The Uber Driver App - an in-depth review

Ubers app has a lot of features and is constantly being upgraded. So, this article might bring you up to details now, and in one-month certain features can change. Having said this, the app is an amazing evolving technology. As time goes by and drivers experience, passengers experience and Ubers interface all develop and grow, the app becomes more and more useful and complicated. Since the more options, you add, the more time you need to find the option you want. This is fine since the outcome is an app that provides just about every need that a driver or passenger requires.

Architecture

The driver app is designed along standard market architecture, how the menus are arranged and submenus are based on categories of activity. Navigation is simple, menus are easy to follow, and the overall experience using the app is good.

Downloading the App

If you use iPhone then in Apple app store and if you use an Android then Google play to download. The iPhone must have iOS8 or higher, and the Android needs to be 4.0 or higher. Also, the phones should be newer than 2103.

Go Online button

This is the basic button that puts you online. You will need to set your notifications filter to on; the app will send you a pop-up if this feature is off since this is the only way you will get updated requests. If you are not yet activated or have been deactivated, you will not be able to turn this on.

Uber GPS Map

The Uber app map uses the same navigation system as Waze or Google Maps. However, it has an additional feature it is shaded to show hot spots and surge zones. It will also display up to ten of the nearest drivers to you on the map.

Destination filter

You access this feature through the top left corner of the screen. There is a checklist icon, this is the DF, and it enables you to input a destination so that when you drive towards it, the app will try to match you will ride that start and finish in the general direction. DF can only be used twice daily, so save it for the start of your shift and the end of your shift This was the logic behind Uber's development of this feature.

Uber announcement Screen

This is a popup overlay screen that shows you Uber announcements and income informative articles. Very useful to browse this between rides.

Earnings Tab

This feature shows you how much you have earned daily through a weekly bar graph. Clicking on different sections of the bar graph will display that particular day's data. At the bottom of the graph is the weekly income amount. Earnings are regularly updated, and this real-time data is helpful to keep track of income.

Promotions

This screen provides upcoming promotions including hourly fare guarantees or one-time bonuses for driving during certain times and days. It is not comprehensive and sometimes lacks all active promotions.

Invites

This screen lists your driver referral link with driver promo code and presents a list of new driver referrals. The list may show at hat stage they are in the process. The list will show who has signed up but not started driving, signed up, driving, and their bonus income status.

Trip history

This screen gives you all your recent trip details including a breakdown of each trip. It is also the screen from which you should contact Uber with any trip issues.

You can report an issue by pressing the "help" button and then reporting the problem or question you need to be answered. It is also the screen you will notify Uber about your involvement in an accident or collision.

Pay statements

This screen provides you with all your pay statements in one easy glance. Each individual pay statement will detail all the income by fare parts such as boosts, bonuses, and tips.

If you have any income questions, then this is where you would ask them. Press the "help" button and send in your question or complaint.

Driver Rating Tab

Drivers must maintain a 4.6-star rating or are in danger of being de-activated since it is one of the most important parts of the app Uber developed. Uber, therefore, set a large sector of the app to driver ratings.

Uber displays the number of 5-star trips at the top of the screen. It also provides these three statistics:

Current rating – the rating based on your last 500 trips.

Acceptance rating – the number of rides received and accepted.

Trips canceled – the number of rides you canceled or were canceled.

Rider compliments

This is a list of all passengers compliments you received via the app.

Driving rewards

Drivers receive all kinds of rewards from Uber, and they are all listed on this screen.

The driver reward categories

  • Manage money and taxes
  • Saving for retirement
  • Fuel card with discounts.
  • Car maintenance savings
  • Phone plan savings
  • Personalized health plans.

Passenger Feedback

Driver ratings under 5 stars require that the passenger provide feedback explaining why they did not rate the maximum. Usually, the feedback is constructive criticism other times it's just the passenger's feelings or perceptions of a ride. It is important to read these and learn from them, change and improving yourself and your ride over time.

Pro Tips

This screen offers insights into Uber subjects that include:

  • Surge pricing
  • Destination Filter
  • Schedule Trips (and more)

Account Tab

This section of the app is all about you and your profile and your account status. This is where you will set your payment method, view your documentation and checking your vehicle information.

It can be easier to edit on the website rather than the app, for instance:

Help with your account – help.uber.com

Updating documents – partners.uber.com

Editing payment and tax information – vault.uber.com

The vehicle profile screen lists your cars and their license plate numbers. This is where you switch between your different profiles.

Help

Similar to the web page hlp.uber.com, this is the app version where you can find out as much information on technical, operational and financial issues. It offers a lot of information and is a must for all drivers, especially before you decide to ask a question. Since the app version doesn't include (yet) a search option, it is better to g online to the website help where navigation is faster and easier.

Help categories in the driver app

Support Messages – A list of all your initiated conversations with Uber support via the help screen.

Trips and Fare Review – A list of all of your fares that enables you to select an issue you had with the fare

Payments and Rewards – All payment and referral issues, and links you "Payment Review Request" where you dispute incorrect payments

Sign up to Drive – The help screen, all about becoming a driver

Account – Help about maintaining your account, managing your profiles, personal data, ratings, vehicles, insurance, etc.

5 Star Partner Guide – A comprehensive list of how-to articles, troubleshooting FAQs, and how to find your local Uber Greenlight Hub

Safety and Security – Al the help relating to legal issues, trip and ride safety, long rides, dash cams and more.

Accessibility – Explanations for deaf and hard of hearing drivers, service animals, and how to become a WAV driver

Delivery – help section about Uber Rush and EATS

Submitting a question to Uber using the driver app

  1. Select "account."
  2. Tap "help."
  3. Tap "account."
  4. Choose "I have another account question."

Waybill

This section gives detailed information about your last trip. The James River insurance coverage policy and the certificate of insurance which is all useful in case of an accident or collision.

Payment

This section enables you to enter new payment methods it does not edit current payment methods. For that, you should go to vault.uber.com.

Documents

This section will show you all your online documents, which are all the documents you submitted to Uber. You will upload new documents here and change or replace old ones.

Settings

This is a standard feature found in every app; it enables you to set various function performances within the app.

Accessibility – this sets flash requests and features for deaf or hard of hearing drivers

Navigation – Choose your third-party map app: Uber, Google Maps, Waze

Affiliations – update any military affiliations

Music – sets up how you listen to your music through the Pandora app

Passenger music play –this setting allows riders to select their own music to play through an aux setting

Music services – Connect to Pandora to enable passengers access to music selection,

About

This shows you which update you are using,