Quick phone guide

Using the Blocktober roster on a phone

The Blocktober Activity Roster is a Google Sheet. On a phone, it works best in the free Google Sheets app.

If Google asks you to download or install the Google Sheets app, or to sign in to a Google account, follow its prompts.

For help on the Roster that you cant find in this guide, tap More help.

1. Open the roster

Tap this link to the Blocktober Activity Roster.

If your phone asks whether to open the file in Google Sheets, choose Open. If it asks you to Sign In, then sign in to your Google account.

The roster should open on the Overview tab. Swipe up to see more activities and left to see more columns. If it opens on another tab, swipe along the tabs at the bottom and tap Overview.

2. Using the light-blue links at the top

Light-blue cells are links.

For links to webpages such as Android help, Joining WhatsApp groups, More help, the Blocktober Blog or the Conditions, 

• Tap the light-blue cell once, then tap the blue link that appears at the bottom of the screen. 
• Alternatively, "Open / Copy / Comment" may appear next to the text you tapped. Tap on Open.
• If you have selected the dark display setting for your phone, these cells may appear black with light-blue text.

3. Join an activity

On the Overview tab, find the activity you want and tap Join in the last column.

On an Android phone: When you tap Join in the last column, a link appears next to the selected cell; tap it. If other options appear, tap Follow link. Ignore any formula that may appear at the bottom of the screen.

On an iPhone: When you tap Join in the last colum, a formula may appear at the bottom of the screen — ignore it. Tap Join a second time, then tap Open link when the options Open link / Copy / Comment appear.

Tapping the link will take you to an activity row on the Walk, Run, Cycle or Swim tab.

4. Add your name

If you did not use the overview tab, swipe along the tabs at the bottom to the relevant sport tab, tap on it.

On the relevant Walk, Run, Cycle or Swim tab, identify the activity you want to join and on that row swipe left until you reach the first blank yellow Name cell:

• Tap the yellow cell.
• The fx Enter text of formula line opens at the bottom of the screen, above the formatting options.
• In the Enter text of formula line, enter your name, nickname or alias, then tap ✓ on the right of your text. For more about which name to use, read More help.
• Tap ✓ again in the top-left corner to save it and show the sheet tabs again.
• When trying to enter your name, the number keyboard may appear first. To switch to the alphabet keyboard, tap the ABC button at the top right of the formula bar.

Adding your name means you accept the Conditions for Blocktober activities.

To withdraw from an activity, return to the same sheet and row and delete your name from the yellow Name cell.

Colours to remember

Yellow = Name cells you can edit.

Light-blue = links.

Orange = activity / route information — it is not a link.

5. More help

For fuller guidance, tap More help in the roster.

Open the Blocktober 2026 Activity Roster