Yesterday, Uber announced its latest update, “Uber Trip Experiences,” a feature that allows the ridesharing app to connect to your phone’s other apps (with your permission), and customize an electronic activity for the duration of your ride. While Uber bills itself as a friendly ridesharing service, the latest update elucidates just how interactive the ideal Uber ride should be—keep your heads down and in your phones, kids.
But the move could be a godsend to the company’s workforce; any Uber driver will share their passenger horror stories. If all goes well, maybe riders will be distracted from aggressively fiddling with radio dials, falling asleep, or puking all over the leather interior.
More likely, Uber’s users will spend the ride opening the apps they distract themselves with anyways. But if your interest is piqued, here’s a sampling of the “experiences” Uber is most stoked about creating: a five minute news update during the same-length drive, recommendations for activities near your destination, or a playlist matching the length of your trip. The update is just another stop on Uber’s quest for total app integration and transit domination.