How To Use Location-Based Services To Develop An Uber Clone App

Uber is a giant in the taxi and ride-hailing industry. However, it wouldn’t be very successful if it didn’t have the appropriate technology, especially when directing drivers to the right location.

For any investor reading this, if you want to develop an Uber clone app, you must use the right location tracking approaches. You ask why is this the make or break feature of your app? 

Why Your Uber Clone App Needs Location-Based Technology

Imagine hailing an Uber but the Uber parks a block away, and it’s raining. The driver calls you and says he is at the appropriate location, you check, and he’s telling the truth! Who or what is to blame here? 

It’s probably due to incorrect or unreliable location services. That can potentially ruin your taxi business if you don’t correct it. There are quite a few services that your Uber clone can use. Sometimes developers can use a combination of two or more technologies.

Exact coordinates are important, especially if there are still several regions that have not been completely mapped out and identified. That will greatly assist when you develop an app like Uber

Locations-Based Services For Uber Clone App Development

Knowing the exact locations of where passengers save money as well as time. Plus, mapping services also help by showing directions and the least congested routes to take. 

Technologies that are instrumental in Uber Clone App Development are as follows:

Cell Reception

Various mobile networks dispatch a large sum of mobile numbers every day. How do you think they keep track of them? Using a cell tower, each and every mobile number is connected to it. 

Thus, a cell tower can effectively track a number and send the location. That would help your Uber drivers to get to the right location for their passengers.  

GPS

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a geolocation service owned by the United States of America. It makes use of three or more space satellites that work together to tag the exact location of an object. 

They do so by triangulating their own coordinates and then calculating the distance of the object. GPS doesn’t just help with determining a location!

Aspects in Uber clone app development where GPS helps:

• • Location 
  • Tracking 
  • Mapping
  • Navigation
  • Journey Timing 

Nowadays, you can ask a user to access their location by prompting them to do so. They can then turn on the feature on their device.

Wi-Fi

WiFi is another technology capable of sharing location. In this case, a wireless/wired router is able to transmit radio waves from the router to devices within a certain proximity. That is a predominant method that an app like Uber can adopt. 

But, there is a drawback to this technology. To join a ‘wifi network’, device owners require a password. Also, if the devices are not in range, they cannot benefit from WiFi’s internet access. 

In-Building Technologies

In-Building technologies refer to the use of beacons. What are beacons? Beacons are devices that communicate with smartphones. A mobile app, Android, or iOS is capable of receiving these communications. 

Thus, your Uber-like app can also receive these signals and use them for better app functionality and betterment of services. While the previous three services were based on outdoor locations, this one is indoor-based. 

Two very popular location-providing services in buildings are iBeacon and Eddystone.

iBeacon

Developed by Apple (you’ll know it’s true with the ‘i’ before iBeacon) in 2013. The iBeacon is a prototype beacon. That is a device that is capable of emitting its identifier to any compatible nearby electronic device. 

How does this device do this? It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)- part of Bluetooth 4.0. This technology is meant to connect electronic devices over a certain area. So how may this technology come to aid your Uber clone app investment? 

Suppose an Uber driver is to pick up a passenger from the airport. There will be lots of cabs that look similar. Plus, checking out the number plates could be troublesome and dangerous! 

Eddystone 

Eddystone is another beacon-based technology Google developed in 2015. There are 3 parts of the Eddystone technology. Combined, they communicate with apps, web browsers, and beacons themselves. 

Eddystone is a bit different from iBeacon because it is not restricted to communication with just web apps. Plus, Eddystone is open-source, meaning any business can use or contribute towards the technology. 

Conclusion

Location services are essential for Uber like clone App Development. Drivers need to know where to go and riders need to know a ride is coming. More importantly, when will the ride arrive? Location-based services answer all these questions and more.