Uber redesigns app for the first time since 2012

The new app offers several new features such as shortcuts, calendar integration and people search.

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Ride sharing service Uber has released a new and redesigned app for riders. The app, which was last redesigned in 2012, has been rebuilt completely. The company stated that it has re-engineered the app in accordance with with the changing needs of riders, for a faster, smarter and more personalized rider experience.

In a blogpost Yuhki Yamashita, Senior Product Manager, Uber stated, “We designed the new Uber app around you —and our core beliefs that time is a luxury and that the information you need should always be at your fingertips. Gone are the days when everyone’s app looks the same. The new Uber experience is reimagined around a simple question—“Where to?” After all, you use Uber to get somewhere—or to someone. And by starting with your destination, we can tailor the journey to you.”

The app now includes several new features. To begin with, users who open the app are greeted with a simple question —“Where to?” Added to that is the shortcuts feature where the app remembers your past journeys with UBER and frequent riders are presented with prospective destinations. Your journey can then begin with a simple tap instead of a rather tedious process of filling in the details.

The app also integrates your calendar, should you choose to connect it. This will present destinations for scheduled meetings and appointments, as shortcuts. There's also a "people search" feature, which turns destinations into people that you might want to meet. Once users connect their contacts with the app, it presents the addresses as soon as the relevant contacts share their locations. Users can thus be spared the tedium of figuring out where the said person is.

Riders can also choose the kind of service they require, between the premium UberBLACK (available only in a few places in India), UberPool, or UberGO for everyday travel. Users can compare the fares for an informed decision. Finally, riders can keep track of the estimated time to destination and share the same with friends.

The company has added that in the future Uber plans to offer much more personalised service and integrate utility based mobile applications, social media networks, and news aggregators. The iOS version of the new Uber app is already available while an Android version will be out soon.

Founded in 2009, Uber is one of the leading ride sharing services globally. Now, in the face of competition and a relatively saturated market Uber has tried to make the service much more accessible and easy to use. Earlier this year, the company announced a deal with Google that would enable users to find and book Uber cabs through the search engine. Uber also harbours autonomous car ambitions. It is partnering Swedish Volvo Cars, to develop self-driving cars. The company also acquired Otto, a San-Francisco-based startup that develops self-driving commercial trucks.