How to Use Uber and Lyft at Same Time

How to Use Uber and Lyft at Same Time

If you currently only drive for one TNC, you may be wondering why you would ever want to complicate your life by running two services at once.  Well, running two apps at the same time actually increases your chances of getting a request and in turn will increase your earnings.

It's also a good idea in case there's a big Uber-like rate drop or one service's system goes down.  Driving for multiple TNCs diversifies your income streams and spreads out the risk.

I am not beholden to any of the services, and I drive for both Uber and Lyft. I also drove for Sidecar before they went out of business. I prefer driving for the one that puts the most money in my pocket and that varies week to week and, sometimes, hour to hour.

So, now that you're convinced, it's important to have a process and plan in place when you're out on the road.  If you don't, you will waste time, hurt your acceptance rate and basically, drive yourself crazy.

What's Your Setup Look Like?

It's pretty easy to run both apps on one device if you know what you're doing.  In my opinion, anything more than one device is too distracting for the driver and especially the passenger(s).  So, in my setup, I use one device with only one app view-able at a time.

The most important thing I can suggest is to have a mount for your device.  Harry, myself and a lot of other drivers recommend the Kenu Airframe since it hooks to the air vent and is very functional.  I especially find this helpful when it is warm out as it keeps the device cool so it won't overheat.

Related: 11 Products Every Rideshare Driving Should Be Carrying

You should also try and keep your phone below window level so it isn't so obvious that you are a rideshare driver to those around you, especially other taxis or police.

Make sure you have a solid Bluetooth headset in order to comply with hands-free laws.  This past weekend, I witnessed bike cops driving between cars at stop lights looking for and giving out cell phone tickets.  Keep that phone on the mount and connected at all times.

I have an in-car Bluetooth system that works really well, but you can also buy visor mounted Bluetooth systems that work just as well.  And of course, you can have in-ear Bluetooth or the old fashioned wired headset as a last resort.

It's important to save the Uber and Lyft VOIP numbers into your phone so that you can use voice commands to call your passengers instead of initiating calls from within each app.  I actually need to say 'Yuber' in order for my Android phone to understand that I really mean Uber.

Alternatively, you can also setup shortcuts for text messages.  This can be helpful, but I never remember my shortcuts, so I copy a previous text and paste it into the current text field under either my Uber contact or Lyft contact messaging threads.  Play around with your messaging app and figure out the most efficient and safe way to get texts to your passengers.

Starting It All Up

When you are going out to drive, I find it best to restart your phone to give it a fresh slate to work from. Running all the apps you need at the same time does put a strain on the phone, so you want to clear out all the apps you won't need.

I also restart my phone after I take a break so any social media, email, games, etc. I might be using during my break are not active when I go back driving again.  For me this really helps keep the phone running smoothly.

When you're ready to go back online, open up both Uber and Lyft passenger apps to make sure you aren't on top of other drivers before going online.  Then open up the Uber Partner app and go online with both Uber and Lyft.  When online with Uber and in the Uber Partner app, an icon will NOT appear in the status bar on Android, but when you are online and in another app, an icon will appear. If you are using an iPhone you will see a blue message at the top of your screen which says "Uber: You Are Online". If there are nearby surges, the message may say "Surge Pricing" and 1.5x instead.

When online with Lyft, you see an icon in the status bar whether you are in or out of the app as long as you are online.  You want to check these icons to make sure they are there when you are online.  If they disappear, this means that the operating system has turned them off.  Same goes for iPhone: if you do not see the blue message when outside the Uber Partner or Lyft app, then iOS has turned it off. This is more likely to happen with Lyft than with Uber.

Uber will ask you ever few minutes if you want to stay online if Uber is not the currently viewed app on the phone.  Be aware of this as Uber will take you offline if you don't respond to these queries.

Drive for more than just Uber and Lyft, but don't want to manage logging in and out of 3 (or more) apps? Check out Mystro! Currently in beta and only for Android users, Mystro is an app that helps you automate Uber, Lyft and (coming soon) GrubHub, Postmates, and more. Even better? Mystro helps you determine which rides you want to give! That's right: don't want any passengers under 3 stars? Tell your Mystro app, and you won't see any more requests from passengers under 3 stars. Tired of UberPOOL and Lyft Line? You can tell Mystro never to accept any of those rides! You can even tell Mystro you don't want to accept rides more than 10, 15, 20+ minutes away. Sound too good to be true? It's not – check out Mystro here.

Putting It All Together

You are now in driver mode on both apps and either in a location where you think you can get a ride or driving to a spot where you think you have a better chance of getting a ride.Never drive around just to drive around. This does not give you a better chance to catch a ride.  You should only be moving if you have a ride request, have a passenger or moving to a place that will give you a better chance to catch a ride.  That is it.

An Example With Lyft

Once you get a ride request, you need to accept it.  With Lyft's new app, it will automatically take you into navigation.  Once that has been done, use your app selector to select the Uber Partner app to go offline and then go back to the Navigation app to drive to your passenger. iPhone users can quickly go to the Uber Partner app by clicking the blue message at the top of the screen.

When following any driving directions, don't follow navigation blindly.  It is not uncommon for navigation to send you to the alley behind the house instead of the address requested.  It is highly unlikely that someone wants to be picked up in the alley.  As you get close to the pickup point, switch back to the Lyft app as the pin point will give you a more exact position as to where the rider requested the ride.

Hit arrive once you have arrived at the location and note the time.  You want to note the time so you start your own 5 minute clock.  I call after 2 minutes, text after 3 minutes and after 5 minutes, I cancel.  With Lyft, riders don't keep me waiting, so it is an extreme rarity that I have to cancel a ride due to being a no-show.  While you're waiting, if the rider has already put in a destination, initiate navigation through the Lyft app.  That way, you will be ready to go once they get in the car.

If everything goes as planned, you drop the rider off.  With Lyft, you need to select your app selector and select the Lyft app to end the ride and rate the passenger.  Once you have done this, you will automatically be back online with Lyft.  Select the Uber Partner app to get back online with Uber.

An Example With Uber

When you get a ride request from UberX, accept it and then, before initiating navigation, switch to Lyft to go offline.  Then switch back to Uber and initiate your navigation to the passenger.

The nice thing about the Uber app is that it makes it very easy to get back to the Uber Partner app when you have a ride request.  It does this by using a little tab on the left hand side that overlays whatever your current app is.  On the iPhone Uber sends a notification (make sure notifications for the Uber Partner app are enabled) when you receive a request.  Once you are getting near your destination, hit that tab to return to the Uber Partner app to get the exact location.

Once you arrive, hit arrive.  While waiting for the rider, note whether they have input the destination.  If they haven't, be ready to get the info from the passenger and be ready to enter it so you can start navigation.

As with the Lyft example, drive to the location using navigation.  Once at the rider's destination, hit the Uber tab to return to the Uber Partner app to finalize the ride.  Once that is complete, you will be back online with Uber.  Switch to the Lyft app to go back online with Lyft.

Between Rides

When there are lots of people looking for rides and not enough drivers to go around, life is good.  When you are either in a location where there aren't many requests or in a location with way too many drivers, you need to relocate.

In order to determine if you are in either of these situations, check the Uber rider and Lyft (in rider mode) apps to see if you are around too many drivers.  Also, check the heat maps in the Uber Partner and Lyft (in driver mode) apps.

You can use both the Lyft and Uber heat map to help you pinpoint specific points that are busy.  Paying attention to this information without being overwhelmed by will make you a more effective and profitable driver.

In general, you should play around with the apps until it's like second nature.  Time is money, and a lot of time is saved when you know how to use your devices and your apps efficiently.

Related article: Essential gear for rideshare drivers

How Much do Uber and Lyft Drivers Make in 2017?

Recently, we went out and tracked a full week's worth of data to find out exactly how much an Uber driver can make in 2017.  In this 5,000 word guide, you'll get free access to spreadsheets, videos and more to help you gauge your earnings potential and learn strategies to make more money!

Use Delivery To Stay Busy When Uber/Lyft Are Slow

Delivery is often busy when rideshare is slow. If you think about it, when people stay in they are more likely to order-out. Further, there are less drivers on delivery than there are on Lyft or Uber. So if the streets are flooded with rideshare drivers; flip over to delivery where there are less drivers and there is more business. You may even find that you like delivery much more than you like rideshare since there is less stress from passengers and the pay is similar.

Caviar is an option where you can delivery food without stressing about passenger ratings. They will tell you exactly how much each job pays before you accept it. They even have a parking ticket reimbursement program. You can check them out here.

DoorDash is another company that does delivery. They are pretty popular in the markets they operate. Meaning that they will usually be pretty busy. On top of that, 96% of DoorDash orders have a tip for the driver. Which is always nice 😉 You can check them out here.

New Lyft Drivers Can Get Up To A $1,000 Sign-Up Bonus

Lyft is currently offering new drivers up to $1,000 depending on your market.  Sign up here and earn your bonus before it's too late!

Does your process look different?  Do you think my ideas are stupid?  Let me hear your ideas in the comments below.

New Uber Drivers Can Get Up To $1,000 When They Sign-Up

Uber is currently offering sign-up bonuses of up to $1,000 depending on the market.  Sign up here and start earning today!

-Scott @ The Rideshare Guy

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