Audio Recording
We are committed to building new technologies that help make your Uber experience safer, so you can ride and drive with confidence.
If you feel uncomfortable during your ride, you can now record the audio of the trip within the app.
Just tap the blue shield to open your Safety Toolkit and access the Record Audio option. The trip will be recorded in the app, and you can choose to share it with Uber after the ride has ended.
For everyone’s safety
Riders and drivers can record audio through their app to help encourage safe, comfortable interactions on trips. By giving them this control, Uber empowers its users to monitor and report uncomfortable situations.
Designed to protect your privacy
When a rider or driver uses this feature during a ride, the audio recording will be stored and encrypted on the phone so that no one—not even the person who initiated the recording—can access it. Uber can only access it if the user opens an incident report with Uber and includes this audio file. Unless this happens, Uber cannot access any of the contents.
Help Uber investigate
We take safety reports seriously. If a user opens a report with an audio file, the Safety team will review it. Uber will take appropriate action in accordance with our policies.
- Where is the Audio Recording feature available?
Audio Recording is currently available in more than a dozen countries throughout Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico, and select cities across the US and Canada.
- Who can use Audio Recording?
Where available, riders and drivers can initiate a recording through the in-app Safety Toolkit using their own smartphone. The other party in the vehicle will not be notified at the time of recording, though notice has been given to all users that this capability is available, and riders will see a message in their app informing them that audio may be recorded on their trip.
Don't see Audio Recording in your Safety Toolkit? Make sure you have the latest version of the app.
- Why did Uber introduce this feature?
Uber is committed to building technologies that help make your Uber experience safer. The Audio Recording feature is intended to help encourage safe and comfortable interactions while on a trip, determine what happened, and identify the best response after a safety-related incident.
- Can the driver or rider listen to the recording later?
To maintain the privacy of parties in the vehicle, the recorded content is encrypted, and neither riders nor drivers can listen to it. After a serious incident, Uber will consider providing the audio recording to the reporting party upon request on a case-by-case basis.
To learn more about our approach to privacy, please see our Privacy Notice.
- What if I don't want to be recorded?
You can always cancel the trip if you feel uncomfortable or don’t want to be recorded. Riders will see a message in their app informing them that audio may be recorded on their trip.
We take user privacy very seriously and limit any review of an audio recording to a dedicated Safety team at Uber. If we receive a recording that is not relevant to a safety incident, we will delete it.
- Does Uber still have access to the recording if I don’t send it?
No. If you don’t submit an incident report with the recording attached, Uber has no access to the recording.
- Is it still recording when I’m on a call with someone else?
No. The phone will take over the microphone, and the recording will automatically stop. You’ll have to start recording again on your own after the call.
- Is Uber listening as the recording is happening?
No, Uber is not listening as the recording is happening. Uber also cannot listen to the recording unless the user includes it with an incident report.
- Will the driver/rider know if I'm recording?
No, other parties in the vehicle will not be notified at the time of recording, but riders will be notified of the possibility of recording when they’re matched with a driver.
- Will Uber provide the recording to anyone else?
In accordance with our law enforcement guidelines and third-party data request policies, and as may be required under applicable laws, Uber may provide the audio recording to third parties with appropriate legal process or in emergency situations.
- How are the audio files encrypted?
Recordings are encrypted using AES encryption Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) on the consumer’s device. Only Uber has the key to decrypt the file after it has been submitted to our Safety Support team by a user. Importantly, it is the user's choice when to record audio and when to share it with Uber.
- How much storage does Audio Recording use?
This will vary based on your mobile phone, but in general 5-7 minutes of recording takes 1 MB of space on your device.
- How much data does it use to share the recording with Uber?
If you do need to submit a safety report with a recording attached, we encourage you to be connected to wifi first. Otherwise, your normal data rates will apply.
- How do I share the recording?
Share at the moment: a pop-up window will appear at the end of the trip, and you can share with Uber on the spot.
Share later: in the app menu, go to your trip history, tap on the trip in question, find the recording in your trip details, and share it with Uber.
Please note: you can only share audio with Uber after a trip ends.
- What will happen after I share the recording with Uber?
A member of Uber’s Safety team will review the report and listen to the contents. Appropriate action will be taken in accordance with our policies.
- I accidentally deleted the recording. Is there any way to recover it?
No, the content is only stored on the device. If you delete it, Uber has no way to recover it.
- When does recording start and stop?
You can start and stop recording at any time through the Safety Toolkit by tapping the blue shield in the app.
- What if I forget to stop the recording?
For riders, recording will automatically stop shortly after the trip ends. For drivers, recording will stop when you go offline.
More about safety at Uber
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Count on 24/7 support and emergency assistance. Share your trip with loved ones. Our focus is on your safety so you can focus on the opportunity.
Rider safety
Millions of rides are requested every day. Every rider has access to safety features built into the app. And every ride has a support team if you need them.
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