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How to send your friends food with this Uber Eats feature

Uber Eats’ new feature is a seemingly small step, but it helps connect people in new ways since most people can’t be together.

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COVID-19 has disrupted many aspects of daily life that people are now trying to adapt to. One of those areas is food delivery. You were once able to go out to your favorite restaurants with your friends or order delivery without any concern. Now, takeout looks a little different. With Uber Eats’ new update, you can get one step closer to connecting with friends, virtually and from a distance.

The update from the company comes at a time when social distancing and quarantines are getting more and more difficult. Though they’re necessary, they’re hard for many people. The new feature for Uber Eats has arrived when you need it – and when Uber needs it.

The Uber Eats Feature

The update is simple. You can now send food to your friends and provide them with a link to track the order. The new feature allows you to do this from anywhere that Uber Eats is available. This range includes other states or even other countries since the company has recently been expanding.

You’ll first need to check which restaurants are available and open, but sending your friends some food is simpler than ever. Additionally, Uber Eats has partnered with Starbucks, so you can select any item from the coffee chain as well.

To do so, you’ll need to open up the app or download it if you don’t already have it. You can select a restaurant and location as you normally would for yourself. Then, add the items which you wish to order and continue to checkout. The main difference is that you’ll need to input your friend or family member’s address instead of your own. From there, you can complete the order.

The next difference is tracking the order. At the top of the screen, you’ll see the standard “share” or “send” icon with an arrow. You can simply click on that icon and choose how you want to send the tracking link and who you want to send it to. The recipient can then track, in real-time, their delivery. Additionally, they won’t need to have the Uber Eats app to track the order. They can access it all right from their texts.

This simple process is helping people connect more with their loved ones as they remain apart. Since food delivery has increased with stay-at-home orders and social distancing, Uber Eats is bring a friend-centric twist to keep friends close, remotely.

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Image: Uber Eats

The Change in Market

COVID-19 has caused a significant shift in how people buy food. Instead of going out to eat, your main options are grocery shopping and food delivery. Since the pandemic is likely to stay for a while, the market will continue to change.

For instance, a 2017 survey indicates that 47% of respondents prefer to eat healthier in the summer. As the coronavirus remains throughout the summer months, more and more people may turn to grocery shopping instead of takeout due to the desire to make healthy foods. Apps like Uber Eats will then need to adapt again to the changing market — the ability to send food to friends may not be enough to keep usage steady.

The other change in the industry is the number of layoffs that have come from apps like Uber and Lyft. Unemployment continues to grow in the United States. As layoffs occur and ridesharing requests are down, Uber and Lyft employees may turn to apps that offer grocery delivery. Though Uber Eats is already moving into grocery territory to stay afloat, it will have to compete with other apps like Postmates and Instacart.

For now, though, the new feature to share an order with your friends is drawing people in. Keep an eye on how Uber Eats adapts in the coming months.

A New Normal

As COVID-19 continues to change the way individuals work, socialize, and live, they will continue to adapt throughout the year. Uber Eats’ new feature is a seemingly small step, but it helps connect people in new ways since most people can’t be together.

You can expect to see more companies adding features that allow friends and family to connect in simple ways to feel closer despite the distance.

Plan on using this for a friend sometime down the line? Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Kayla Matthews is a technology writer and blogger who runs ProductivityBytes.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter to read all of her latest posts!

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