You can now hail an Uber from Facebook Messenger
Uber has teamed up with Facebook Messenger, meaning you can now hail a cab directly from the chat app.
The question is what you can’t do through the chat app at this point, as Facebook has already added features allowing you to shop and send money to your friends from within the app.
In a win-win deal, Uber will reach millions of potential new users, and Messenger branches out into transportation services for the first time, meaning that Messenger’s 700m global users will be able to simply tap on their destination address in a conversation to call an Uber without ever leaving the app. A similar integration has existed some time on Google Maps.
Facebook product manager Seth Rosenberg wrote about the new feature on the company’s blog:
Whether you’re meeting friends for lunch, on your way to a concert, or running late for work, Messenger and our partners can get you to your destination faster.
Uber has been battling TfL regulations and compliance with local laws, but that hasn’t stopped the app, recently valued to $62.5bn, from skyrocketing up to become the world’s biggest ride-sharing firm
Messenger’s latest version, which is currently only available to users in the US, includes an Uber button that you tap to hail a ride. Or, if your destination address comes up in conversation, simply click on that to summon your cab.
Users will be able to call a cab, track its progress and eventually pay for the ride, all without leaving the comfort of the Messenger conversation.