Uber plans CarPlay app for its drivers

Ride-hailing firm Uber has told drivers that it will be releasing an updated app that will work with Apple's CarPlay, letting them see bookings and navigation on a bigger screen.

Uber abandoned its Apple Watch app for customers in 2022, but reportedly it is rolling out a CarPlay-compatible version of the app its drivers rely on.

Theoretically, any iPhone app could be a CarPlay one as well, but Apple maintains very strict requirements on what it will and won't allow before an app gets on users' car dashboards. Uber's navigation features, the way that it guides drivers to People who've hailed a ride, presumably are allowed.

Nonetheless, the company will have had to have its other features approved by Apple both for functionality and for design. CarPlay apps present minimum controls and information in order to balance usefulness with road safety.

Sample Uber CarPlay screenshot. (Source: Uber)

Now according to TechCrunch, an approved Uber CarPlay app is already available to some US drivers. It's expected that all drivers in the States will have access to the new update before March 2023.

It should mean that Uber drivers will be able to add rides to their queue, and view and accept trips, without switching to their iPhone.