One of the toughest things for me when using Uber in foreign countries is communicating with them if things get mixed up. Since the drivers may need to call their riders at times, you need to have a phone number that can be accessed. They have also been using SMS and chats in the Uber app.
New Uber Update Makes Communicating with Drivers Easier
But, if you don’t have a working phone number (like if you are using a data-only SIM with Google Fi or using a hotel’s WiFi), it could cause problems if you are trying to connect with your Uber driver. I have had this problem in the past (especially since my US number registered with Uber was not working in the foreign country).
Well, Uber has now announced that they have updated their service to allow for VoIP (voice over IP) in the app. They say this will address the issue of not being able to connect via regular phone number while also giving privacy to rider and driver by not needing to make the number known to the other person (probably a good thing given the different reports over time of issues with some Uber drivers/riders).
This is a good move by Uber has people rely more on data connections worldwide through public WiFi or cheap SIM cards. This will certainly be a help to anyone who chooses to use an iPhone with a data-only SIM card from Google Fi!
Source: The Verge
