Uber adds safety options that every rider should start using – here’s how

Whether you don’t own a car or want to enjoy a night out without worrying about how to get home, ride-hailing services come in handy. However, safety is always a concern with these services; to address that, Uber is adding new safety features to its app.

On Wednesday, Uber unveiled safety preferences, a new feature in its app that enables riders to tailor their safety preferences automatically based on certain locations, ride types, and times of day. 

The safety features users can choose from are RideCheck, PIN verification, audio recording, and Share My Trip. 

The RideCheck feature can detect if a ride goes off the intended course, stops unexpectedly, or ends early. When Uber detects those behaviors, the feature will send an in-app check-in asking if everything is OK and offering helpful resources, including for contacting 911, reporting a crash, and more.

Pin verification allows you to add another layer of verification to ensure you get into the right car. You and the driver will receive a four-digit code that the driver will ask you about when you get in. If the pin matches, you are getting into the right vehicle. 

The audio recording feature lets riders record trip audio using the Uber app. Those recordings are encrypted and stored on the device and are inaccessible to the driver or the user. Only Uber can access these recordings when a rider reports a safety incident and chooses to share the recording with the company.

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Lastly, the Share My Trip feature enables riders to share their live location and trip details with a designated contact.

You can turn all the above features on automatically based on a schedule you set, ensuring they are always available when needed. Safety preferences are available for users across the US, Canada, and Latin America, and will be expanding to more countries in the coming weeks.