After months of preparation, Lyft today launched its developer program, opening its API for third-parties to integrate its service into their apps.
It’s a move that’s several years behind Uber – but hey, better late than never.
Today’s launch is coupled alongside a new Facebook Messenger feature which lets you request a Lyft ride straight from the app. Again, this is something you’ve been able to do with Uber over the past months, but if you pledge allegiance to one app over the other, now’s a good time to pick sides.
The feature is rolling out in the United States, and users can watch out for promotional offers to sweeten the deal.
By finally opening its API, Lyft hopes developers can integrate its car-hailing service to help a variety of apps, from travel to messaging. According to the Lyft Developer Program page, launch partners (in addition to Facebook) include Starbucks, Shell, and Slack. Earlier this year, Lyft announced it was working with Google Waze’s SDK to improve ride routing.
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