Change These Settings to Make Uber More Private
Most of us use Uber to get a taxi and forget about the app until the next time we need it. But Uber doesn’t forget about you—the app can track you and collect your data to show you personalized ads. But Uber also has several privacy controls you can change to limit the ability to track you and make the app more private.
Disable location access
Uber doesn’t need access to your location data. If you deny Uber access to GPS, you can still use the app normally. You’ll have to manually enter your pickup location each time, but there aren’t many other downsides. I’ve been using Uber this way for at least five years without any major problems. The only real risk is that you might enter the wrong address as your pick-up location, since since there’s no GPS involved, there’s nothing stopping you from accidentally booking a ride to the wrong Starbucks.
To turn off location access, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Uber on your iPhone and select Never . The same option is available in location settings in Android.
Reduce ad personalization
When you’re on a trip, you may see ads in the Uber app. These ads use your personalized data, such as your location, travel, app usage history, food orders and more. While you can’t turn off Uber ads completely, you can prevent the company from using your data to target ads.
To do this, open the application and select the “Account” tab in the lower right corner. Then go to Settings > Privacy > Uber Offers & Promotions . Turn off the Allow personalized offers and promotions from Uber option .
Return to your privacy settings page and select Advertise on Uber Eats . Turn off ad personalization in Uber and Postmate .
Go back to your privacy settings again, go to Travel Ads , and turn off personalization of ads you see while travel .
Finally, you can also remove your gender identity from Uber, as the company says it uses this information for advertising, marketing and UX research. On Uber’s privacy settings page, go to Gender , tap the pencil icon, and select Remove my gender information .
Limit email notifications and spam
Your Uber data is also used for targeted marketing through push notifications and emails. You can reduce this number by going to the Account tab in the Uber app and going to Settings > Privacy > Communications . You can go to Push Notifications and turn everything off. Return to the Communication Settings page and select Email . Unsubscribe from everything on this page too.
Removing unnecessary connected applications
If you have used your Uber account to log into other services or have connected Uber to other apps in the past, you should review and revoke that access if you no longer use those services. To remove linked services from your Uber account, go to the Uber Account tab and tap your name at the top. Go to the Security tab at the top and uninstall unnecessary apps under Connected Social Apps . Then go to the Privacy & Data tab and scroll down to the Third-party apps with data access section. Remove apps you no longer use.