Lyft announces new tools to favorite (and block!) specific drivers
New personalization and safety features are coming to ride-share app Lyft, including ways drivers can take control of both the good trips and the bad trips.
Riders who have particularly pleasant rides will now get the option to favorite specific drivers, and the app's algorithm will make an effort to reconnect them with that driver for future rides. On the other end, the company explains, when a driver is favorited they will be notified and unlock priority access to future scheduled ride requests.
And, nearly 13 years after its founding, Lyft riders can now completely block drivers, too, helping them take control of more unpleasant ride experiences.
"Our purpose is to serve and connect — and that starts with safety," Lyft said in a statement on Thursday. "Adding favorite drivers is one part of our ongoing commitment to make Lyft the safest way to get around, while giving you the tools you need to feel secure."
The two personalization features are part of a brand new safety hub, which centralizes safety preferences such as in-vehicle audio recording, PIN verification for drivers, and app check-ins during rides. Users can access favoriting and blocking preferences under the new "Matching" section of the safety hub.
More user control seems to be the focus of ride-share companies in recent months. On July 23, Uber announced its new Women Preferences feature, a setting that will allow women users and drivers to choose same-gender rides. Riders will be able to choose women drivers while scheduling rides or can set an account preference beforehand, and drivers will be able to adjust preferences even during peak ride share hours. The setting is now being piloted in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Detroit.
Lyft unveiled a similar feature, Women+ Connect, in 2023, which allowed riders to prioritize matches with women and nonbinary drivers, designed with help from the Human Rights Campaign and sexual assault prevention campaign It's On Us. Both Uber and Lyft recently announced personalized app experiences for older drivers, including simplified interfaces, family tracking, and Medicare payment options.
The new settings will gradually roll out on Lyft in select regions starting today, with a complete U.S. and Canada launch by the end of August.