Uber Driver App on Your Personal iPhone
Uber has finally allowed using your own personal iPhone to drive on the Uber system. Uber had instituted a $10 weekly fee for the use of their phone. The first thing I wrote to Uber after the announcement was that it was unfair because we couldn’t use our own phone to drive on Uber. Now that has changed so now the fee makes sense for some drivers who don’t want to deal with another phone bill.
There is a huge advantage with owning and using your own phone. Now you can use this phone solely for Uber and you can deduct any associated phone fees from your taxes. Make sure that you use this phone only for Uber purposes so you can deduct the entire phone bill from your taxes. If you are looking to buy an iPhone for Uber, you can deduct the cost of the phone itself from your taxes as well. Make sure to keep your receipt for it though.
Only iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, or 5S with iOS7 will be allowed to install and use the Uber Driver app, which I will assume will be separate from their passenger app like Sidecar.
You can get the Uber iPhone App after filling out this form: http://t.uber.com/byod/
Below was the email I received a few minutes ago:
Hi
Over the last few months, many of you have told us that you would rather use Uber on your personal phone instead of a separate device. Today, we’re excited to announce that you can use your own iPhone on the Uber system!
The functionality of the Uber Driver app on your phone is the same as the one you are used to, so you should not notice any substantial changes.
Right now, in order to be eligible, you must:
- Have an iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, or 5S
- Have iOS 7 (to check go to Settings > General > About > Version)
- Have a data plan that allows you to use at least 2GB/month of data for Uber
- Any major phone carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint) will work
Please note, the Driver App is currently only available for the iPhone models described above.In order to get the Uber Driver app on your own iPhone and turn in your existing Uber phone, please come to the following phone return session:What to Bring: Uber phone and your personal iPhone (both fully charged)All above criteria must be met in order to swap your phone.If you don’t have an iPhone but would be interested in using your own phone for Uber, please fill out this survey telling us what type of phone you have. We will contact you when your device is supported.
We’re very excited about giving you the option to use your own phone for driving on Uber and look forward to seeing you this Thursday, September 4th.
As always, if you have questions feel free to let us know.
- New Uber Drivers will get up to a $800 bonus after signing up: Sign up for Uber.
- New Lyft Drivers will get up to $800 if you sign up here using this link.
