You can already request an Uber car through Facebook Messenger, but what if you prefer to get around in Lyft cars? Don’t worry, you’re covered. The mustachioed ridesharing outfit has released a public programming toolkit that lets developers integrate Lyft features into virtually any app, with Facebook Messenger being the lead partner. If you happen to live in one of 11 launch cities (including Austin, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC), you can now use Messenger to ask for a ride in between chats with your friends. The feature will be available to all Messenger users in the US next week.
The company hasn’t unveiled other app partners as we write this, but it’s still a big move for Lyft. Uber has had a public app toolkit for a while — this lets Lyft entice developers of its own and get a presence where you would otherwise wouldn’t see it. Even if the support doesn’t venture much further than Facebook Messenger, it’ll be good to have more choices when you’re looking for transportation.
Source: Lyft