Uber launches location sharing feature

Uber is addressing the issue of delivery drivers having difficulty finding their customers.

The Uber Eats on-demand food and beverage delivery app offered by Uber is introducing live location sharing. Timed for spring, the new feature enables consumers to share their location with their courier, with the goal of making the drop-off process faster and more seamless.

According to Uber, nearly 10% of Uber Eats deliveries are flagged as hard to find, and 20% of consumers say their courier has had a hard time finding their location in the last three months. These numbers often rise even more during warmer seasons like spring, when consumers spend more time outdoors and order delivery to places like parks. 

Uber data indicates the top five most difficult locations for Uber Eats couriers to locate consumers are: 

• Parks.
• Recreational areas.
• Large apartment complexes.
• Colleges and universities.
• Hospitals and medical centers.

How Uber Eats live location sharing works

• Once a customer has placed a “meet outside” or “meet at door” order on Uber Eats, they will receive a notification that their location will be shared with their courier to help delivery personnel find where to drop off the order.
• Customer location will only be shared when the courier is three minutes away and if they are within 100 meters of the dropoff location. Location sharing stops when an order is delivered.
• If a customers want to stop sharing their location, they have the option to turn off the feature.

"We’re thrilled to bring location sharing to Uber Eats and help consumers ensure greater reliability with every delivery they receive," said Divya Dalapathi, director of product management at Uber. "After launching the feature on Uber rides and seeing great success, we knew that building this feature on Uber Eats would be a game changer - especially for consumers who order from tricky to navigate locations like office buildings, parks, and large apartment complexes."

Live location sharing is available in all Uber Eats global markets except Quebec.

Uber picks up, delivers prepaid in-store customer purchases

In another recent effort to streamline delivery, in December 2023 Uber unveiled a new store pickup service. The company's "Store Pickup via Uber Connect" service allows customers to arrange for an Uber courier to pick up their purchases from local stores and delivered to a destination of their choosing. The items have to be pre-paid, under $200 in value and less than 30 pounds in weight.