Uber brings CarPlay support to its driver app

Support for CarPlay in the Uber Driver app should contribute to safer driving, as drivers can view and take rides without using their phones.

• What’s happening? Uber is adding Apple CarPlay support to its dedicated US driver app.
• Why care? This will contribute to safer driving. Uber drivers can add rides and manage rides using CarPlay on their car’s infotainment screen instead of fiddling with their smartphones.
• What to do? If you’re an Uber driver, connect the Uber Drive app to CarPlay.

Uber Drive Gets CarPlay Support

Uber announced CarPlay support in an email sent to drivers and reviewed by TechCrunch. The feature will initially roll out to all drivers in the US by the end of this month. The letter to drivers tells how to connect the Uber Drive app to CarPlay:

1. Launch the Uber Driver app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the Go button to go online.
3. Connect your iPhone to your CarPlay-enabled car via cable or wirelessly.
4. Once connected, open CarPlay and launch the Uber Driver app.

We wish Uber had this feature long before it became popular. Whenever I book an Uber and see my driver fiddling with the app on a tiny phone screen instead of following the road, I get nervous. And the last thing I want to do when I’m excited is argue with my driver.

With CarPlay support, drivers will interact with the Uber Driver app on a much larger infotainment screen in their car, rather than squinting at their phones.

Access to the Uber navigation map and features such as heat maps, additional routes, and street sides on a big screen will benefit both drivers and commuters.

“Integrating the Uber driver app into CarPlay means drivers don’t have to switch between their phone and screen or between apps to be able to view and take rides, navigate and add rides in turn,” notes TechCrunch.

A year ago, Uber experienced a feature regression as the company quietly discontinued its Apple Watch app. As a result, it is no longer possible to book a ride from your wrist.