Uber announces launch of new rider app

Uber, a ride sharing app, announced the launch of its new rider app, rebuilt completely from the ground up for the first time, since the last redesign in 2012. Re-engineered keeping in mind the changing needs of riders around the world, the new rider app aims to recapture the clean and simple aesthetic of the original Uber experience—without sacrificing choice, the riders now expect a faster, smarter and more personalized rider app.

“We designed the new Uber app around you —and our core beliefs that time is a luxury and that the information you need should always be at your fingertips. Gone are the days when everyone’s app looks the same. The new Uber experience is reimagined around a simple question—“Where to?”.  After all, you use Uber to get somewhere—or to someone. And by starting with your destination, we can tailor the journey to you,” - said Yuhki Yamashita, Senior Product Manager at Uber in his blogpost.

Here’s what has changed in the new rider app:

• Destination first: The new Uber experience is re-imagined around a simple question—“Where to?” After all, riders use Uber to get somewhere—or to someone. And by starting with the rider destination, we can tailor the journey better.
• Shortcuts: The new Uber app will learn from riders’ routines. So frequent riders will see “shortcuts” that predict where one could be headed. This means riders can get moving with just one tap.
• Calendar Integration: Soon, riders will also be able to connect their calendar with Uber. Once connected, the riders meetings and appointments will automatically appear as “shortcuts,” saving them the hassle of digging through another app to find the right address.
• People Search: People use Uber to meet friends, whether it’s at a concert or a night out. This means the rider’s destination is often a person. But figuring out exactly where they are involves a lot of texting back and forth. Soon a new feature will be introduced which will refer to as people are the new places that enables riders to set their destination to a person instead of a place. Riders just need to sync their contacts with the app, type their name into the search bar and once they’ve shared their location, the rider can get moving.
• Choose your car & compare upfront fare: After entering the destination in ‘where to’, rider can decide how to get there. Riders prefer different types of ride for different moments. If the rider is on the way to a party or with business associates, a more spacious uberX or UberBLACK ride is preferred, while an uberGO serves as the most affordable everyday ride. And for a run-of-the-mill trip to the market or the lowest cost option, an uberPOOL works well. It’s now much easier to compare the cost of all these options with upfront fares, so the rider can make an informed choice.
• Once the rider is on trip, the focus is on helping them make the most of their ride. They can still split the fare, keep track of estimated time to destination and share trip status with friends.
• On trip integrations: Soon, Uber will offer more experiences tailored around rider destinations that will include on trip integrations with other utility based mobile applications, social media platforms, and news aggregators, amongst others.

Starting today, the new app is rolling out globally on iOS and Android over the next several weeks.