Uber Update Lets You Set a Friend's Location as a Ride Destination

[MacRumors]

Uber today announced an update to its app that makes it easier to hail a ride and set a destination directly to person in your iPhone contacts list. After syncing contacts to Uber, users can type a friend's name into the "Where To" box in the app, and Uber will then send a request to that person to share their location with you, which can be set as a destination.

The app can also update friends and family with a feature that sends your ETA to their phone as you ride in the Uber and make it closer to the drop-off point. Following negative reactions to background location tracking, some users might be apprehensive about sharing their contacts list with the app, however.

Where are you? Where's that again? These are common questions we ask friends and family when meeting up. If you're catching up with friends when out of town, meeting your sister at the mall, or joining coworkers for drinks, now you can skip the back and forth. Just Uber directly to them! So skip the back and forth, forget the address, and get straight to whom you're meeting up with.

In addition to the new contacts sync update, Uber is also introducing Snapchat filters and direct integration with the popular photo-sharing app. Riders will be able to unlock "custom Uber filters" during a ride, including an ETA filter that includes the text of how long is left on a trip. The Snapchat integration can be found in each user's feed in Uber.

Uber is available to download from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Uber Update Lets You Set a Friend's Location as a Ride Destination

 

[andy.ringwood]

So now they know where your friends live.

Not creepy at all Uber, not creepy at all...

 

[farewelwilliams]

two friends setting each other's location means unlimited $$$$$$$$$$$

 

[MrX8503]

Why does Uber need to know my location at all times and access to my friends and their location?

Time to switch to Lyft.

 

[Luscious]

It'll be a frosty day in hell when I share anything with Uber after the crap they pulled. Location services is shut off for the app and I only turn it on when I need to get a ride.

 

[makr]

I already turned off location services for uber. When I'm asked to allow the access for contacts, it'll be the same.

 

[whyamihere]

I urge everyone to continue rating and reviewing the Uber app. For weeks they have been pushing through app updates every few days to wipe out all of the previous poor ratings/reviews due to now requiring always on location. I for one am not letting them get away with this and re-post my negative review every time they push out a update.

 

[saudade]

Why does Uber need to know my location at all times and access to my friends and their location?

Time to switch to Lyft.

Who cares. Do u think u r important 4 uber dud? Be a man n buy ur own car

 

[Steve686]

Who cares. Do u think u r important 4 uber dud? Be a man n buy ur own car

Quite a few people use Uber to be able to go out, have some drinks WITH friends and not worry about DUI.

Be a man, and get some friends and try it sometime.

 

[0970373]

I mean - https://9to5mac.com/2016/12/13/uber-god-view-stalking-exes/

You can still use Uber w/o enabling location services. I only started using it again because of the AMEX airport promos but once those trips are done, I'm deleting it again. Lyft & Curb serve me pretty well in NYC.

 

[tangfish]

I urge everyone to continue rating and reviewing the Uber app. For weeks they have been pushing through app updates every few days to wipe out all of the previous poor ratings/reviews due to now requiring always on location. I for one am not letting them get away with this and re-post my negative review every time they push out a update.

This^^

I keep reposting my one star review too

Also, I've used Uber with location services entirely disabled ever since the update. I actually prefer it that way, because you can be more specific with the pickup location.

F-Uuuuuuuuber!

 

[0970373]

This^^

I keep reposting my one star review too

Also, I've used Uber with location services entirely disabled ever since the update. I actually prefer it that way, because you can be more specific with the pickup location.

F-Uuuuuuuuber!

Same. I think it's also really really important to remind people that you can still use Uber w/o location services enabled in that review/title. I tell my friends all the time as well.

 

[tangfish]

Yes, with the redesign it's like the app is always trying to push the pickup point to my gps location, but sometimes for example I don't want the car to try to come to my actual location in the subway but rather the sidewalk outside the subway exit 5 minutes from now.

Fortunately the disabling of location services helps both this need and also is a rejection of their desire to track me outside of the actual ride.

 

[saudade]

Same. I think it's also really really important to remind people that you can still use Uber w/o location services enabled in that review/title. I tell my friends all the time as well.

Lol i couldn't care less if uber or whatever uses the location. R u shy or what

 

[C DM]

Lol i couldn't care less if uber or whatever uses the location. R u shy or what

If you don't care, why does it matter if someone else might?