Uber and Lyft are two well-known, established mobile apps for taxi-like services that have improved the quality of transport across the globe. With each app, users can go from one place to another easily and more effectively than with a typical cab service.
Uber and Lyft both have an application clone that has MySQL backend. They are written in PHP programming language and are also made available in different languages of various localities.
These applications have very distinctive features including a call center, booking solutions, and radio software that dispatches manually. Some other notable features of these two “cab” service mobile applications are:
- Mobile-friendliness, thus making it easy for users to access the app and register from their mobile phones.
- Integrated payment gateways that allow users to pay with their credit and debit cards automatically with a registered profile.
- Google Map integrations that allow users to easily navigate and preset pick-up and drop-off points.
So, how can someone make an app that is as unique, user-friendly and effective as Uber or Lyft?
Making an app like Uber or Lyft is no easy undertaking. And even after app development, getting the app to thrive in stores like the Apple Store and Google Play Store is also difficult. Creating an app to compete with Lyft or Uber will require expertise, and you’ll need to develop a strong, consistent brand that can really add value to its users.
Here are few helpful tips to take into consideration for making an app like Uber or Lyft.
Understand the specifics of Geolocation
In order to build an app like Uber or Lyft, it is very important to understand the specifics of geolocation—particularly for the stores in which you intend to sell. To understand these specifics it is important to know how to identify the location of a device.
Uber’s app for iOS makes use of the CoreLocation Framework. For Android, Uber uses Google’s location APIs. These two kinds of software are a set of protocols that help Uber find and track a user’s location and know when a user is moving across different boundaries.
After identifying the user’s location, the next step is navigation. The mobile app must be able to use several points on the map to help direct driving to a given destination. App developers can use Map-Kit as an option for iOS, while Google Maps Android API can be used for Android’s operating system. Integrating the mapping software is the third dynamic of geolocation. Once you’ve integrated your app with mapping, you can effectively solve logistics issues.
The key difference between giants like Uber and Lyft and their competitors is the depth of the geolocation integration.
Get a Good Telecommunication Provider for Push Notifications and Messages
To make an app like Uber or Lyft, you have to get a telecommunication provider that can manage your text messages.
Virtually everything that will be done on your app will require notifications.
Things like confirming the ride, accepting and verifying the user’s order, and then finally announcing the arrival of the rideshare, are just a few examples of how your app will need to notify its users.
Depending on the arrangement you make with the telecommunication provider, these messages can either come as SMS or push notifications.
Twilio is the telecommunication provider that powers the Uber app’s text messages. This probably makes them the best option if you’re looking to make an app just like Uber.
For push notifications, Uber and Lyft use Apple’s Push Notifications Service for iOS and Google Cloud Messaging for Androids. However, it is important to note that while the Google Cloud Messaging of Android monitors the delivery of push notifications.
Apple’s Push Notifications Service is a bit less certain. This is not the case at all with SMS since the successful delivery of text messages is through reliable cell carriers.
Look for the Best Payment Option
One outstanding feature of the Uber and Lyft applications is the payment structure.
Virtually all payments made on the Uber app are cashless and automatic. Lyft operates in an almost identical way, and both apps allow users to make payments using their debit or credit card.
If you plan to accept credit or debit card payments, your app must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. These standards spell out the requirements for card payments and the security of sensitive information. Once you’ve met these requirements, you’ll need to integrate with payment systems that are already up to code.
Payment gateways like Braintree (an Uber partner) and Stripe (a Lyft partner) are both excellent systems. A PayPal integration can also be helpful in allowing users to submit payments using their PayPal accounts.
“Since PayPal is already recognized as a trustworthy name in secure online payments, your customers may feel more comfortable using them.”
With all of these options (including the ones not listed here), you have plenty of payment gateways to choose from. After a little research, you’ll be able to determine which one is the best for your rideshare app. Once you’re done integrating them, you’ll be able to launch your app with ease.
How much does it cost to develop a rideshare app?
In this article, we covered the basics of what you’ll need for an app like Uber or Lyft. The entire process is very complex and can’t be covered in a single article. The app can be built in several ways with several functions, all with their own cost implications.
Generally speaking, a single platform app can cost about $30,000 – $40,000 when the hourly rate is set at $50/hr.
The cost of a rideshare app depends on several relative factors:
- Creating a web or mobile interfaces
- The admin panel which works both as the CRM and the dashboard
- Most importantly the cost of building the app both for iOS and Android operating systems
After developing both iOS and Android versions, you’ll need to make your app available in both the Apple Store and in Google Play store to market your new ridesharing service to the public.
We at Dynamik Apps hope this article was helpful. Now that you understand what it takes to make an app like Uber or Lyft, are you ready to break into the rideshare market?
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