Uber and Lyft have completely changed the way we travel, and have even challenged the concept of car ownership in some areas.

These apps are popular in part because of their ease of use – one-click ride-hailing – but even if almost everyone has installed them, not everyone has digged deep into all the features these ride-hailing apps offer .

General Tips

1. Stay away from the crowd

If you have just left the venue, sporting events or busy restaurants, walking a few blocks can make it easier for you and your driver to pick up. Staying away from others will make it easier for you to be spotted on the sidewalk, and you don’t have to look for your car in a dozen crowds. Additionally, you can do some exercise while waiting for the vehicle to arrive.

2. Find a landmark

Another way to minimize the risk of pick-up confusion is to send your Uber or Lyft driver to a recognized landmark rather than an inconspicuous location (again, it may take a short walk). Try parks, well-known hotels, and even shopping malls – anywhere that is easy to find and has plenty of space for drivers to park.

3. Make an appointment for future trips

One of the most practical features of Uber and Lyft is the ability to book future trips. In the Uber app, once you have selected your destination and vehicle type, click the clock icon next to Request to set the time and date (up to 30 days in advance). If you are using Lyft, set your destination and click Appointment to select time and date (up to seven days in advance).

4. Use a friend's cell phone

If your phone is lost or out of power, you can still access Uber and Lyft on your friend’s phone via the mobile network. Visit the Uber or Lyft website on a friend’s phone, follow the prompts to enter your details, and you can access a limited number of general features – including the option to request a trip from your current location.

Uber prompt

1. Sign up to subscribe

Uber offers a subscription service called Ride Pass, but at the time of writing it hasn't been launched across the United States yet. If your city is available, click Ride Pass from the app menu to pay a flat fee of $25 per month to prevent your itinerary price from being affected by weather or peak pricing. Uber calculates its Ride Pass rates based on historical data, making your travel costs easier to budget.

2. Take care of your family

If you are responsible for minors and want to make sure they can come home safely, add them to your Uber family by selecting Settings Your Family in the App Settings. The people you specify can use the Uber app, but can credit their trip fees to your account. You can add babysitters, personal assistants, and more.

3. Share the cost

If each passenger has an Uber app installed, it's very easy to share the trip costs on Uber (you can send them a prompt if they don't). While the trip is in progress, swipe up from the bottom of the phone screen to view the itinerary details and click Sales the fee. Enter your companion’s name or mobile phone number and prompt them to pay.

4. Through Google Maps

If you are more accustomed to using Google Maps to find routes, that's fine. Simply select your destination on the map, select the route , and click the "Itinerary" icon (a cartoon man with his hands raised), and you will see Uber. Doing so will bring you seamlessly into the Uber app. However, Uber is currently unable to use Apple maps.

5. Call Uber with voice

If you are at home, you can call Uber using your Amazon Echo or Google Home smart speaker. You need to connect to Uber first (Alexa's instructions here, Google Assistant's instructions here) and install the app on your phone. Once done, just request a trip to a specific location. You can also track the vehicle's location while it is on the way.

Lyft prompt

1. Register for All-Access Plan

Lyft offers a monthly subscription service called the All-Access plan, allowing you to prepay to lock in fixed prices for your trip. Pay $299 every 30 days and you can get up to $15 for 30 trips, with a 5% discount on the extra fee and you can cancel the agreement at any time. In the Lyft application menu, select

Notifications and then under All-Access Plan Learn more to register.

2. Add your preferred pronoun

Lyft recently launched the ability to specify your preferred pronoun in the official apps for Android and iOS, and once you book your trip, your driver will be able to see them. In the Application menu, click on the avatar at the top and select

Add your pronoun

and select from the list. This is optional, you can choose not convenient to disclose instead of one of the options.

3. Combining official and private itineraries

Lyft can do this easily if you need to reimburse your employer for your trip. Click

Business Profile

in Settings to set up one, and you can distinguish between work and private itineraries. When you need to submit a claim, open the app menu and go to Travel Record, Business and you will receive the sent to you or your Manager's expense report. 4. Synchronize your calendar

Lyft gets more help by syncing it with the calendar on your phone—which means the Lyft app is able to find details, such as the address of your party, without you having to manually enter it. The next time you request a trip, select under the destination search box to add from calendar and the application will ask you to sync a specific calendar.

5. Call Lyft with voice

Lyft works with Echo and Google Home speakers, just like Uber. You need to install the Lyft app on your phone and connect to Alexa (instructions here) or Google Assistant (instructions here), and once connected, you can request a trip to a specific location, fare estimate to your destination, How far is your driver currently distance and so on.

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