New Delhi (TAN): Cab-hailing company Uber has introduced a new feature in the Indian market to make its users’ lives easier. The Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) feature allows riders to make free voice calls to the driver within the app using data instead of voice network.
Drivers too would be able to make calls to riders using the feature. The VoIP feature is expected to aid communication without the riders or drivers having to reveal their contact numbers.
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The feature is optional, and users can still make regular voice calls to the driver.
The new feature could be helpful for international travellers, who will now be able to make calls on Wi-Fi or public Wi-Fi hotspots, and no longer need to buy a local SIM or activate international roaming to use Uber’s services.
It would also allow Uber to record conversations between the user and driver.
Named ‘Safe Calling from Uber App’, the feature is available on both iOS and Android versions of the Uber app.
Here’s how you can get started
Once you have booked a cab, you would see a call button within the app with two options – a regular call and free call.
Tap on the latter.
The app would ask for your permission to use the microphone.
Once you grant the permission, the call will display the driver’s name and call timer.
The driver, on the other side, would not be able to see your name.
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The VoIP feature, that has only recently been rolled out in India, was announced globally last year. It is available only for Uber’s cab services, and excludes other Uber services.
