Uber now lets its riders in India make free calls to their drivers: here's how to use this feature

Uber had announced globally a new feature back in October last year, which enabled its riders to make free calls to their cab drivers using VoIP (voice over Internet protocol). And now, the feature is rolled out for Indian riders too. You will still be able to make regular voice calls through your cellular network as before. The feature has been made available not to just its riders but for cab drivers as well, means your driver can also make free calls to communicate with you using VoIP.


The primary goal of this latest feature is to make communication easier between the riders and drivers, keeping their phone numbers private at the same time. The VoIP based calling feature is available for both Android and iOS users.

How to use this feature?
To make a free call to your Uber driver, simply tap the calling button after booking your cab. A pop-up screen will come out showing the free call option. After clicking on this option, Uber will ask you to grant permission for accessing the microphone of your device. After granting the permission, the call will be started showing a call timer with your driver's name on the screen. The calling screen will also feature some additional options like mute the audio or turn on the speaker. Once you have completed the call, you can press the end call option to end the active VoIP call.


The main highlight of this feature is that the driver won't be able to see your name or phone number on his screen, and the caller is identified simply as "Uber". Same is the case when the driver makes a call to its rider. The feature is going to be quite useful as it uses your cellular data or a connected WiFi network to make the call. Moreover, it will be quite helpful when you are travelling abroad with international roaming and don't have a local SIM. For drivers too, it will be convenient as they will be able to make calls without leaving the Uber App.