# What apps do you use along with Uber?



## noopur28 (Jun 11, 2015)

Hi all!

My name is Noopur, I am a PhD student at UC Irvine and I study ridesharing apps to publish papers about how their design can be improved. (Here's my previous paper if you want to read https://www.academia.edu/18543957/S..._Body_Labor_and_Temporal_Labor_in_Ridesharing )

I am now trying to understand what other apps you use on a daily basis while doing ridesharing (for example sherpashare or hurdlr or some music app or for GPS navigation?)

I know there is a thread like this before but I am trying to get as many responses as possible. Please weigh in about your battery issues or why you use these apps. Your responses will help us take design suggestions to Uber/Lyft.
Thanks!


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## timetraveller9 (Apr 13, 2016)

SherpaShare for mileage tracking, SoundCloud. Waze for Navigation. Phone has to be constantly plugged in while driving as anything that uses GPS requires constant use of phone resources.


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## Fireguy50 (Nov 23, 2015)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esocialllc.vel


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## FAC (Mar 27, 2016)

*Mileage tracking -* everlance; I like it because it tracks medical miles which also are deductible. It's easy to classify rides and allows me to determine what's the best write off, standard mileage or actuals. I have a high maintenance car that requires at min mid grade gas but I should use premium. So I keep all receipts

*Expense tracking* - neat & neat cloud. I've been using this app for years since I was a consultant. Just scan in your receipts and the software Ocr accurately enters the company name and amount spent. After you set up categories, it remembers what category it's in. Neat and Everlance can be exported into quick books

Started using quick books but it was too much of a pain. It brought in the payments but adding the booking fees and commissions I haven't figured out. So planning on using turbo tax

*Music*- got a free trial to Spotify premium. So far I don't like it. I know it's the most popular music app. Maybe I just haven't taken the time to learn it yet. 
Apple Music premium - thought this would be a great solution since I have iPhone and Mac and I have many offline playlists. But I don't like the user interface and challenging to use quickly when I ask a pax their music prefs.

My favorite app is Amazon Prime Music- I can import my iTunes playlists. Also finding music for a pax is a breeze. If they want a certain band I can pull it up; then I have the option for a station option for that band that plays similar music or I can pick an album for the band they want. Usually pick greatest hits. It's an easy user interface so limits distractions. Sometimes I'll hand my phone over to pax and allow them to choose. Getting new Bluetooth that can pair two devices at one time so I don't have to give them the phone but iPad.

Another great app is mint receipts. It's great for scanning receipts on the go so car not cluttered with receipts

*Airport apps *- flight aware; flightstats; and a special DIA app that I think is easier than the other two but it's Denver specific. It also includes a map of airport and what sides each flights comes in

*GPS*- most the time waze but it eats up battery life (even when charging) and data. I like waze because it shows a history just in case you have to go back and confirm a dropout because some lying pax complained. Sometimes Apple maps out of habit. Used it before I found waze before I started driving. Sometimes uber. Nice thing about uber if there is a fare issue, your using the same gps they use to calculate route - works in your favor at times but other times showing them waze directed them a more effiecient route is important. Hate google maps never use it because it sucks on iOS. But on android it has a nifty feature that calculates distances. Say you missed an exit, you can drop a pin on the exit you should have taken and the exit you did take to turn around and it calculates the exact miles - useful again to prove your case for a fare adjustment

I found an app that does the similar thing for iOS. Called distance calculator but it's only in kilometers so you have to convert.

I take lots of screenshots. When I arrive to doc time. Then ask Siri to set timer for five minutes ten seconds. If no pax, another screenshot proving I waited five minutes. Screenshot after pax arrives and destination entered. Screenshot at end of trip with fare. Uber known to replace original fares with adjusted ones with different address. That's why mileage app good too for back up. I have a couple apps that allow me to markup the screenshot if I need to highlight something.

Finally Amazon movies. I download a movie or a few episodes of a series I'm watching so I have something to do while waiting for fair or when I'm offline waiting for surge. Also use kindle. I run these on my tablet. Haven't figured out how to run uber and lyft on my tablet effectively. Even though it has a phone number attached to it it's not my cell phone so Icant call or recieve calls from drivers.


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