Uber on Thursday launched a more streamlined version of its smartphone app to better appeal to senior riders. The updated version features a handful of design changes that cater to older users, including larger text, an easier way to find frequently visited destinations — like grocery stores or doctor's offices – and fewer home screen options.
The company is introducing a way to change a user's profile settings to "senior," building on its mix of adult and teen options. The new version is now being tested in Phoenix and Orlando, with more cities expected to launch in the coming weeks. The feature will appear under the app's accessibility settings in those markets.
It comes as Lyft reportedly plans to launch a similar feature later this year, according to a Bloomberg report. Uber told CNET it has been working on this feature since last summer. Previously, older Uber riders could call 1-833-USE-UBER to request a ride without needing a smartphone. Meanwhile, Uber Assist has offered additional assistance to senior riders in certain markets.
Third-party platforms like GoGoGrandparent also connect seniors with ridesharing companies as well as other gig economy services like Instacart and DoorDash. Senior riders can also select a family organizer who can request rides on their behalf, make payments and follow along in the app in real time. Senior riders can use their own credit card or Medicare Flex cards for medical trips, Uber said. To set up a senior account in the Uber app, visit the Account tab, select Family and create a senior account.
Embracing an older demographic
According to James Hodgson, auto research director at ABI Research, this latest effort from Uber plays into the goal of expanding the company's monthly active user base to sustain its revenue growth and profitability.
"Ride-hailing services have few avenues for genuine competition outside of costly rider subsidies and driver incentives. The service is essentially homogeneous from point A to point B and on demand with some variation in ETA and driver availability," Hodgson said. "Therefore, the user experience of the application is one of the few areas for meaningful differentiation between ride-hailing services."
Some of these services are still perceived politically as "wild west" operations that profit at the expense of public transportation or formal taxi services, Hodgson noted. "Improving senior access to mobility services not only expands a ride-hailing operator's user base, it also better aligns them with the objectives held by various levels of government," he said.
