The Uber application has a series of security settings available to users that you may not be using fully. Below we remind you what they are in case you want to activate them.
The transportation app has recently given its system of safety features a facelift, making them easier to access and configure. Uber has brought all of these protection tools into a single menu for clarity, and has enabled setting up automations so that features activate at specific times or days.
We are talking about a list of options that Uber makes available to users so that they can use them if it makes them feel safer or more comfortable. They can also be helpful for certain groups or, for example, for trips that occur late at night or in low-traffic neighborhoods, adding an extra layer of protection to be able to quickly alert you of an incident if something happens.
Uber has deployed this new simplified menu of safety preferences in the United States, Canada and Latin America, but the company is expected to also update this menu in the rest of the regions.
For now, we will tell you what functions are available in Spain, in case you did not know them, to make your car trip as safe as possible.
Trusted contacts
Tap the Account icon in the bottom right corner of the app and look for Settings. In the Settings menu, you will find a Security section with three options. The first of them is titled “Manage trusted contacts.” This option allows you to add contacts to whom you can send your location in real time while you are traveling in a company vehicle.
These contacts can also function as emergency contacts, which Uber will call if it tries to reach you in an emergency and you don’t answer the phone. Simply click on “Add trusted contact” and allow the application to access your phone’s phonebook.
To use it during the trip, open the route map and click on the shield icon to access the safety tool kit. There, select the Follow my trip function. The app will automatically send the location to the contacts you have selected. With this tool, other people will be able to ensure that you arrive correctly at your destination.
Within the menu that opens when you click on the shield during a trip, the option “Contact 112” is also displayed. By pressing this button, the app will first show the traveler information that can be provided to operators, such as the approximate address, geographical position and vehicle information. Once this information is displayed, you can swipe to contact emergencies.
Travel verification
The second option in the Security menu is “Verify your trip.” This tool activates a PIN code for each trip you book in the app. When the driver arrives, you can ask the driver for that PIN to make sure it is not a fake vehicle posing as an Uber car. In fact, if you activate it you will have to share the code with the driver to be able to start the trip.
To activate it, simply click on the “Use PIN to verify trips” lever.
Trip check
Finally, you can activate “Trip Check” to receive notifications from Uber while the trip is in progress. With this option enabled, RideCheck technology will send a notification to the mobile “if a trip does not progress as planned.” RideCheck is the system through which Uber, using sensors and GPS, can detect if a ride deviates suspiciously from its path, if a very long stop occurs, or if an accident may have occurred.
If any RideCheck alarm sounds, the system will try to contact you to offer help. At that time, a menu of security tools will be displayed to request assistance.
It is also worth remembering that, as indicated by Uber in a security video, the customer has the right to cancel the trip if they feel upset or offended, so the driver will be obliged to let you get off as soon as possible if you request it.
Also activate 2-step verification to ensure that no one accesses your Uber account and data. To do this, go to the Account icon > tap on your profile photo > Security > 2-Step Verification. You can check out other Uber safety tips at this link.
There are other functions that are available in the United States and other regions, but are not available in Spain. One of them is the audio recording function, which allows you to record what happens in the vehicle to use as evidence in case something happens.
