Women riders and drivers can now opt-in to be matched with each other on Uber trips.
Uber Pilots ‘Women’s Preferences’ for Gender-Matched Rides
Uber announced a new “Women’s Preferences” feature on Wednesday. This allows women riders and drivers in the US to be exclusively connected with other women for their trips.
Will Uber connect women riders and drivers? Yes, the company is piloting a new feature that enables this preference.
The pilot program is set to launch in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit in the coming weeks. A launch date for other U.S. cities is not yet available.
The company stated in a press release that this initiative stems from feedback. “Across the US, women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips,” the statement read. “We’ve heard them—and now we’re introducing new ways to give them even more control over how they ride and drive.”
This move comes amid thousands of reported sexual assault incidents linked to the service over the years. Uber has been implementing measures to enhance safety for its users.
This isn’t Uber’s first foray into gender-based ride matching. The company has previously offered similar features in about 40 countries. It first launched in Saudi Arabia in 2019, following a law change allowing women to drive. The expansion there reportedly received an “overwhelmingly positive” response.
“Of course, riders wanted the same choice,” Uber noted in its release. “But making this work reliably—not just symbolically—required thoughtful design.” The company explained that a large majority of drivers are men, so ensuring the feature’s usability globally involved extensive testing and refinement in markets like Germany and France.
How It Works
To use the new feature, women riders must first verify their gender within the app. When requesting a ride, they will see “Women Drivers” as an option, alongside existing choices like UberXL, Uber Black, Comfort, and Wait & Save. Advance reservations with women drivers will also be possible.
Women drivers will also have the option to specifically request trips with women riders. While not guaranteed, toggling this preference in the app settings is intended to increase the likelihood of such matches.
Industry Precedent
This offering mirrors a similar feature launched by rival ride-share service Lyft. Lyft introduced its “Women+ Connect” option in September 2023, making it available nationwide by February 2024.
- Uber is launching a “Women’s Preferences” pilot program in the US.
- The feature allows women riders and drivers to opt for matches with each other.
- Initial rollout cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit.
- This initiative aims to enhance safety and choice for female users.
- A similar option, “Women+ Connect,” was launched by Lyft in 2023.
