Google today announced that it is making the ride services experience in Google Maps even better by offering deeper integration with ride service providers like Uber and Lyft. Up until now, Google Maps displayed the estimated fare of going to a location from Uber and Lyft.
Post the new update, Maps will now show a carousel at the bottom to switch between different ride service providers. Each tab of the carousel allows you to select between different vehicles that a particular ride service provider like Uber or Lyft provides while also displaying their estimated fares and the estimated time of arrival for the vehicle. As for the map, it will show the available vehicles around you, just like you would see when you open the Uber or Lyft app.
In addition, Google will now also allow Maps users to directly book an Uber right from within the app, irrespective of whether they have the Uber app installed or not on their device. Users will also be able to track their ride and connect with the driver if the need arises. For this to work though, users will first have to log in to their Uber account from within the app.
The updated ride services experience will be available for Google Maps users on both Android and iOS across the world.