If there’s one part of an Uber ride that can be frustrating, it’s hopping in the backseat of a car and telling the driver where to go, only to have them ask how to get there. Now, that won’t be a problem.
With an update to the Uber app released today, users can enter their destination when they summon a car, and drivers can then choose to let the Uber app navigate to the user’s destination, rather than having to rely on an outside GPS system. It’s a move designed to make it easier for riders and drivers to get where they need to go without wasting time entering addresses into another navigation app or service.
It’s yet another step by the company to streamline the process of getting a ride, something that made Uber and other services like it popular to begin with.
The update also provides a useful fix to the problem of drivers taking routes that are ever-so-slightly out of the way to milk an extra dollar or two out of the fare. If the driver follows Uber’s suggested directions, there’s no ambiguity about whether or not they have gone the “right” way. In my experience, drivers who know where they’re going usually take a reasonably quick route to a user’s destination, but these directions will make it possible for users to feel more confident in their ride.
Lyft already offered a feature similar to this one through its app starting in April of this year. Users can input their destination, and the app passes that along to the driver, who in turn has the ability to open it in a navigation app to get directions. In my experience, Lyft’s process hasn’t been as smooth it could be, which could give Uber the upper hand in this area.
