How to contact your Uber driver before and after your trip, to arrange pick-up and report lost items

• You can contact your Uber driver either before or after your ride has been completed.
• You can send a text message to your driver through the Uber app, or contact them with an anonymized phone number once your driver has confirmed your ride.
• If you’ve left an item in the vehicle, Uber will let you contact the driver to have the item returned to you.
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Uber has made getting a ride from anywhere as easy as a few quick taps on your phone. But aspects of the ride-hailing experience – from arranging your pick-up location to retrieving a phone you may have left in the car – require that you be in contact with your driver even when you aren’t face-to-face.

Luckily, the Uber app offers several ways to get connected before and after your trip, with a process that’s exactly the same on both the iPhone and Android app.

Once you’ve been paired with a driver, you can send them notes through the app’s message feature, or call them directly.

And if you need to get back in touch with an Uber driver after a trip has been completed, the ride-hailing company offers a way to safely and securely communicate with your driver to retrieve an item. When a driver returns an item to you, you’ll be charged a $15 fee.

Here's how to contact your Uber driver before and after your trip.

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How to contact your Uber driver before your pick-up

1. Launch the Uber app.

2. Enter your destination.

3. Select the car type and tap Confirm.

4. Confirm your pick-up location.

5. Tap the bottom menu to bring up your trip menu.

6. To send your driver a quick text message, tap the "Any pickup notes?" bar.

7. You can either type your own message out or select from any of the pre-written responses provided by the Uber app.

8. If you'd rather call your driver, you can select the phone icon.

9. This will bring up the automatically generated app number for your driver. Tap "Free Call" and then confirm the call to connect with them.

How to contact Uber after a ride to report an issue

1. Launch the Uber app if it isn't already open on your phone.

2. Tap the menu icon, pictured as three stacked horizontal lines, in the top left.

3. Select "Your Trips" from the menu.

4. Tap the grey box in the top right labeled "Past," and select whether you want to see your personal Past rides, Business rides, Upcoming rides, or Family rides.

5. Scroll down and choose the ride you lost your item on.

6. Tap the "Find Lost Item" box directly underneath the trip details.

7. In the list of options, choose "Contact driver about a lost item."

8. Enter your phone number to directly reach the driver and tap "Finished."

9. A button with "Call" and your driver's name will turn black. Tap it to reach out to your driver.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• How to request an Uber with a car seat for your child

• How to change your destination on Uber during a ride

• How to change your payment method on Uber in 5 simple steps

• How to dispute an Uber charge using the mobile app or Uber's website

• How to get Uber receipts emailed to you, or view past receipts in the mobile app