> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://localtechnologiesinc.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Demand map
The Demand Map shows you where delivery orders are happening — or have historically happened — near your location. Use it to position yourself in the right place before orders arrive, rather than waiting in a quiet area and hoping something comes your way.
## Opening the Map
The Demand Map is available from your Driver Profile home screen. Tap the map icon or the **Demand Map** option in your menu to open it.
When the map loads, it will centre on your current location and begin fetching order activity data.
## Reading the Map
The map uses a hexagonal grid to show order activity across your city. Each hexagon represents a geographic zone.
| Element | What it means |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| 🔵 **Blue dot** | Your current location |
| **Purple hexagons** | Zones where orders are happening or have happened |
| **Darker purple** | High order volume — more chances of being matched here |
| **Lighter purple** | Lower order volume — fewer orders in this area |
| **No hexagon** | No significant order activity in this zone |
The darker the purple, the more active that area is. Your goal is to position yourself in or near the darkest zones you can reasonably reach.
You don't need to park inside the hexagon exactly. Positioning yourself near the centre of a dark cluster means you're within a short drive of multiple hotspot zones at once.
***
## Two Modes: Live and Historical
The map has two modes. You switch between them using the **Historical** toggle at the bottom of the screen.
***
### Live Mode (Default)
Live mode shows what's happening **right now** in your area.
* Only zones with a significant number of active orders are displayed
* The data reflects the current moment — not yesterday, not this morning
* Tap **Refresh Demand** to pull the latest data at any time
**Best used for:** Finding where to drive *right now* during your shift.
Live mode only shows zones that have reached a minimum threshold of active orders. If no hexagons appear, it means there isn't enough concentrated activity near you at this moment — not that orders don't exist. Try switching to Historical to find proven areas, or use the [Demand Map tips](#tips-for-using-the-map) below.
***
### Historical Mode
Historical mode shows where orders **typically happen** based on past data. It's useful for planning your shift and learning your city's order patterns.
Switch it on using the **Historical** toggle, then select a time window from the dropdown:
| Period | What it shows |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **1 Hour** | Zones that were busy in the last 60 minutes |
| **Today** | Zones that have been busy today so far |
| **This Week** | Zones that have been consistently busy over the last 7 days |
Historical mode only shows zones that have reached a higher activity threshold — so everything you see here is a **proven, consistently active** area rather than a one-off spike.
**Best used for:** Planning where to start your shift, learning which neighbourhoods are reliably busy, and deciding where to position yourself before a lunch or dinner rush.
***
## The Info Button
Tap the **ⓘ** icon in the top-right corner of the map to open a detailed guide that explains every element of the map in plain language, including how to interpret the hexagons, what Live vs. Historical mode means in practice, and pro positioning tips. It's worth reading once when you're new to the map.
***
## Tips for Using the Map
**Before your shift:**
* Open Historical mode and select **This Week** to see which areas of your city generate the most consistent volume
* Plan your starting location based on the darkest zones you can comfortably reach
* Note which areas are busy at different times of day — lunch hotspots and dinner hotspots are often different parts of town
**During your shift:**
* Switch to Live mode and refresh every 5–10 minutes to track where activity is building
* If you're in a dead zone (no hexagons near you), use the map to identify the nearest active cluster and reposition
* After completing a delivery, check the map before heading back to your usual spot — a new hotspot may have appeared closer to your current location
**If you see no hexagons at all:**
* In Live mode, this means no area near you has crossed the minimum order threshold right now. Try Historical → Today to find areas that were active earlier today
* In Historical mode with no hexagons, try expanding to **This Week** — a longer time window shows more zones
* Consider repositioning to a different part of your city and refreshing
The map only shows order activity — it doesn't show how many drivers are already in a zone. A very dark zone with many drivers may actually have fewer available orders per driver than a slightly lighter zone with fewer competitors. Use the map as a guide, not a guarantee.
***
## Frequently Asked Questions
Live data reflects orders that are active at the time you tap Refresh. It is not a continuous live feed — you need to tap Refresh manually to update it. For the most current picture, refresh every 5–10 minutes during your shift.
Order activity fluctuates throughout the day. A zone that had high activity 10 minutes ago may have fewer active orders now (some were completed, some were assigned). This is normal — the map reflects real-time conditions, not a static picture.
This usually means the app can't reach the server. Check your mobile data or Wi-Fi connection and try pulling down to refresh. If the problem persists, close and reopen the app.
Make sure your device location is enabled and set to **Always** for Local Pass. If the dot appears in the wrong place, try locking and unlocking your phone to prompt a fresh GPS reading. If you're indoors, GPS accuracy may be reduced — the true position updates once you move outside.
The map uses your GPS and loads data from the server, which does use some battery. The map only actively loads data when you're viewing it and when you tap Refresh — it doesn't run continuously in the background. Closing the map when you don't need it will preserve battery.