An Uber vehicle is seen with a passenger inside. Uber is piloting a new feature in select U.S. cities that allows women riders and drivers to choose same-gender matches for added comfort and control.
LOS ANGELES - Uber is rolling out a new feature aimed at giving women more control over how they ride and drive.
The company announced a pilot program called Women Preferences, which will allow women riders to request women drivers, and vice versa. The pilot will launch in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit in the coming weeks, marking the first time Uber has offered this option in the U.S.
Uber says the move is based on years of feedback from women who have expressed a desire for greater choice and comfort on the platform.
What is Uber’s "Women Preferences" feature?
The backstory:
The new features give both riders and drivers more ways to choose who they’re paired with during a trip. For riders, that means three new tools:
- Request on-demand: Riders can select the "Women Drivers" option when requesting a ride. If the wait is too long, they can switch to a standard pickup.
- Reserve in advance: Riders can pre-book a trip and request a woman driver through Uber Reserve.
- Set a preference: Users can enable a "Women Driver" preference in their app settings. It doesn’t guarantee a match, but it increases the odds.
For women drivers, the change also offers more earning flexibility. Drivers can toggle on a "Women Rider Preference" setting to only receive requests from women. Uber says this may be especially useful during evening hours or other times when drivers want more control over their experience.
What we know:
Uber is introducing the Women Preferences feature in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit, with plans to expand based on pilot results.
The company says women riders will have more control when requesting trips and that drivers can adjust preferences anytime in the app.
- The pilot will begin in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit over the next few weeks.
- Uber has tested similar features in 40 countries and completed over 100 million women-to-women trips.
- Riders and drivers can turn these preferences on or off at any time in their app settings.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear how Uber will handle rider or driver preferences in areas with limited availability of women on the platform.
The company has not said whether nonbinary users will have equivalent options or when a nationwide rollout might occur.
- Uber has not said when or if the feature will expand nationwide.
- It’s unclear whether the pilot will include nonbinary or gender-nonconforming users.
- The company has not specified how driver availability will affect wait times in areas with fewer women drivers.
Why you should care:
For years, safety and comfort have been top concerns for riders and drivers alike—especially for women. This new feature gives both parties a more personalized experience that aligns with their preferences and boundaries.
Uber says its decision to launch the feature in the U.S. came after extensive testing and feedback from global markets like Saudi Arabia, Germany, and France, where women-only options have been well received.
What they're saying:
"Across the US, women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips. We’ve heard them—and now we’re introducing new ways to give them even more control over how they ride and drive," the company said in a statement.
Uber added that while riders have long requested the ability to match with women drivers, making it work at scale required significant testing and redesign, especially in areas where most drivers are men.
"As we expand Women Preferences across the U.S., we’ll continue improving the experience through education, partnerships, and features," the company said.
What's next:
Uber plans to monitor the pilot’s performance in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit before considering a broader rollout. The company said it will continue refining the feature and may add more customization options based on rider and driver feedback.
The Source: This article is based on an official announcement from Uber outlining its new "Women Preferences" feature, which allows women riders and drivers to choose same-gender pairings. The company detailed how the tool was shaped by global feedback and pilot-tested in over 40 countries before launching in the U.S.