During the ride

Step 1

The driver card shows their photo and name, their rating, the vehicle and its registration number, and how many minutes away they are.

Step 2

The map underneath is live. The driver’s marker moves as they move, all the way to you and then all the way to where you are going.

Step 3

There is a short start code on the card. Read it out or show it to the driver when they arrive — the trip only begins once they have entered it, which is how the app knows you got into the right vehicle.

Step 4

Tapping Call gives you a choice of two. A free call goes over the internet through the app and uses no minutes. A normal call is an ordinary phone call, dialled directly to the driver’s own number.

If a free call cannot connect on poor data, the app offers to place the normal call to the same person instead. It remembers whichever you chose last time.

Step 5

You and the driver can see each other’s real mobile numbers from the moment they accept. This is not hidden or disguised, and MageRide tells you so when you sign up and again on your first call.

Step 6

The emergency button is on the ride card. It asks you to confirm, then sends your location and the trip details by text to the emergency contact you saved, and raises the alert with MageRide at the same time.

Step 7

If your phone loses signal the driver’s marker stops and a banner says so. Nothing is lost — the map catches up when the connection returns.

Step 8

When the driver ends the trip you go to the summary, and then to paying, which is the next chapter.