Now Light’s minimalist phone can easily call an Uber | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchLightSystemDarkTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Now Light’s minimalist phone can easily call an UberNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...GadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTransportationCloseTransportationPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TransportationNow Light’s minimalist phone can easily call an UberThe monochrome Light phones are adding access to rideshare services while still minimizing feeds and notifications.The monochrome Light phones are adding access to rideshare services while still minimizing feeds and notifications.by Richard LawlerCloseRichard LawlerSenior News EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Richard LawlerSep 15, 2026, 3:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.Image: LightRichard LawlerCloseRichard LawlerPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Richard Lawler is a senior editor following news across tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years covering news at Engadget.More than a decade after its Kickstarter proposed a “cell phone designed to be used as little as possible,” Light is adding a direct connection to Uber and Lyft with a new Rideshare tool. For owners of either the Light Phone III or the upcoming Light Flip, they can use it to find pick up / drop off locations, see fares and ETA, and select different trip options or saved locations they frequently visit. They can use it to book the ride, and then see information about the driver and ETA, and call the driver if necessary.It’s an early preview of the LightOS “tool library” SDK that will allow developers to expand the phones’ features while still promising to minimize feeds and notifications. A blog post from Light says that “We’ll open up user submissions for the Tool Library by the end of this month, and look forward to having those available to everyone a few weeks after that!”The rideshare integration works via a partnership with Tremp, which already operates an SMS-based way to order rideshares, and users set up access via Light’s dashboard website, just like other LightOS tools. It’s not free to use, however, as Tremp charges a 10 percent service fee with a $2 minimum, but it will waive that fee for the first five rides within 30 days of creating an account.Image: LightRelatedThe Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone with a point to proveMeet your new phone away from phoneThe pictures show all the necessary features operating, although we will have to see it in operation to find out if there are any hang-ups. The expansion of app-like features on a minimalist smartphone might seem counterintuitive, but Light cofounder Kaiwei Tang has addressed that previously, saying, “I’m not trying to design vintage phones… I want to design all this modern technology, from the ground up, and eliminate all the bullshit.”That’s why adding one feature users absolutely need access to — whether it’s a way to call for a ride, access to Spotify playlists, or something else — might be a way to keep them from swapping back to another device with more algorithms and alerts that constantly pop up.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Richard LawlerCloseRichard LawlerSenior News EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Richard LawlerGadgetsCloseGadgetsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GadgetsLyftCloseLyftPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All LyftNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPhonesClosePhonesPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PhonesRide-sharingCloseRide-sharingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Ride-sharingTransportationCloseTransportationPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TransportationUberCloseUberPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All UberMost PopularMost PopularApple releases iOS 27 with Siri AI overhaulThe Steam Frame is made for irresponsible hardware nerds like meThe Dell XPS 13 is the first real competitor to the MacBook NeomacOS 27 is available nowJensen Huang puts Trump on speakerphone onstage to announce robots won’t take over the worldThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Light phones, designed with a minimalist philosophy, are now incorporating access to rideshare services to enhance their utility while maintaining their core focus on minimizing feeds and notifications. This integration provides owners of the Light Phone III and the forthcoming Light Flip with functionality for managing rideshare logistics directly from their device. Users can utilize the phone to locate pickup and drop-off points, view estimated times of arrival and fares, select preferred trip options or frequently visited locations, initiate the booking process, and access driver information and real-time ETAs, including the ability to directly contact the driver if necessary.

This rideshare integration is facilitated through a partnership with Tremp, an entity that already operates a system for ordering rideshares using SMS. User access to these features is managed through Light’s dashboard website, aligning with how other LightOS tools are configured. Although the service is not free, it involves charges from Tremp, which levies a ten percent service fee on a minimum of two dollars per ride. However, this fee is waived for the initial five rides created within thirty days of establishing an account.

Furthermore, Light is exploring the expansion of its features through the LightOS “tool library” SDK, which is intended to allow developers to extend the phones’ capabilities. Light stated that user submissions for the Tool Library will be opened by the end of the month, with access expected a few weeks later. This expansion reflects a design philosophy articulated by Light cofounder Kaiwei Tang, who argues against designing phones solely as vintage devices. Instead, Tang posits that incorporating essential modern technology functions, such as calling for a ride or accessing music playlists, is a method to prevent users from switching to other devices burdened with excessive algorithms and constant alerts. This strategy aims to keep users connected while still upholding the commitment to minimalism.