Uber relaunches as a Progressive Web App on Windows 10

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

The famous car lift service is the second major company to adopt PWA for Windows 10.

Back in February, just as news about Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) was growing Uber announced that it was ending support for its app for Windows 10. Sure enough, in June support was pulled.

Speculation that Uber, who was one of the first companies to embrace PWA with its m.uber.com website, would re-launch as a PWA in the Microsoft Store followed. Tonight, we have our answer as Uber's PWA is now available.

New Uber PWA for Windows 10.

New Uber PWA for Windows 10.

In the Microsoft Store, a new version that is 34MB in size has been launched for PC, Mobile, HoloLens, and Hub with the changelog of "updated to m.uber.com wrapper."

The Uber PWA lets users log in with their current accounts. A request for location services may be asked although it took a re-launch for the app to begin using those services. The app works on Wi-Fi and cellular connections as expected.

While the app is a far cry from the touch-up work that Twitter has done with its PWA for Windows 10 the app works as expected so far.

Presumably, other companies like Starbucks, Lyft, and others may also begin to replace their native apps with PWAs as this is the goal for a lot of companies looking to reign in app development costs.

Grab the new Uber PWA and let us know what you think in comments.

See Uber in the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab)

Further info about PWAs

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

52 Comments
  • Andromeda?
  • It's not ALWAYS about Andromeda all the time.
  • For an X Windows Phone fan. It is😛😛😛🎈🎈🎈
    Don't hate, percy
  • Go to zdnet and read about that junk Andromeda...then come back and cry :))
  • Cry about a device? The fact that you would even suggest something so pathetic says a lot about your nature. You should go to zdnet, and stay there. What are you doing here anyways????
  • Soon...
  • Yeah, this is why I think Mary Jo's story was wrong. Why go through the trouble, because without a mobile device releasing on windows 10 makes no sense.
  • Not every website is a PWA.
  • Not every website is HTTPS too. Not sure your point? If it is to point out that all websites don't adopt new web technologies on day one, well, that's not very interesting or new. Many sites are converting to PWA because (1) it's simple (2) it's low-cost (3) it saves on bandwidth. Here's a running list of sites that are PWA-enabled.
  • Did you forget to post the list?
  • It's a hyperlink, unfortunately it's tough to see. Click where it says "a running lists of sites"
  • Ahhh. see, I'm using the WC app on a 950... That's not gonna happen. Which brings me to the question, where is that WC PWA/UWP?? 🤔 It's odd that a Windows site, that reports about PWA on the regular, doesn't have a PWA of thier own in the MS store.
  • Seriously, this! Had to stop using the app forever ago because of how slow and broken it is, but would be great to have notifications of new articles again.
  • The Windows Central app received many updates but those updates only came to PCs and HoloLens
  • No. I got version 1.3.7.0 on desktop and mobile. Same inconveniences, and apparently development stopped.
  • Please do something about the app!
  • Lol. Right.
  • Irony is that the Android app works flawlessly.
  • I believe the point he's making is ... There is a difference between a web wrapper and pwa.
    Taxify is a wrapper app.
    HTTPS is a protocol, not a website. A website is a file/files....
  • It's pretty basic. The only reason I really want Uber on my desktop is to see my wife coming home live while I'm at my desk. But the PWA doesn't appear to support real-time sharing of GPS. I suppose it might come in the future. Also, the app crashed when I tried to log in via Google.
  • See when your wife is on her way home. Genius😉
  • Sweet! This is really good news Dan. So many of these "essential" class apps are web based anyway, and could really benefit not only us Windows users but themselves in going PWA. Would save them a lot in maintenance and support alone. BTW if any of your readers want to try and move this along they might consider contacting their favorite app maker and asking them for a PWA version on the MS Store. I did this with my favorite used-to-be-on-the-ms-store app.... https://help.mint.com/ Purely cathartic? Perhaps. But hey what can it hurt?
  • Just did it with my 2nd favorite used-to-be-on-the-ms-store app too... https://customerservice.starbucks.com/app/contact/ask_wifi_mobile_apps/
  • ok... just uno mas... https://support.voxer.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
  • I think I will do that with Kindle, Amazon Music and Safari Books/Safari Books to Go.
  • Can some Uber drivers please comment on reliability of this progressive web app on win 10 mobile after a spin with their vehicles?
  • PWA is not supported on Windows 10 Mobile. Only Windows 10 PCs, Surface, and HoloLens are currently supported.
  • They are supported. They work just fine. They just don't have all the available features. I don't think any of the mobile browsers do yet.
  • Without service workers, it's not a PWA. And Edge on W10m doesn't have service worker functionality.
  • It was installed on my L950 this morning!
  • :)))) what a joke
  • Yes, yes you are :))))
  • Lol
  • Well, after they dropped support I deleted my account with Uber and I'm not about to start a new one for this excuse of an wrapper.
  • Nice.. My 950xl It's doing a good job.
  • Hi Daniel, that is very cool indeed! But, I have a question and not sure if you tested or will test it yet. If I ask for an Uber on my PC, shutdown the PC and log on Uber app on my phone, can I follow the Uber status? Are they in sync?
  • Is there a reason I just don't bookmark m.uber.com and click it in the browser?
  • That's basically what I do for the Starbucks app right now, https://www.starbucks.com/account/signin. And it works okay on my Lumia phone. Wrapping these with UWP however does have benefits both for the company and for users. It gives these apps access to things like Notifications, Location Services, and Live Tiles. Also makes the apps publishable to a centralized store, giving them discoverability and a central location for installation... not having to go to this website and that website in a patchwork of installation locations. But for me I mainly like the fact that a UWP wrapper hides the browser. It's cleaner, and you can't even tell often that you're running a website and not just any other app. Updates are automatic. No more waiting forever for a UWP app to get updated... if ever. For most all of the "essential", "app gap", apps I really think PWA is the way to go. Microsoft should be evangelizing this... and zealously!
  • All normal modern browsers have Notifications and Location Services, and noone gives two sh*ts about "Live" Tiles
  • Not all functions are available during the app both "Your Rides" and "Free Rides" open a browser tab.
    I think it still needs some updates.
  • This is just the initial launch. No doubt more functionality is coming - just like we saw with the Twitter launch.
  • Or maybe it will be supported as well as LinkedIn web wrapper. If Microsoft hasn't made any effort to add native features in their app it is hard to expect that many will do.
  • Can PWAs not be displayed in the app drawer on Android? I keep my home screens clutter free.
  • just curious, what is the minimum version of Android for supporting PWAs, I'm getting a new Android phone soon and I want to get something that will be compatible with the future of technology: PWAs
  • PWA support is based on Chrome version as long as you have Android 4.3 (from 2012! who says Google doesn't support their devices?).
  • thanks, this is great news.
  • Some can, others no. Up to the developer.
  • this is great, thanks to Uber for this big effort of developers writing new apps of the future : PWAs
    I hope to see Facebook is working on something similar for Whatsapp and that could help a lot to save on maintenance costs for having 2 apps for both Android and iOS, with Whatsapp as a PWA even Windows users could use the same secured app with all the features that iOS and Android have for all these years.
  • I doubt very much if I will use the Uber app on any platform, even if the service was available where i lived.
  • it's likely they are pushing Uber because a lot of MS Field engineers use it so it's to help out their business lol.
  • You mean the guys using androids?
  • Works like a charm, naturally.