Maybe you have been a member of the Be My Eyes Community for a while, but you're still awaiting your first call. Or maybe you have received calls before but suddenly you didn't receive calls anymore. Both circumstances can make you wonder if something is not right or you're doing something wrong. However, both instances are very common.

Because there are so many volunteers in the Be My Eyes Community compared to blind users, it is quite normal for some time to pass before you receive a call or between calls.

How are volunteers selected?

When a blind or low-vision user requests assistance from a volunteer through Be My Eyes, the app will select a batch of volunteers (usually around 10) to send the notification to. The volunteers are selected randomly, however they have to match two criteria:

• They have to speak the same language as the blind or low-vision user
• They have to be located in a time zone where it is daytime.

The app's algorithm will randomly select a batch of volunteers matching these criteria. If none of these volunteers answer the call, a new batch will be selected until the app can make a connection. Thanks to this system, the waiting time for the blind user to get connected is currently around 15 seconds. Short waiting time is a game-changer for them.

How long will it take before I receive a call?

Because volunteers are selected randomly, it's impossible to say how long it will take before you receive a call. It can take anything from one day to several months. Staying on the platform and being available as a volunteer definitely counts. We can only ask for your patience, hopefully, you will catch a call quite soon!

You might actually have received calls you don't know about

Just because you don't see any calls, it doesn't mean that you're not receiving calls. In fact, most volunteers who think they have never received any calls, have actually received calls - they just didn't notice. As soon as another volunteer answers the call, the notification will disappear from your device. So, unless you see the notification popping up, you'll never know that you received the call. The reason we do this is for volunteers to not feel bad about not answering the call and not try and connect after the call has already been answered.