Skip to main content

Uber recruits new drivers with UberDrive, a navigation game for iOS

uber x berlin june black car
Uber
Uber is always looking for new drivers, and its seems the company is hedging its bets on building engagement through a game on iOS. Uber just released UberDrive, a Google Maps-based game that roughly mimics what it’s like to be an Uber driver. The app is for entertainment, but it’s also meant to be a learning tool for would-be drivers.

You’ll be picking up passengers, choosing the most efficient route to their destinations, and learning a bit about the city you’re driving in along the way. The app comes loaded with information about local landmarks in San Francisco. The completion of successful trips will allow users to unlock new areas of the city with the “fares” they’ve earned. Uber also includes constructive information on how to become a better driver. Uber reinforces the knowledge users gain with the app, by offering trivia quizzes to test what you’ve learned.

Recommended Videos

Critics frequently accuse Uber of being irresponsible and not vetting its drivers well enough, as part of the hiring process. Most of Ubers so-called “partners” have never been professional drivers, and this game is hardly the equivalent of a driving course, but at least it’s something.

Uber is really banking on gamification to boost recruiting, and the app makes it easy to apply for a job as a driver. After users reach certain levels of experience, they will be prompted to apply for a driving job right in the app. The entire job application is included in the app, so you don’t have to jump to a webpage.

It can be safely assumed that if this app is received favorably, and the game’s users sign up to be Uber drivers, we will see more major cities in the app soon. For now, UberDrive serves as an experiment. If you’re interested in the app, you can go download it on the iOS App Store.

Andre Revilla
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andre Revilla is an entrepreneur and writer from Austin, TX that has been working in and covering the consumer tech space for…
I’ve been using iOS 17 for months. These 4 new things are the best
Spotlight on iOS 17.

Spotlight on iOS 17 Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

The rollout of iOS 17 is official, and it freshens the software experience on iPhones dating as far back as the iPhone XR. I’ve been testing it on my iPhone 14 Pro ever since the first public beta rolled out, at the peril of unreliable battery life and random stutters all across the board.

Read more
Netflix games may be coming to TVs soon, as revealed by new iOS app
Selecting a game in Netflix Games.

It looks like Netflix might be expanding its gaming offerings to TVs soon, as a Netflix Game Controller is now on the iOS App Store. Netflix has yet to announce or comment on the purpose of the app, but a message shown when the app boots up confirms that it's coming.
Netflix has slowly made its way into the gaming industry over the past couple of years, acquiring studios and adding a dedicated game section to its mobile app that lets players download premium mobile games. The library includes some great games like Poinpy and Before Your Eyes, but has yet to break into the mainstream, likely due to its somewhat obscure availability. This new app, which was preemptively listed on Apple's storefront by Netflix and lines up with leaks from earlier this year, indicates that Netflix Games are coming to the TV.
The description for the app states that "this Game Controller app pairs with your TV and allows you to play games on Netflix using your phone or mobile device." After downloading and booting up the app, Digital Trends discovered two more messages asking players to "choose a game on your TV and follow the directions to connect" and that "Netflix Games on TV are in beta. Some devices may not be supported at this time."
All of this points to an impending beta rollout for games on Netflix's TV apps, which has not been announced yet. As such, we don't have any idea about which televisions or games the iOS app or Netflix Games on TV will support just yet. Regardless, this looks like a massive evolution for Netflix's gaming efforts, especially as it gears up to release a cloud gaming service.
Netflix declined to comment on the program when asked by Digital Trends, but it did refer us to previous statements it made about its intentions to break into cloud and TV game streaming.

Read more
Apple Arcade adds 20 new games today, including 4 originals
A car with legs runs on a track in What The Car?

Apple Arcade is expanding its library of games today with 20 new titles, available now for subscribers. The list includes some brand new titles from popular franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as a selection of "App Store Greats."

Apple's mobile game subscription service has been steadily running since its 2019 launch. In addition to adding new games monthly, Apple has revitalized the service with larger surprises of this scale. In 2021, the service added over 30 games and changed its model to bundle older mobile games into the platform. Today's update isn't quite that big, but it's one of the service's most substantial updates yet.

Read more