Many hope their Uber or Lyft journeys unfold smoothly: summon a ride, greet the driver, and navigate to the destination without any hiccups. Following that, a simple “thank you” and you’re on your way. However, such pleasant experiences aren’t always the norm.

Some rides surpass expectations, leaving passengers impressed, while others can be regrettable. Though riders have the ability to provide ratings, the chance of encountering the same driver again relies on chance, since the app only allows selection of vehicle type rather than the driver.

Lyft is changing this dynamic. The platform recently announced the introduction of options allowing riders to mark drivers they enjoyed as favorites or those they wished to avoid. Both these features are promising developments.

Marking a Lyft Driver as a Favorite

In future rides, after completing a trip, the familiar rating screen will pop up. Alongside the usual feedback options and tipping sections, a new feature appears at the bottom: an option to “Favorite this driver,” complete with a checkbox and an indication that your favorite drivers will be prioritized for future scheduled rides.

By checking that box, Lyft will consider your preference moving forward. Though it’s essential to note, this doesn’t guarantee that you can specifically request the same driver every time; rather, Lyft will attempt to match you with your preferred drivers when possible. Presently, the feature applies mainly to scheduled rides, but Lyft’s announcement suggests that efforts will be made to connect riders with their chosen drivers even for immediate trips.

This feature isn’t kept private; drivers will be informed when they are marked as favorites, granting them “priority access” to scheduled ride requests. If they need a reminder, the request will be tagged to signify you as a rider who has favored them.

Blocking a Lyft Driver

In instances where a ride experience falls short, riders not only have the option to rate their driver poorly but now can also block them to ensure no future matches occur.

This blocking feature does not appear automatically at the end of a ride; instead, it can be accessed through Lyft’s newly developed Safety Hub. This section encompasses various tools promoting user safety, including audio recording and PIN verification, in addition to the recent ability to block drivers.

Instructions for utilizing this feature involve navigating to the “You” tab within the app, selecting Settings under Account, and looking for the forthcoming “Safety Hub.” Once accessed, users will find the “Block a driver” option under the Matching category. Details remain sparse, but it seems likely that riders will see a list of recent drivers and will be able to choose the one to block.

While Lyft hasn’t confirmed whether drivers will be notified upon being blocked, it is probable that they remain unaware unless patterns indicate frequent blocking.