How to use Uber for the first time

With transport ordered directly from your smartphone and paid for automatically, Uber makes getting around your city as easy as tapping a button—literally. Whether it’s your first time using Uber or even your hundredth, we’ve put together some tips for new Uber users and veterans alike to make sure your ride experience, from request to drop-off, is as smooth as possible.

In order to request your ride, regardless of if it is your first time using Uber or not, you need to enable location services on your device. Uber uses your device’s location services to make it easier to get a ride when you need one. Location data helps improve our services, including pickups, navigation, customer support, and more. 

Before your ride starts, the Uber app will provide an ETA for when your driver should arrive at your pickup location. Please note that ETA times are estimates and not guaranteed. A variety of external factors like heavy traffic or road construction can impact travel time. If the ETA you see in-app is too high, check again after a few minutes to see if there is a change.

There are times when so many people are requesting rides that there aren’t enough cars on the road to help take them all. Bad weather, rush hour, and special events, for instance, may cause unusually large numbers of people to want to ride with Uber all at the same time.

In these cases of very high demand, fares may increase to help ensure those who need a ride can get one. This system is called dynamic pricing, and it lets us continue to be a reliable choice.

Whenever there is a price surge, we let riders know in the app. Some riders will choose to pay, while some will choose to wait a few minutes to see if the rates go back down to normal.

If you’re a new Uber user taking a ride, don’t worry—it’s not complicated. Here’s the simple step-by-step on how to use Uber for the first time:

If you want to know more about how to use the Uber app or how to request a ride on the Uber app, check out the in-depth Uber tutorial and user guide on the website.

Happy riding!