# Lyft Software Application: Questions & Observations.



## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

February 11, 2016

Does anyone know if there is a Change-Update LOG that shows what Lyft is changing when it pushes out Lyft Application updates every week? Never seen a company push out weekly application changes/updates before. I don't know if that's a good thing, or a bad thing. But it would be useful to know WHAT changes are made. 
-ac


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## martinezsmith (Feb 10, 2016)

No idea about it!


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

Well.. I finally figured out what this week's Lyft App update did. It put little Valentine Hearts on the image of our cars roaming around the map. I have to remember that when the Lyft updates occur, they can be meant for the Passenger or Driver, or both. Unlike Uber, the Lyft software is really 2 apps in 1.


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

I remember seeing a Lyft e-mail stating that they were going to integrate the WAZE app into Lyft, for navigation purposes. Does anyone know if that has happened yet? I want to try something other than Google Navigation. It's sending me up dead end streets, or, like today, wanted me to drive 1/2 mile to pick up a guy who was right across the street. Thankfully I can read a map well enough to know when it's wise to ignore Google, but doing so is a distraction. It keeps saying, "Make a U turn stupid!".


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## RWayne (Nov 6, 2015)

AllenChicago said:


> I remember seeing a Lyft e-mail stating that they were going to integrate the WAZE app into Lyft, for navigation purposes. Does anyone know if that has happened yet? I want to try something other than Google Navigation. It's sending me up dead end streets, or, like today, wanted me to drive 1/2 mile to pick up a guy who was right across the street. Thankfully I can read a map well enough to know when it's wise to ignore Google, but doing so is a distraction. It keeps saying, "Make a U turn stupid!".


Go into settings on your app, click on navigation then choose between Google or Waze.


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

RWayne said:


> Go into settings on your app, click on navigation then choose between Google or Waze.


Thank-you RWayne. Before changing over to WAZE, I'll re-visit the thread in this forum where drivers compare the two. I'm sure WAZE isn't perfect, but it might have more sensible Navigation. Today, Google took me behind a shopping plaza to a garbage dumpster, LOL.


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## andaas (May 19, 2015)

AllenChicago said:


> Thank-you RWayne. Before changing over to WAZE, I'll re-visit the thread in this forum where drivers compare the two. I'm sure WAZE isn't perfect, but it might have more sensible Navigation. Today, Google took me behind a shopping plaza to a garbage dumpster, LOL.


I typically switch off Google maps for the last 1/2 mile or so of the ride and zoom into the Lyft/Uber app for the last distance. Remember that both Uber & Lyft apps can only send geo-coordinates into external map applications (not an exact address), so the accuracy to the final destination will always be a little weird and may direct you to neighboring streets or alleys.


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

andaas said:


> I typically switch off Google maps for the last 1/2 mile or so of the ride and zoom into the Lyft/Uber app for the last distance. Remember that both Uber & Lyft apps can only send geo-coordinates into external map applications (not an exact address), so the accuracy to the final destination will always be a little weird and may direct you to neighboring streets or alleys.


I sure didn't know that Lyft/Uber only send Coordinates to Google Maps and Waze! Thanks for that information Andaas. That would explain why freaking Google Maps kept saying that I was in front of this Passenger's house today, when I really wasn't! I had to call her to find out where she was. She stood out in the street and verbally guided me to her house. It was one of those subdivisions with really tight winding/hilly roads and huge homes.

What a great tip, Andaas. Thank-you! I'll start switching away from Maps back to the Lyft App, a few blocks away from the destination. It will be like pulling your parachute at the last available moment.


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

I noticed today that the Lyft PING/Ride-Request window suddenly looks different. To accept a ride request, you now see a big circle right in the middle of the screen that counts down, like a clock from 10 to 0. This change occurred without updating the app...which is weird. It also said in that same window "Your Acceptance Rate is Low". That's wrong, because the weekly report showed me at 97%. Is anyone else now getting this new countdown window?


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## macchiato (Sep 29, 2015)

Not seeing this LA. Provide screenshots?


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## Lyft_94110 (Nov 16, 2015)

Yes, I just noticed the new window tonight. The whole screen of the app lights up purple or pink (depending on whether it's a Line ping or a regular Lyft ping) and then there's a circle with the passenger's name and picture in it. You click the big circle to accept the ride. The sounds are the same, a "Clang!" followed by the ticking sound until you accept.


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## ND379 (Mar 29, 2016)

AllenChicago said:


> I noticed today that the Lyft PING/Ride-Request window suddenly looks different. To accept a ride request, you now see a big circle right in the middle of the screen that counts down, like a clock from 10 to 0. This change occurred without updating the app...which is weird. It also said in that same window "Your Acceptance Rate is Low". That's wrong, because the weekly report showed me at 97%. Is anyone else now getting this new countdown window?


Yeah, I like this a lot better. I didn't get any saying about a low acceptance rating though


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

ND379 said:


> Yeah, I like this a lot better. I didn't get any saying about a low acceptance rating though


That's because you're one of Lyft's special drivers! You're probably a perfect 5.0 rated driver, aren't you? It's like when you rate someone in the retail or service industry. They always say, "Please give me a rating of 10. If you rate me at 9, that's just like a 1."

If you're a 5.0 (perfect) rated driver, Lyft has more tolerance if your PING acceptance rate isn't perfect. Which means no ugly "Your Acceptance Rate is Low!" banner. Congratulations ND379.

I'm a 4.9 rated driver, which means that if my PING acceptance rate falls under 99%, I'm in the Lyft driver dog house.


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## ND379 (Mar 29, 2016)

AllenChicago said:


> That's because you're one of Lyft's special drivers! You're probably a perfect 5.0 rated driver, aren't you? It's like when you rate someone in the retail or service industry. They always say, "Please give me a rating of 10. If you rate me at 9, that's just like a 1."
> 
> If you're a 5.0 (perfect) rated driver, Lyft has more tolerance if your PING acceptance rate isn't perfect. Which means no ugly "Your Acceptance Rate is Low!" banner. Congratulations ND379.
> 
> I'm a 4.9 rated driver, which means that if my PING acceptance rate falls under 99%, I'm in the Lyft driver dog house.


I'm currently a 4.94-4.95 driver. So no better than yourself. I may start getting the error tomorrow night when I drive again as it seems like everyone is getting it. I'm sure is just a bug in their update


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

After accepting PINGs today, the Lyft Map now simultaneously shows the route for picking up the passenger and the grey line that the destination of the passenger. It was so good to see this grey line re-appear on the Map interface. It's so helpful to see which of the "Home Depot" you're going to, BEFORE you get to the passenger pick-up location. Especially when there are 4 Home Depots' within a 15 mile radius of the passenger.


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## AllenChicago (Nov 19, 2015)

ND379 said:


> I'm currently a 4.94-4.95 driver. So no better than yourself. I may start getting the error tomorrow night when I drive again as it seems like everyone is getting it. I'm sure is just a bug in their update


One thing I'm learning as the months go by (I started Nov 2015), is that the Lyft Application behaves differently in each market. Where you live, this "Your Acceptance Rating is Low!" glitch, might not be present.

OH.. by the way, ND379. I see that Lyft has just pushed out an unscheduled App Update to Android. As it is 90% of the time with Lyft app updates, there are no accompanying Update Notes or Log. Let's hope it contains both fixes and enhancements.


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## galileo5 (Jan 16, 2016)

RWayne said:


> Go into settings on your app, click on navigation then choose between Google or Waze.


He was talking about the Waze integration into the driver app to give more accurate ETAs to passengers. What you described was always an option.


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## BostonBarry (Aug 31, 2015)

I got the new screen as of yesterday. Not sure what the process is but seems to be a slow rollout. I'm a beta tester and we get a log of changes made to the app and this wasn't listed in those logs nor was it tested on beta drivers before being rolled out (weird). Never had official word, but I imagine the weekly updates are mostly security based. Changing the encryption or some such each week would make for a tighter barrier against malicious attacks.


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