Uber launches new features for seniors, one expert says the problem is not age-related

Asad Chishti · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 16, 2025 10:44 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Ridesharing work Uber has precocious launched updates specifically for seniors, but a University of Waterloo (UW) prof believes integer marginalization of this property radical is inactive not being addressed correctly.

"Had [seniors] been included from the beginning, and the app had been tally successful a mode that includes everyone, possibly the update would person been overmuch amended from the opening and it would person served this colonisation [already]," Cosmin Munteanu told CBC News.

LISTEN | Ridesharing apps get simplified for seniors:

Munteanu, successful summation to being a prof astatine the University of Waterloo, is the Schlegel research seat successful exertion for steadfast aging astatine the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA). He has been moving connected inclusive technologies and the intersection of exertion and aging populations for implicit 2 decades.

The updates Uber has launched include a "simple mode" with features geared astatine supporting seniors. The elemental mode is simply a redesigned enactment prioritizing accessibility of the usage with determination shortcuts. The instauration of "senior accounts" volition include larger text, travel updates for unrecorded tracking, aggregate outgo options and more. 

Other companies similar Lyft besides person senior-specific options.

Munteanu said helium appreciates immoderate and each developments improving entree for seniors but specified programs inactive travel disconnected arsenic an after-thought.

Designing exertion for seniors is simply a challenge, helium said, adding the occupation is astatine slightest 2 pronged: societal and technological.

With the caller updates, authorized members successful the aforesaid household relationship volition beryllium capable to petition assistance from household members. This consists of respective caller choices specified arsenic the ability to usage idiosyncratic else's outgo options, unrecorded travel updates to others, and household members being capable to publication rides for the elder relationship and adjacent contacting the operator if needed.

"I'm … acrophobic with however this whitethorn beryllium implemented," Munteanu said.

"Why was the erstwhile mentation not bully for seniors," helium asked.

Munteanu explained that immoderate of the caller options being rolled retired would beryllium bully for everyone. His interest comes from the crafting of the communicative too. 

"Until present seniors could not usage an app and we're abruptly coming up with a large mentation of the app that's conscionable for seniors," helium said.

The challenge, helium said, is a batch of these apps are not designed to accommodate antithetic ways radical usage technology.

"We instantly trim seniors to disability," Munteanu said. "A batch of radical request accessibility assistance with apps … not needfully due to the fact that they age." 

Keerthana Rang, a spokesperson for Uber, said the institution is pursuing demographic trends successful Canada. 

"What we're seeing is that radical who are using our app are getting older oregon ... parents and grandparents spot that their kids are utilizing it and [feel] this could truly easy beryllium for maine too."

The elemental mode diagnostic tin beryllium utilized by anyone and isn't conscionable for seniors, Rang said.

"Uber is moving into what we're calling 'having everyone successful the household usage [it],'", she said. The elder profile feature follows the motorboat successful caller years of Uber for teens. 

Rang said the institution is pursuing what its ridership is looking for and requesting.

Brenda Nowak is simply a elder who has lived successful Waterloo region her full life.

The large exertion shift of her younker was the instauration of electrical typewriters. The 65-year-old's ain narration to exertion is mixed.

"[Technology] doesn't travel people to me, similar it does for radical that person grown up with [it]," she said.

Nowak's acquisition with ridesharing apps is limited. She's ne'er ordered a car herself but the concern which services her car does so, truthful she's taken an Uber.

"They arranged it for me. I conscionable stood extracurricular and waited for the car and got in. But I got the texts … I recognize however it works: you get the substance that says who's coming and what their sanction is and what their licence sheet fig and what benignant of car … but I've ne'er personally arranged it myself."

Nowak says she appreciates the thought of a institution taking seniors into consideration, not each of whom are tech savvy and sometimes request other help.

While a batch of younger people, she said, volition motion up for things, she's ever been a small much hesitant, adjacent anxious particularly erstwhile she doesn't recognize however thing works. Nowak said possibly the reluctance to clasp caller technologies is much astir her property and little astir her property radical though.

"Some radical are conscionable much brave astatine going up and trying thing whether they recognize it oregon not."

While she uses exertion astatine enactment which has a dedicated IT department, she has often wished determination was a helpline for seniors.

"I privation determination was thing … wherever you could inquire questions oregon get assistance oregon [call and say], 'I don't recognize this, tin idiosyncratic explicate it to me?'"