Ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft have remarkably similar user interfaces, with the most noticeable distinctions being the brand color scheme and pricing for services. However, users associate a lot more with brand identity, and few aspects hit home like personalization. Uber is going this route to step up its game, promising a highly tailored experience for each user of its redesigned app.
Thenew Uber appis a significant leap from the design used until recently. For starters, the home screen has been redesigned. TheRidestab is selected by default, but delivery services like Uber Eats are available under theDeliverytab in the top bar. The bottom bar allows access to other Uber services like booking rentals, reserving rides, and scheduling package deliveries. Options like user profile settings and ride history have been moved out from the left-aligned hamburger menu to the bottom bar. These tweaks reduce the number of taps to access key features.
When booking a ride, Uber will also show your frequented destinations and saved places under the “Where to?” destination search bar. It approximates these suggestions from your previous trips and probable destinations. The personalization carries into the ride selection as well, with the app placing Uber Green at the top if you prefer it over, say, Uber Moto.
The developers have also thrown in an iOS-exclusive improvement in this visual update, comparable to what wespotted in developmentfor Pixel Phones. Uber now supports iOS 16’s Live Activities and Dynamic Island features on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. So, your ride arrival ETA notification will be right on the lock screen. You won’t be unlocking the iPhone every time you want to see how far away your cab is.
Uber explains that this is just the beginning, and improvements in a similar vein will continue throughout the year. The new UI is already rolling out worldwide, so you just need to update the app and explore it firsthand. It shows up for us on version 4.462.10000 of the Android app.
