaying the surge altogether.

I have a rather lengthy thread chronicling my struggles with this issue in the Chicago forum: OMG... Surge doesn't update AT ALL now!?


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## LACheckerDr (Apr 22, 2015)

Schmanthony said:


> I can't believe there has been such little chatter here regarding this new stunt Uber pulled last week.
> 
> Before last week, while you were online, the surge display would update rather frequently. Nearly real-time actually!
> 
> ...


I use my main phone to run the app and also, as a Hotspot. Usebmy old phone for news, games, and Track Surge App. I forgot what options were open in a free version, but $4/month subscription is well worth the money, imho. Instead of showing you the sticky, you see the actual surge pax are paing which is tonz better. 
Last night at lax got a ping with a $1 surge attached, but knew the real surge was 2.7x. Thousand oaks XL $105 kicked my way (service fee $81, fken ripoff)


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

LACheckerDr said:


> I use my main phone to run the app and also, as a Hotspot. Usebmy old phone for news, games, and Track Surge App. I forgot what options were open in a free version, but $4/month subscription is well worth the money, imho. Instead of showing you the sticky, you see the actual surge pax are paing which is tonz better.
> Last night at lax got a ping with a $1 surge attached, but knew the real surge was 2.7x. Thousand oaks XL $105 kicked my way (service fee $81, fken ripoff)


Interesting. I will look into that app. Of course, it would be best to have both Pax surge AND Driver surge! If I'm getting $40 surge on a 5 minute trip then pax surge is irrelevant.


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## LACheckerDr (Apr 22, 2015)

Schmanthony said:


> Interesting. I will look into that app. Of course, it would be best to have both Pax surge AND Driver surge! If I'm getting $40 surge on a 5 minute trip then pax surge is irrelevant.


Yeah, but you can just force close uber app, open it again and see updated surge msp. It won't even sign you out. To make sure I get the latest possible surge update, I also clear app's cache before starting it again.


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

LACheckerDr said:


> Yeah, but you can just force close uber app, open it again and see updated surge msp. It won't even sign you out. To make sure I get the latest possible surge update, I also clear app's cache before starting it again.


That method works for most, but not for me and not for a few others I've heard from. For us unlucky ones, when we force quit and re-open, after the app opens it displays gray clouds but no surge at all.

What phone are you using and what OS version?

I have a Samsung A21 with Android 10. But I also have the same problem on my older Galaxy J7 Refine with Android 9, and a couple even older phones that I tried.


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## LACheckerDr (Apr 22, 2015)

I'm on oneplus 8 5g android 11. Tmobile, former sprint.


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## Disgusted Driver (Jan 9, 2015)

I had a different problem this weekend, no surge showing at all!! 
There was no surge showing on the map BUT they were paying it (and charging the pax). So you basically had to stay in the gray area to get surge and how no idea how much it would be till after the ride. Surge amounts were weird amounts on short trips like: 6.91, 5.81, 8.82, 4.68, 5.01, 4.07, 4.09, 4.47 (most of these on minimum rides so it wasn't a multiplier). Makes it a total pain in the ass to try to figure out where best to drive.


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

LACheckerDr said:


> I'm on oneplus 8 5g android 11. Tmobile, former sprint.


So far no Android 11 user has complained of the no-surge-after-reopen problem. I'm considering going phone shopping since I can't get Android 11 on my A21 yet. Sadly, I just bought this phone too


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

Schmanthony said:


> I can't believe there has been such little chatter here regarding this new stunt Uber pulled last week.
> 
> Before last week, while you were online, the surge display would update rather frequently. Nearly real-time actually!
> 
> ...


Dont update the app it will start showing you 
surges you cant get to or ones that 
wont update to stick on you. I had a problem like yours a couple months ago and had to just give it some time. I never did get a resolution that was caused by my actions. 
Things have been ok last couple months
you will live...


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

25rides7daysaweek said:


> Dont update the app it will start showing you
> surges you cant get to or ones that
> wont update to stick on you. I had a problem like yours a couple months ago and had to just give it some time. I never did get a resolution that was caused by my actions.
> Things have been ok last couple months
> you will live...


I need a workaround like force-stop-reopen. Currently I don't have one that works for me. I will buy a new phone and/or switch carriers if that's what it takes.

I couldn't understand everything you wrote but you mentioned "don't update the app" which sounds like you suspect it's related to a recent app build. It's not. I dug up my old phone with an older version of the driver app on it that never had this problem before... and right away it also had the problem.


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## LACheckerDr (Apr 22, 2015)

Disgusted Driver said:


> I had a different problem this weekend, no surge showing at all!!
> There was no surge showing on the map BUT they were paying it (and charging the pax). So you basically had to stay in the gray area to get surge and how no idea how much it would be till after the ride. Surge amounts were weird amounts on short trips like: 6.91, 5.81, 8.82, 4.68, 5.01, 4.07, 4.09, 4.47 (most of these on minimum rides so it wasn't a multiplier). Makes it a total pain in the ass to try to figure out where best to drive.


That's why I stick around lax, even though the wait time for xl is usually over an hour (at least in my case, others seem to be doing 2 trips while I wait, but they could be working both apps, or doing both x and xl). In any case I come to the lot around 7-8pm, usually get home before 5am, and gross $230-300 making 4-6 trips. Minimal cherry picking, since it's almost impossible to maintain 5/10 working the lot).


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## bobby747 (Dec 29, 2015)

First off$40 sticky surges will be gone soon. 
#2 showing the surge. Hiding it will be as usual. Ubers crap.


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## LACheckerDr (Apr 22, 2015)

bobby747 said:


> First off$40 sticky surges will be gone soon.
> #2 showing the surge. Hiding it will be as usual. Ubers crap.


They are pretty much gone already, at least in the city. LAX will still show a healthy amount of surges, at least on a Sunday night. Other nights its still there, only not "advertised" on the map unless they need to lure more ants to the area.


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

LACheckerDr said:


> They are pretty much gone already, at least in the city. LAX will still show a healthy amount of surges, at least on a Sunday night. Other nights its still there, only not "advertised" on the map unless they need to lure more ants to the area.


We are still getting TONS of $20+ surges in Chicago, and a smattering of $40 ones almost every day and night too. I expect this to last at least another couple of months. Even if things get back to normal, surge is still a big part of the game in Chicago, so I need a solution that will be capable of surge updates without going offline.

Or... if anyone knows a way to get a surge update on an offline phone, that would be even better. I'd just use a second, offline phone for surge chasing.


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## LACheckerDr (Apr 22, 2015)

Offline phone is exactly that - offline. Now, if you're only looking for a solution to be able to connect to the internet without adding another phone line to your bill, try the solution I mentioned in my first reply. Use your phone as a Hotspot and connect the other phone to the wifi network created by first phone. You will have same features, as any other phone, less being able to actually use it as a phone.


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

LACheckerDr said:


> Offline phone is exactly that - offline. Now, if you're only looking for a solution to be able to connect to the internet without adding another phone line to your bill, try the solution I mentioned in my first reply. Use your phone as a Hotspot and connect the other phone to the wifi network created by first phone. You will have same features, as any other phone, less being able to actually use it as a phone.


I'm aware of how to run 2 phones with a hotspot. That's not the solution I'm looking for. I'm looking for a solution for getting a surge update - either while remaining online or while remaining offline.

Again, close-reopen and force-stop-reopen don't work for me. It may be because of Android 10. So far everyone I've spoken to using the workaround are on Android 11.


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

Schmanthony said:


> I need a workaround like force-stop-reopen. Currently I don't have one that works for me. I will buy a new phone and/or switch carriers if that's what it takes.
> 
> I couldn't understand everything you wrote but you mentioned "don't update the app" which sounds like you suspect it's related to a recent app build. It's not. I dug up my old phone with an older version of the driver app on it that never had this problem before... and right away it also had the problem.


I'm telling you I updated the app a couple days ago and surges are still up updating for me but f'ed up
I tried an iphone6 a couple years ago and it was telling me something about flash I think.
You problem is probable some kinda software issue that the new phones doing differently than the old one. Are you still getting the surges but just cant see em? Just today I noticed a few times I got a bigger sticky than the amount was showing on the screen
(other times it wouldnt update to show the 
higher amount that was on the screen too)
In other words I'm betting this issue is on everyone yours is manifesting as not showing you the
most current surge map...


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

25rides7daysaweek said:


> I'm telling you I updated the app a couple days ago and surges are still up updating for me but f'ed up
> I tried an iphone6 a couple years ago and it was telling me something about flash I think.
> You problem is probable some kinda software issue that the new phones doing differently than the old one. Are you still getting the surges but just cant see em? Just today I noticed a few times I got a bigger sticky than the amount was showing on the screen
> (other times it wouldnt update to show the
> ...


This is the problem that I believe affects everyone as of about a week ago:

While you're online, the surge doesn't update. At all. Period. Frozen permanently.

This is the problem that seems to affect only certain drivers:

The common workaround (force-stop-and-reopen) doesn't work. When I say it doesn't work, specifically I mean that when the app reopens, it shows no surge at all.


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## 25rides7daysaweek (Nov 20, 2017)

Schmanthony said:


> This is the problem that I believe affects everyone as of about a week ago:
> 
> While you're online, the surge doesn't update. At all. Period. Frozen permanently.
> 
> ...


My phone refreshes surges just fine but 
after I updated the app a couple days ago 
it's been pulling stuff like this


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## Schmanthony (Nov 18, 2017)

Then it looks like it's not refreshing surge.

On the first screenshot it looks like the surge at your location is really $2.75 but an old, frozen display of the surge shows how it was some time ago with $7.50 at your location.

Your second screen shot looks like my app after I've done a force-stop and reopen, or just simply closed the app and reopen it. Probably if you go offline the surge display will come back.

Please do this:

1. Go online with ONLY Pet or Connect selected (so you aren't bombarded with pings)
2. Verify that you can see surge somewhere.
3. Wait 5 minutes. Or 30 minutes. Or 1 hour. Or 2 hours.
4. Does the surge display ever change?

Then go offline. You'll immediately get a surge update and see the true surge.


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