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Uber wants to integrate with all your apps

Uber wants to integrate with all your apps

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Is Uber really short for ubiquitous?

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These days, an Uber button in an app can be seen as a sign of technological sophistication. For developers, integrating Uber in an app speaks volumes about the type of customer you're trying to attract: young, educated, city-dwelling, and affluent. Now, Uber wants to make it easier than ever for developers to convey that message.

Today, the ride-hailing company is announcing a new offer to app developers to add a button to their app that, when tapped, allows users to request an Uber driver. Developers would need to register their apps in Uber's dashboard to get the line of code needed to add the button for iOS and Android apps.

"A magical experience for riders."

Developers can then configure the Uber button to appear next to any address or "intent to ride" in their apps, and can also optimize the feature to include as much information about the trip as they can, such as pickup location or destination. Uber even teases that the button may earn developers some additional cash.

"By adding the button next to every address or ‘intent to ride' in your App, your users will be able to tap to instantly get a ride to the hotel, restaurant, movie theater or any other destination you specify," writes Chris Saad, product manager for Uber API and Strategic Partnerships. "This will help you offer a differentiated feature for your users, provide a magical experience for riders and even earn additional revenue your business."

US-based app developers can sign up to be Uber "affiliates," in which they can earn $5 for every new rider they refer to Uber through the button integration.

Uber is already integrated in many popular apps, most notably Google Maps. Indeed, more than a year ago, Uber announced it was it was opening its API to any app developer to integrate the e-hail service into their apps. Back then, the new tool was launched in partnership with some big names, including Starbucks, United, Trip Advisor, and Open Table.

But integration was a lengthy, tedious affair that required a lot of testing to ensure the deep links worked correctly, determining whether the app was installed and, if not, building an alternative link to the app store and creating visual treatment for it all. "Today's announcement is intended to show how easy it can be for smaller apps to integrate the rideshare service into its code," a spokeswoman said.

Notably, Uber's main rival Lyft has also been experimenting with app integration. Both Slack and PayPal users can request a Lyft driver within those respective apps.