Ahead of the holiday season, Uber Technologies Inc. today updated its rider app to streamline the pickup process.

The updates to the ride-hailing app include live location sharing, the expansion of the company’s beacon program and the ability to book an Uber on behalf of friends and family.

The update comes as Uber plans to roll out new features over the coming weeks, specifically tailored for India, where the majority of the population use older smartphones and have limited mobile-data speeds. Uber plans to introduce a “Request for Guest” feature that will allow users to book trips for friends and family, even if they don’t have a mobile phone. The “Call to Ride” feature will allow users to book an Uber via a voice call from popular locations.

Here’s a look at the new features rolling out today on the Uber rider app:

Live location sharing

Uber’s new live location sharing will allow riders to share their exact location temporarily in relation to the pickup point. For example, a driver will be able to see if the person is walking around the corner or slightly down the street from the pickup location. Once the ride begins, the location sharing will be turned off.

To turn on the “live location” feature, riders can tap the icon in the bottom right corner of the map. The icon will turn blue when the live location is being shared. Location sharing will stop when the ride begins, but users can also stop it by hitting the icon again or going to the app’s privacy settings.

Expansion of Uber Beacons

Beacons are physical devices attached to a driver’s windshield that light up and allow a rider to locate their Uber car quickly. Riders can select from a range of different colors on the app, which will light up on the beacon in the relevant Uber car. Uber is expanding beacons to New York City, San Francisco and Chicago.

Request rides for your contacts

Uber has updated its guest feature to make it easier to book an Uber ride for family and friends, who don’t have the Uber app.

To use the feature, tap the “Where to?” box as normal and select who is riding. The person taking the ride will receive an SMS from Uber with trip details, including the estimated arrival time of the Uber car, the car type and the driver’s contact information so they can contact them directly if necessary without going through the person who requested the ride.

In-app gifting

The new in-app gifting makes it easier to send Uber credit to friends and family. The gift can be sent instantly or at a later date and will be charged to the credit card loaded onto the Uber app. To send Uber credit to someone, tap the menu > Send a Gift > select the amount, recipient and add a personalized message > select the delivery time > tap “Send Gift” to complete the process.

Image: Sandeepnewstyle; Wikimedia Commons