Uber’s New Safety Feature Lets Parents Watch Teens’ Rides Live

Parents will no longer have to rely on texts or phone calls to know how their teens’ Uber rides are going. Instead, they’ll be able to see for themselves.

Uber on Tuesday launched a live video streaming feature for teen accounts that lets parents or guardians check in on how a trip is going in real time. It uses the selfie camera on the driver’s phone, so family members can keep an eye on anything happening in the vehicle.

The live video feature is being piloted in nine areas: Atlanta; Phoenix; Orlando, Florida; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; El Paso and San Antonio, Texas; Cleveland; and Rhode Island. It’s slated to roll out across the US in the coming weeks, Uber says.

“The feature is designed for quick check-ins, giving parents another way to feel confident everything on their teen’s trip is going smoothly,” the company said in a release.

Uber teen accounts launched in 2023, with the goal of making it easier for parents and guardians to keep tabs on their kids’ rides. They can follow along in the app to track a trip or delivery, and receive real-time status updates. It’s one of several features Uber and other ride-hailing platforms have rolled out over the years to assuage concerns about rider safety. That includes audio recordings and the option to easily favorite and block drivers on Lyft.

To add an Uber teen account, go into the app and tap Account > Family to create a family profile. Then tap Invite family > Teen > Choose contact and tap on their name from your contacts. Your teen can then request a ride, so long as your payment information is up to date.

To maintain privacy, only a teen’s linked parent or guardian can watch a live stream during a ride. That video is also encrypted, Uber says, so that “neither the driver, guardian or teen has access to the recording of the live video stream after the trip ends.”

Ride-hailing companies have also rolled out features catered to older riders. Last year, both Uber and Lyft simultaneously debuted simplified versions of their apps with larger text and live phone support, in an attempt to boost ridership among adults over 65 years old.

Abrar Al-Heeti

Senior Technology Reporter

Abrar’s interests include phones, streaming, autonomous vehicles, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. In addition to her current role, she’s worked for CNET’s video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco — steep inclines and all.

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