Facebook is about to change the way you get around IRL
For some people, Facebook may seem like a burdensome social media chore—the only way to get invited to parties, keep up with long distance friends, and share new life milestones—but Zuckerberg & Co. are working overtime to make the site much more than a life-sharing platform.
This move toward, well, true usefulness has led the platform to develop tools like Safety Check, which proved instrumental during last month’s attacks in Paris, and the novel trending news feature, which uses algorithms to bring the hottest stories to users. And now, Facebook has added yet another feature: You can now order Uber via Facebook Messenger.
As with most new tech tools, Facebook will begin implementing the addition little-by-little with users living in cities that have strong Uber networks. If it proves successful, it will eventually roll out across the entire Facebook network.
“This is a perfect incarnation of the type of functionality that we want to bring into Messenger going forward,” Facebook’s VP of messaging products, David Marcus, told BuzzFeed News. “You should expect to see us gradually opening up the platform more and more, and adding more and more capabilities and functionality to Messenger.”
According to a blog post on Uber’s website, people will be able to send friends a location in the Messenger app and that friend will be able to request an Uber simply by clicking on the address. Or, riders can have Uber notify friends of their arrival time, which will be especially useful when grabbing an Uber to pick up friends for a ride to a concert or a late brunch.
And Uber won’t stop there. The company’s senior vice president of business, Emil Michael, envisions a future where Uber drivers may be able to communicate with their passengers via Facebook Messenger or group chat.
“What we’re trying to innovate on with Facebook is making transportation a social experience,” said Michael.
Even better news for Uber? New users will be able to sign up for the service from within Messenger, opening up a new way for the tech company to get even more users.
(Image via Shutterstock)
