Uber introduces Women Driver Preferences, expanded senior accounts, and teen livestreaming in Canada

Coming soon, we’re introducing Women Driver Preferences, expanded senior accounts, and teen livestreaming in Canada. These updates give riders more options for everyday travel, from requesting a woman driver to managing rides independently or checking in on a teen’s trip.

“Whether it’s having more choice about who you ride with, getting around independently as you get older, or staying connected as your teen travels on their own, Canadians want options that work for their lives,” said Michael van Hemmen, General Manager of Uber Canada. “These updates give riders more control over their everyday travel and families more ways to support one another.”

Here’s what’s new:

• Women Driver Preferences: Women and non-binary riders, including teens of any gender, can reserve a trip with a woman driver in participating cities or request one on demand in select areas, subject to driver availability.
• Expanded senior accounts: Older adults can now set up and manage a senior account independently or connect with a Family organizer for support. Features include Simple mode with optional larger text and clearer icons, pickup preferences, and optional identification as a senior.
• Teen livestreaming: Linked parents and guardians can watch a live stream of their teen’s ride through the driver’s smartphone camera on eligible trips. The feature is available when the driver has enabled it, and teens and drivers are notified when a guardian is watching.

Women Driver Preferences: More choice when requesting a ride

Women Driver Preferences  gives women and non-binary riders the option to request a woman driver, whether they’re planning a trip ahead of time or ready to go.

There are two ways to use Women Driver Preferences:

• Reserve in advance: Book a trip with a woman driver in participating Canadian cities.
• Request on demand: Request a woman driver in select cities and areas, subject to driver availability.

Eligible teen account holders can also use Women Driver Preferences. Drivers receiving teen trip requests must meet Uber’s additional requirements for teen trips.

Women Driver Preferences builds on Women Rider Preferences, an existing feature that lets women and non-binary drivers prioritize requests from women riders.

Expanded senior accounts: More independence for older adults

Expanded senior accounts let older adults set up and manage a senior account independently or connect with a Family organizer for support.

Last year, we introduced senior accounts in Canada for older adults who wanted help from a family member. This update extends the experience to older adults who prefer to manage their own rides.

Expanded senior accounts bring together the following features:

• Simple mode: Larger text and clearer icons make navigating the app and requesting rides easier.
• Pickup preferences: Choose how you’d like drivers to signal their arrival, with options such as calling you, calling out your name, flashing their vehicle lights, or honking the horn.
• Optional identification: Let drivers know you’re a senior and may need more time at pickup.
• Customizable settings: Choose and manage these features in one place through senior account settings.

Older adults who want family support can continue to connect with a Family organizer for help booking rides and managing payments. Those who manage their account independently can still share their trip status with loved ones.

Teen livestreaming: A way to check in during the ride

Teen livestreaming lets linked parents and guardians watch a live stream of their teen’s ride through the driver’s smartphone camera. It provides another way to check in, alongside existing teen account features such as live trip tracking and PIN verification.

Teen livestreaming is available on eligible rides when the driver has enabled the feature. Here’s how it works:

• Get notified: Linked parents and guardians receive a notification when livestreaming is available.
• Watch during the trip: Once the ride begins, a linked guardian can request to view the live stream.
• Everyone stays informed: The teen and driver are notified when a guardian is watching.
• Confirm you’re still watching: A prompt appears every five minutes. If the guardian doesn’t respond, the stream ends, helping conserve the driver’s phone battery and data.

The live stream is encrypted, and only the teen’s linked guardian can watch it. Uber cannot view the stream in real time. After the trip, neither the guardian, teen, nor driver can access the recording. Authorized Uber safety staff may access it to investigate a safety incident.

Together, Women Driver Preferences, expanded senior accounts, and teen livestreaming give Canadians more ways to tailor their Uber experience and support the people they care about.