Cruise unveils Android app for autonomous ride-hailing

Cruise has recently introduced an Android application for ride-hailing, enabling individuals in San Francisco to request one of its autonomous taxis even if they do not own an iPhone. According to the self-driving car firm, 20% of its waitlisters use Android, and a social media survey revealed that an Android app was one of the most frequently requested updates. The Android app from Cruise will include all of the enhancements that have been made to the iOS app since its inception, such as the ability to place a movable pin on the map by pressing and holding the screen.

The company recently began operating in all areas of San Francisco 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Employees have been able to call robot taxi rides from around the city at all times for months, but Cruise opened daytime rides to public “power users” in certain parts of the city in April. Note that when Cruise received its first driverless deployment permit from the California Public Utilities Commission last year, it was only allowed to operate in certain areas of San Francisco between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Passengers with Android phones who become power users, or customers who sign up to test beta features and send feedback to Cruise about free trips, can say hello to day trips. The spokesperson also said that Cruise will continue to expand the availability of day cruises in San Francisco, so paying customers will eventually be able to use the service as well. When the company announced its 24/7 operation, its CEO Kyle Vogt said that we’ll soon see Cruise “open up full operations in other cities.” He said that “using a robotaxi in SF has become a litmus test of business viability,” and that if the technology can work there, “there’s no doubt it will work almost everywhere.”