A new update to the Uber app for Android and iOS, along with a cloud-side update, has brought a new spotlight feature to the app. Designed to help your driver locate you in a dark area or a crowded area, the update gives you the ability to hold up your phone and have your screen be a solid color that uniquely identifies you to your driver.
In addition, the car sharing service is now guaranteeing pickup times if you schedule a ride. For example, if you schedule a ride for the afternoon to take you to the airport, you are given a guarantee time of when your driver will arrive. If they don’t arrive by that time, you are credited $10 towards your next ride.
How the spotlight feature works is pretty easy. Once you have requested your car through the Uber app, you will see a light bulb icon with a color. When your driver is near, you can press that icon and it will turn your screen that color along with some ride details. In a crowded area like after a concert or in a busy part of a city, this can cut down on the confusion of who’s Uber is who’s.
Uber Spotlight Feature
The color changes each time you are scheduling pickup but Uber’s back end technology keeps up with who’s in you area requesting a car and works to keep the color assignments as unique as possible.
The updated app is rolling out now in the Play Store and should be available to everyone at this point.
