Ride-hailing giant Uber rolls out biggest app redesign in years

The ride-hailing company said the new Uber app makes it way easier to book rides, taking into account the most preferred destinations and products for each rider

Ride-hailing giant Uber has made a comprehensive global revamp of its app, adding a slew of new features to help riders go anywhere effortlessly.

Uber said its redesigned app has been made intuitive and customised to the individual preferences of each rider. This helps to offer easy access to all services and smooth flows through the booking process. Starting right at the redesigned home screen, the company said the new Uber app makes it way easier to book rides, taking into account the most preferred destinations and products for each rider.

"Seeing how fast-paced our lives are getting, we understand the need to be able to navigate through apps in seconds," said Nitish Bhushan, Director - Central Operations,  Uber India and South Asia. "We are introducing the redesigned Uber app to help our users more effortlessly navigate to ensure each rider sees an app designed for their specific needs, with their frequented routes and preferred products showing right at the top."

For instance, the homescreen experience has been simplified to help riders book trips more easily, with fewer taps, right from the get-go. The new app also features a "Services'' tab as a one-stop shop to find all product offerings available to riders in their city – from a nearby Moto to Auto, Intercity, Rentals, Reserve, and Connect. The new "Activity Hub'' helps keep track of past and upcoming rides all in one place.

Booking favourites – ride types and locations--have also been made more user-friendly with the new app. Upon tapping "where to?" on the homescreen, "Saved Places" will appear for each rider, and the app will suggest a list of personalised destinations and ride types based on preferences, past trips, and most likely destinations. The app will also share personalized recommendations for ways to plan travel and save, based on how each rider uses Uber.

As an example, if a rider typically uses Uber Auto, it will likely be the first option they see. The app will also suggest other affordable options.

Now, with Live Activities on the lock screen, riders can easily track the live progress of their ride. They can receive critical updates like vehicle details, the latest ETA (expected time of arrival) information, and trip status - all on the Lock Screen without opening the app.

This feature is being rolled out for iOS devices, and will be available on Android devices soon.

Riders will need to ensure their device is up to date with the latest available software. This includes the latest version of the Uber app to experience the redesigned app and its new features.