Asian Tech Press (Dec 02) -- Uber and Meta-owned WhatsApp have launched a service to hail a cab by sending a message in India.

The partnership will allow users to send messages to WhatsApp chatbots to hail a ride on Uber, Uber said in a statement. The feature will first be piloted in the northern Indian city of Lucknow and will be expanded to more locations in the future.

Both companies say the security features and insurance protections are unchanged for rides booked on Uber or WhatsApp. The driver's name, license plate and location en route will be included in the WhatsApp booking information. The drivers themselves will not notice any difference in the information for rides booked on different platforms.