6 Features of the Uber App for Drivers You Didn't Know About

Most Uber users are quite familiar with the features the app offers, such as fare-splitting, ordering a ride for someone else, checking their own rating, etc. But what about the Uber app for drivers? The app used by Uber drivers is markedly different from the consumer version and has a bunch of features that most people are unaware of. Here's a look at 6 features you probably didn't know the Uber app for drivers has.

(Also see: 5 Interesting Things You Didn't Know About Uber)

1. Driver Destinations

How many times has it happened to you that you booked an Uber but the driver refused to go to your destination because it wasn't on a route that he wanted to go on? Taking cognisance of the problem, Uber India has introduced the Driver Destinations feature that allows drivers to choose the destinations they want to take. This feature can be used only up to twice a day; an Uber product manager told Gadgets 360 that the drivers use this feature most at the end of their work-day.

The company's algorithm ensures that drivers using this option are matched only to riders who are going on the same route as they are. According to Uber, this "helps reduce driver cancellations and unavailability" on the platform.

2. Forward Dispatch

The Forward Dispatch feature comes into play when a rider tries to book a ride and the closest available driver is farther away compared to a driver who is about to end an ongoing trip. For example, Uber's algorithm will match you to a driver who is 5 minutes away and about to end an ongoing trip rather than an available driver who is, say, 12 minutes away.

Uber's Forward Dispatch feature essentially ensures that a driver who close to your pickup point is matched to you rather than an available driver farther away. The ride-sharing company says this helps reduce idle time for drivers and ensures that riders get a cab at the earliest.

3. Pause Requests

In order to give drivers on its platform some respite from continuous trips, Uber introduced the Pause Requests feature that, as the name suggests, takes them offline for a short duration. Drivers can choose to go offline anytime while on the road to have their lunch or refuel the cab. Uber says the company keeps track of drivers who take too many breaks and removes Pause Requests from the driver app for some time in order to ensure the feature is not abused.

4. Heat maps

The Uber app for drivers shows users a heat map of areas with high demand for cabs, so that they can head to the location with the most chance of getting a rider. This way, drivers have less waiting time for a trip as well as less fuel is wasted, and it ultimately helps customers in that region too, as it will increase their chances of getting a cab.

5. Daily reports

The Uber app sends daily reports to drivers about how their driving patterns compare to other drivers in their city, providing details such as number of trips taken. It also provides suggestions on how they can provide a smoother ride to customers. The app also sends periodic reminders about the importance of taking breaks, alerts them when they cross the speed limit, and gives stats showing their acceleration-braking behaviour.

6. Auto-pilot

The Auto-pilot feature gives drivers the option to let the Uber app automatically accept their next trip (via UberPool or Forward Dispatch) so that they are not distracted while driving.