How to Find In-Stock Covid-19 Home Tests Online

TECH Keep your phone handy and be ready to buy when the shopping bot says the tests are in stock. By Dalvin Brown Jan. 5, 2022 Tap story

During the holidays, getting a PlayStation 5 under the tree required patience, luck and an online bot-powered product tracker. Now, the same shopping tools can help people find at-home Covid-19 tests. Karen Focht/Zuma, Cover: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg News { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] } { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-fade", "duration": "2s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"opacity": "0"}, { "opacity": "1"} ] }

Stock-monitoring platforms periodically check inventory at various retailers and send users alerts if hot-ticket items become listed as available to purchase. Some of these services, including NowInStock.net , ZooLert.com and HotStock.io , are tracking Abbott’s BinaxNow self-test and similar products at retailers such as Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Amazon. { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] } { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-fade", "duration": "2s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"opacity": "0"}, { "opacity": "1"} ] }

Getting the ping about a product in stock is only half the battle. You will have to move fast enough to place an order before everyone else finds out they are available. Here are some tips for improving your chances of securing a test. John Tully/Bloomberg News, Previous: Ted Shaffrey/AP { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] } { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-fade", "duration": "2s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"opacity": "0"}, { "opacity": "1"} ] }

Choose how you want to be notified. NowInStock and ZooLert can send you email, text messages and browser alerts. You might not see them if your devices are silenced. The HotStock app will send push notifications to your phone. You can also leave a tracker’s webpage open in your browser and watch for changes. Getty { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] } { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-fade", "duration": "2s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"opacity": "0"}, { "opacity": "1"} ] }

Turn up the volume and make sure your notifications are turned on. Turn off Do Not Disturb if you are hoping for alerts on your smartphone. Also, turn off low-power mode, which can sometimes slow down notifications. iStock { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] } { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-fade", "duration": "2s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"opacity": "0"}, { "opacity": "1"} ] }

Create accounts with the retailers selling the home tests, and be sure to save your address and payment info. If you already have an account, log in. (Also, you can use your browser’s autofill feature to quickly input name and shipping information.) iStock { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] } { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-fade", "duration": "2s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"opacity": "0"}, { "opacity": "1"} ] }

Be patient. The listings and notifications are only as good as the tech powering them. Occasionally, you might click through and find that the product isn’t really available, or it is listed with a painful gouge of a price. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty { "selector": ".wsj--ani-media-zoom", "duration": "3s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"transform": "scale(1.03)"}, {"transform": "scale(1)"} ] } { "selector": ".wsj--ani-text-fade", "duration": "2s", "easing": "ease-out", "keyframes": [ {"opacity": "0"}, { "opacity": "1"} ] } Read the full story

Produced by Julia Munslow Read the full story