How to Use Uber's Beacon and Live Location Sharing Services

Having trouble finding your Uber driver? Learn how to use Uber Beacon and Uber location sharing to make sure you always get into the right vehicle.

What Is Uber Beacon?

Uber created a device called Beacon that makes it easier to pinpoint the car that you're supposed to be getting into. Using color-pairing technology, the Bluetooth-enabled Beacon device is placed behind a driver's windshield and features the easily recognizable Uber app logo. The Beacon glows brightly in the specific color that the rider chooses in the app, causing it to stand out when idling in a long line of similar-looking cars.

How Does Uber Beacon Work?

If the driver you're paired with has an Uber Beacon on their dashboard, the app asks you to set a color. An interface appears, prompting you to drag the slider across an array of available colors. At this point, Uber recommends holding your phone up while you look for the car so that the driver sees the matching color and can call out to you if needed.

Uber Live Location Sharing

Another feature that makes it easier for drivers to connect with riders is live location sharing. Although you are required to submit an address when requesting a ride, specific pickup locations are sometimes tough to find when you're in a busy public place. This usually results in some type of delay and prompts one or more phone calls or text messages between you and the driver. With live location sharing, the driver can determine your exact location through their app interface.

This functionality is not enabled by default, so some manual intervention on your part is required to activate it. After a pickup has been initiated, tap the gray icon in the lower-right corner of the screen, then tap Confirm in the pop-up window to share your location.

A new icon appears in the lower-right corner of the map, indicating that your live location is being shared. Tap the icon at any time to disable this feature.

Why Use Uber Beacon and Location Sharing?

When your Uber ride request is first accepted, you're shown pertinent information, including the driver's name and a photo of their face. More importantly, key details about the vehicle such as make, model, and license plate number are also provided. If you're being picked up in a not-so-crowded area, this information is usually enough to identify the correct automobile. However, this isn't always the case in high-trafficked areas with lots of ride-sharing cars and taxis.

It's not always easy to check the license plate of multiple vehicles in the dark. To make matters worse, many Uber drivers tend to have similar models. It can be especially tricky outside of concert venues, sporting events, busy hotels, and airports. Uber Beacon and location sharing were created to help riders and drivers in these situations.