Australians will be among the first in the world to test features designed to make ride-share services easier for seniors to access.
Uber announced the rollout of two features designed for riders over the age of 65 on Monday, including one that will allow family members to book, pay for and track their trips.
The announcement comes one month after the features were launched in the US and after a study showed more than one in three older Australians found it difficult to arrange their own transport.
The features added to the tech giant's app would include "simple mode" that had been designed for older travellers who wanted easier access to rides, Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Emma Foley said.
"Many older Australians have a smartphone these days, but figuring out how to use something new for the first time can still be a challenge," Ms Foley told AAP.
"Simple mode is for independent seniors who are happy to be out on their own but want to have a simpler way to book a ride."
When activated, the mode will show larger text in the app, fewer icons, and allow users to save frequently visited locations for quick access.
Also introduced in the update, "senior accounts" will feature more controls for family members, allowing them to track trips, contact drivers directly, as well as booking and paying for rides.
"The classic use case for this might be someone who is caring for their elderly mum and can't be there to take them to a doctor's appointment but wants to book a ride for them, track that trip, call the driver directly... and make it really simple to keep an eye on their loved one," Ms Foley said.
The features, tested in the US in June, will be delivered after a survey of more than 1000 Australians conducted by YouGov found 36 per cent of seniors considered organising transport to be a challenge in their daily lives.
It also comes less than a year after Uber launched a Caregiver feature in Australia to book trips on behalf of others, and a Teen mode expected to be delivered to NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory shortly.
Research undertaken by Roy Morgan showed Uber had become significantly more popular than taxis in Australia, with more than 7.4 million people using the app-based service in March 2025 compared to 4.2 million hailing taxis.
Uber was significantly less popular with older generations, as the research found 1.05 million Baby Boomers used the service compared to 1.02 million using taxis, while the Interwar generation, born before 1946, preferred taxis to ride-share options.
