Uber introduces a slew of new features including live location sharing

Ride-hailing company Uber has announced a slew of new features in its app that should make getting rides a bit easier.

The company has introduced live location sharing feature which enables the driver to see where you are located in relation to your pickup spot. To turn on the live location sharing feature, just tap the grey icon in the bottom right corner of your screen. When the icon turns blue, you are sharing your location.

Uber has also added in-app gifting, so you can send Uber credits to your friends without having to leave the app. The cab-aggregator is also expanding its Beacon program, which uses a hardware device in the driver’s windshield to display a corresponding door to riders to help them find the car more easily. The feature, which has been in testing since last year, will be now available in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. Uber first started rolling out Beacon last year in December, beginning in Miami, Denver, Nashville, and Newcastle.

Other rider changes include a streamlined process for requesting a ride for another rider (it no longer requires you to first specify a different pickup location on your own to request a ride for someone else). All the updates will be available from today.