Uber Tests New Feature To Match Women Riders With Women Drivers In These 3 U.S. Cities

For years, safety has been the silent dealbreaker in the ride-hailing experience for women, both those behind the wheel and those in the backseat. Uber is rolling out a new feature next month that could reshape how women interact with the platform. 

Uber’s Matchmaking: Women Riders With Women Drivers

According to Time Out United States, the ‘Women Preferred’ tool will launch in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, giving women the option to request women-only rides and, crucially, to be more in control of their Uber experience. For riders, the ‘Women Preferred’ tool means that new choices will appear in the app: women drivers for on-demand bookings, an option to reserve rides in advance with female drivers, and a setting that nudges the system to prioritise matching women with women every time they book. Uber clarifies that while it can’t guarantee a perfect match each time, since availability still depends on who’s on the road, the system is designed to improve the odds significantly.

On the driver side, the update allows women to activate a ‘Women Rider Preference.’ This lets them choose to pick up only women, particularly during hours that are statistically riskier such as late nights, weekends or busy city routes. That toggle can be switched on or off at will, which means that flexibility is built into the feature rather than being locked as a fixed mode of operation.

These additions come in response to years of data, feedback, and widely reported safety concerns. Across the ride-hailing industry, women have repeatedly stated that they feel unsafe. It’s not a minor user experience issue; for many, it’s the reason they don’t drive or ride via these apps at all.

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Why The Initiative?

This isn’t Uber’s first attempt at a gender-specific solution. In 2019, the company introduced a similar option in Saudi Arabia, following the country’s landmark decision to allow women to drive. And in the U.S., this marks a rare and direct design intervention focused solely on gendered safety. Lyft, Uber’s main competitor, got there first domestically with its own women-and-nonbinary rider preference tool in late 2023, as stated by Time Out United States.

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For a product that has always sold itself on convenience and speed, this Uber feature leans into something much more fundamental: safety, confidence, and the right to choose who sits beside you or in your car.

Cover Image Courtesy: ricardolmagen/CanvaPro (Representative Image)