This new app lets you summon your friends to your location with an Uber ride that's already paid for
The holiday season is about the spirit of giving - to friends, family, or even strangers. And this year, if you are feeling particularly generous, you can get them a gift everyone can appreciate: a free Uber ride.
A new app called Teleport taps into Uber's API and allows you to easily order an Uber for someone else (the tab's on you).
Here's how it works.
You select which friend you want to send an Uber to and the app sends them a request. When your friend accepts the request, their phone sends the app a location pin, which Teleport uses to send them an Uber. The app then gives them the identifying and arrival information, even if they don't have Uber or Teleport installed on their phone (it works through a web app).
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Now, sending someone else an Uber is possible with the standard Uber app, but it's not a smooth process. Teleport's developers describe the hassle pretty well, which requires you to:
- Find out where your friend is (which involves waiting for them to respond to your text, which, if you've got flaky friends like we do, could be 20 minutes.)
- Check if they're ready, make sure they have pants on, et cetera.
- Text them the car type, license plate number, and driver's name. And who doesn't love switching multiple times between the Uber app and text to make sure you copy everything right? (The answer is no one.)
- Text them the ETA, because they definitely still haven't put on pants.
- Text and/or call them when the car has arrived, hopefully in the right place.
- If the car isn't right outside, enjoy jumping on an awkward conference call while you help your friend figure out just where that Camry Hybrid ended up.
Teleport makes that process simple, and as a commenter on Product Hunt points out, is an easy way to impress potential investors or first dates.
Download the app for iOS here.