The next time you feel unsafe on your Uber ride, you may have the ability to use the Uber app to record audio of your experience and send it to Uber. That news comes to us from developer and researcher Jane Manchun Wong. Wong frequently reverse-engineers apps to discover hidden features. In the past, she’s discovered that Instagram is testing hiding likes.
Her latest discovery found the new “Record Audio” feature inside Uber’s existing Safety Toolkit—a collection of features that allows Uber riders to learn about safety, share their trip with friends, and report issues.
Uber is testing "Record Audio" in case the rider is uncomfortable with the ride pic.twitter.com/btC5C0F3CN
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) September 30, 2019
The new feature simply has a description that reads, “Record audio to send Uber if you’re uncomfortable on your ride.” The feature is pretty self-explanatory and is sure to be welcomed by safety advocates. However, just because the feature has been discovered doesn’t mean Uber has firm plans to roll it out to all users in the future. Tech companies frequently test beta features to see how they perform before deciding whether they will make the feature available to everyone.
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