Unable to load data error message on the Dasher app when scheduling a Dash or tap a Dash Now

Hi there, have you ever got an “Unable to load data” error message when you want to schedule a dash using the Dasher app on your iPhone. When I’ve had this problem once or twice, I still ignore it, but lately, it’s been popping up more and more and it’s frustrating me.

It seems I have been cursed with this issue because it comes almost every day and not only happens when I’m going to schedule a Dash but sometimes also happens on the front page of the app preventing me from Dash Now. At that time it was very busy in my area, everything is red on the map and it made me miss the opportunity to earn more.

I’ve tried doing all the actions I know but there’s no luck. Have you or maybe someone around you ever experienced it? If so, I hope you can share your experiences and solutions to solve the Unable to load data issue.

I’m so sorry for your loss. This must be incredibly complicated for you. I heard of this problem from a delivery driver about a year ago and I’m quite surprised that this problem is still being experienced by some Dashers like you even today. Looks like DoorDash hasn’t found a permanent solution to fix this issue from last year.

After researching about the Unable to load issue from various sources, including from DoorDash delivery drivers who have experienced it. Here we will try to explain this problem and some facts about it that could be a reference for you and other Dasher.

Why does it say Unable to load data?

‘Unable to load data’ is an error notification that often appears in the DoorDash Driver app. We might call it a software bug because when this notification appears it will usually prevent Dasher to go online. This means they can’t earn money with this platform until this issue goes away.

Unable to load data messages

This error message most often appears when Dasher tries to schedule a Dash, the message that appears is “The data couldn’t be read because it isn’t in the correct format“. In addition, this issue sometimes also appears when the driver wants to Dash Now, the message that appears is “Something went wrong while loading. Please tap the Retry button to try again“.

This is one of the software-related issues in the DoorDash driver app. Apart from this issue, there are some common software bugs that are quite well known among delivery drivers. For example, error notifications saying Dasher must be active to schedule Dashes, and Please have your red card setup issue.

Why did I get this issue?

This issue has been experienced by quite a number of Dashers out there, we hear about this frequently from US and Australia based delivery drivers, so we conclude that it has nothing to do with the driver’s location. In addition, this problem can also pop up to newly registered as well as existing delivery drivers, put simply this has nothing to do with how long you have been active.

However, from some of the information that we have analyzed, there are some similarities in Dasher’s condition who suffered from the Unable to load issue. Here we explain some of the things that might be the cause of this error message:

• Using an iPhone
  While we’re not sure if this is a device-specific issue, reality says otherwise, as most of the drivers experiencing this error message work with an iPhone to install the DoorDash Driver app. We haven’t found Dasher with an Android phone like Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel complaining about this issue.

  Previously, we also found an iPhone-specific issue that one of the drivers complained about. This error message occurs when he will complete a payment profile. As a result, the driver cannot receive payments. Fortunately, this only happens to new drivers who have never set payment details in the Dasher app.

  However, our conclusion could be wrong, because as we know in the countries where DoorDash operates, iPhone is the most widely used device. Like in North America and Australia where iOS has more than 50% of the mobile OS market share. So most of the Dashers use this Apple product while working.

• Software bug
  There is a possibility that the DoorDash driver app has an undetermined software bug that can appear at any time and prevents Dasher to schedule or starting a Dash. And this issue seems to be related to the device’s operating system driver, in this case, iOS and iPadOS on the iPhone and iPad device.

  If this is indeed the source of the problem, then there is nothing we can do as a delivery drivers. We can only wait for the company to get rid of the bugs as soon as possible. We can also help them solve it by reporting every issue we have to them.

• Busy time
  Some drivers have reported that the Unable to load data error message usually appears during busy hours, especially during dinner time. This condition is detrimental to Dasher who chooses to work at night because they have lost the opportunity to earn more during rush hour

  As we know the busiest time for Dasher is during dinner. During these busy hours, there will be a lot of drivers online at the same time. So it is likely that the DoorDash system will be in a high load state at that time which sometimes affects a small part of Dasher.

• Mobile network carriers
  Some fellow Dasher in the US said that they have experienced this problem more often when they use a certain provider. Quite a lot of US-based Dashers complain about this when they start a Dash Now or schedule a Dash using AT&T as their mobile network provider.

  We have not found a mobile network operator specific issue that is suspected to be the cause of this problem outside the US. Although there are some Australian drivers that also experience this error message, we can’t conclude yet because the number of complaints is not enough.

Possible fix for the “Unable to load” issue

Until now we have not found a surefire solution that can solve this problem. Some Dashers also say they have tried more than one possible fix. So they don’t know for sure, which action is most effective to solve this problem. Here are some possible fixes that might work for you.

1. Use Android Phone
   Since we’ve never heard of an Unable to load error message appearing on an Android phone, the easiest solution we can recommend is to use an Android phone to install the DoorDash driver app. You don’t need to move over every app and data from iPhone since you can use this Android phone as a gig jobs related device.

   Currently, there are so many cheap Android phones available on the market. In Australia, you can choose Samsung or Oppo. Both brands are commonly used by non-Apple users in the country because of the wide collection of models and are offered at very affordable prices.

   US-based Dasher can also try to buy a brand new unlocked or renewed Android smartphone that is not exclusively tied to a carrier. Or if you don’t want to spend money in any way, you can consider getting a free phone from a mobile network carrier. For example the T-Mobile REVVL V+ 5G which is free with the activation of a new line of service or the trade-in.

2. Fiddling with your phone
   Some Dashers said that the Unable to load issue can sometimes be resolved in unexpected ways when playing with their devices. Here are some examples of some of the things you can do:
   • Keep restarting the app. It could help the app regain the connection to the server.
   • When you see the Retry button keep tapping it.
   • Enable and disable airplane mode. It could help you reset the phone network and data connection.
   • Turn the device OFF and ON when each of the above solutions is not working. Sometimes it might be helpful when you are experiencing a problem and need to troubleshoot. This action not only applies to this specific issue but applies to almost all software related issues in general.