Most obvious is the earnings tracker, which sits front and center at the top of the screen. Instead of harassing drivers with text messages, there's now a 'status bar' at the bottom that indicates good market conditions (more fares, better rates, etc) and highlight those locations on the map. Other changes reshuffle information delivery: Offers for insurance and motorist classes are sent to an in-app inbox, while a driver's rating page now lists compliments and the total number of trips in addition to complaints to present a more holistic and human picture.

The new app version also has a fix for a connectivity issue that prevented drivers from finishing rides without a signal, making dropping fares off in internet dead zones a problem. Now the app will record the driver's GPS location when ending a ride and upload it later.

While Uber has likely been working on this update for awhile, it's also a convenient time to cozy up for drivers now that the company's autonomous car project has been delayed after last month's fatal crash.