Is your child ready for ride-sharing apps? What parents should know

A recent survey found that parents spend nearly 7,000 minutes a year driving their children to school, sports practices, and other activities. An average of 38 minutes a day for 180-day school year adds up to 6,858 minutes,  the equivalent of nearly 15 eight-hour workdays spent behind the wheel.

It's no surprise that as children grow older and become more independent, many families start wondering whether ride-sharing apps could help lighten the load.

Before saying yes, here's what parents should consider, from emotional readiness and personal safety to privacy, cybersecurity, and the digital habits that help keep every ride safer.

Key takeaways:

• There's no single "right age" for children to start using ride-sharing apps independently.
• Compare ride-sharing apps based on safety features, parental controls, and privacy settings, not just convenience.
• Teach children both physical safety and digital safety before their first independent ride.
• Help protect your child's ride-sharing account, phone, and personal information from scams and online threats.
• Practice together before your child's first solo ride and keep the conversation about safety ongoing.

Is your child ready for ride-sharing apps?

Readiness matters more than age, and it involves more than maturity or self-confidence. Consider whether your child can assess risks, manage their emotions under stress, resist social pressure, and ask for help when they need it.

Before saying yes, ask yourself:

• Can they stay calm if plans change? For example, if the driver is late or they can't immediately find the car.
• Do they know what to do if something doesn't feel right? Talk through different scenarios together so they can practice what to do before they're faced with them in real life. For example, what would they do if a driver said the car shown in the app had broken down and asked them to get into a different one? They should know it's okay to refuse, move to a safe place, and call you.
• Are they comfortable contacting you? Your child should know they can always call if they need help or feel unsure—even if they've made a mistake or broken one of your rules. In a risky situation, fear of being criticized or punished may make them delay asking for help. How parents react matters, too: focus first on getting your child to safety, and deal with what happened afterward.
• Do they generally make responsible decisions when they're on their own?
• Can they recognize common online scams? They should know not to click suspicious links or share verification codes with anyone.

How to choose a ride-sharing app for your child

Depending on where you live, you may be choosing between traditional ride-sharing apps, dedicated child transportation services, or family carpool apps. Ride-sharing services and features vary by country, and not every platform offers teen or family accounts in every market.

In the United States, Uber and Lyft are among the most popular ride-sharing apps, while families in the UK often use Uber, Bolt, or FREENOW.

In some areas, parents may also have access to dedicated child transportation services such as HopSkipDrive, Kango, or goEasy, which are designed specifically for transporting children. If you'd rather organize rides with people you already know, family carpool apps like GoKid, Kid Hop, and LetsRideKids can help coordinate rides with trusted parents and neighbors.

Once you've identified the options available in your area, compare their safety features, parental controls, and privacy settings before deciding which one is the best fit for your family.

Here are a few things worth checking:

Look for family or teen accounts

Some services, such as Uber Teen, allow teenagers to have their own account while remaining linked to a parent's Family Profile. This gives parents greater visibility without requiring children to use a parent's account.

Check whether parents can track rides

Choose an app that lets parents or trusted contacts follow rides in real time and receive trip updates from pickup to drop-off.

Review the app's safety features

Look for features such as emergency assistance, ride verification, driver information, and the ability to quickly share trip details if something doesn't feel right.

See what parental controls are available

Some apps allow parents to manage payment methods, review completed trips, approve rides, or set spending limits, giving families more oversight as children become more independent.

Check how the company protects your data

Choose a company that takes security seriously. Review its privacy policy, check how it protects user data, and see whether it has responded responsibly to any past security incidents or data breaches.

Online safety risks of ride-sharing apps

Ride-sharing apps are convenient, but like any popular online service, they can also be used by scammers. Talking about these scams before your child's first ride can help them recognize warning signs and avoid becoming a target.

Fake emails and text messages.  Scammers may send messages pretending to be from Uber, Lyft, or another ride-sharing company, claiming there's a problem with an account or payment. Teach your child to open the app directly instead of clicking links in unexpected messages.

Fake customer support. Some scammers pose as customer support representatives and ask users to share passwords or one-time verification codes. Legitimate companies won't ask for this information over the phone, by email, or through text messages.

Payment scams. Your child should never pay a driver outside the app or follow instructions to complete a payment on another website. All payments should go through the ride-sharing app.

Account takeover. A stolen password or verification code can give someone access to a ride-sharing account. Encourage your child to use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.

Safety tips for using ride-sharing apps

Before your child takes their first ride, talk through a few basic safety rules. Some relate to the ride itself, while others help protect their personal information and online accounts.

During the ride

Encourage your child to:

• Verify the ride before getting in. Check that the driver's name, photo, vehicle, and license plate match what's shown in the app.
• Sit in the back seat whenever possible.
• Share the trip with a parent or another trusted contact so someone knows where they are.
• Trust their instincts. If something doesn't feel right, they should cancel the ride, move to a safe place, and call you.
• Make sure they know safety comes before being polite. Children and teens may hesitate to say no, leave a situation, or refuse a driver's request because they don't want to seem rude. Remind your child that if something feels unsafe, it's okay to say no, get out of the car when it's safe to do so, or ask for help, even if that means being "impolite." Their safety comes first.

While using the app

Ride-sharing apps also come with digital risks. Help your child build good cybersecurity habits by reminding them to:

• Protect their account with a strong, unique password and two-factor authentication if available.
• Watch out for fake messages pretending to be from Uber, Lyft, or another ride-sharing service. If something seems suspicious, open the app directly instead of clicking a link.
• Never share verification codes or login credentials with anyone, even if they claim to be customer support.
• Keep their phone secure by using a screen lock and enabling Find My Device (Android) or Find My (iPhone).
• Protect their privacy by avoiding unnecessary sharing of home addresses, school information, or screenshots that reveal their location.
• Be careful when adding payment methods and only use the app's official payment system.

Before your child's first ride

Before your child uses a ride-sharing app independently, take a few minutes to prepare together.

✔ Choose a ride-sharing app and review its safety features, parental controls, and privacy settings.

✔ Set up any available family or teen account so you can stay connected during rides.

✔ Secure your child's phone with a screen lock or biometric authentication, enable Find My Device (Android) or Find My (iPhone), and keep the operating system and apps up to date.

✔ Set up parental controls, if appropriate for your child's age. Depending on the solution you use, parental controls can help you monitor device security, manage apps, and encourage safer digital habits as your child becomes more independent.

✔ Secure the ride-sharing account with a strong, unique password and two-factor authentication, if available.

✔ Walk through the app together so your child knows how to request a ride, share their trip, and use emergency features.

✔ Agree on a few family rules, such as always sharing their trip, verifying the vehicle before getting in, and calling if plans change.

✔ Do a practice ride together before allowing independent trips.

The first solo ride shouldn't be the first time you talk about personal safety, scams, or what to do if something feels wrong. Like crossing the street, riding a bike, or staying home alone, using ride-sharing apps is another step toward independence. Preparing together and keeping the conversation going as your child gains confidence is one of the best ways to help them stay safe.

A Bitdefender Family Plan helps keep your child safer as they become more independent - whether they're using ride-sharing apps or other everyday digital services. It helps protect them from scams, suspicious links, malicious apps, and other online risks, while parental controls support safer digital habits and give parents added peace of mind.

You can explore how a family protection plan works, here.

You may want to read:

• How to teach your child online safety without scaring them
• From kids to grandparents: How to talk about stranger danger today
• Your teen outgrew parental controls. Now what? How to keep teens safe online

FAQs

Is there a minimum age to use ride-sharing apps?

Age requirements vary by platform and country. Some ride-sharing services offer teen or family accounts, while others require riders to meet a minimum age before traveling independently. Always check the provider's policies in your region.

Is Uber Teen safer than a regular Uber account?

Uber Teen includes additional features designed for families, such as ride tracking and parental oversight in supported regions. However, children still need to understand basic ride safety and digital security before using any ride-sharing app independently.

What should parents look for in a ride-sharing app?

Look for features such as family or teen accounts, real-time ride tracking, trip sharing, emergency assistance, driver verification, parental controls, and strong privacy settings.

How can I tell if my child is ready to use ride-sharing apps?

Rather than focusing on age alone, consider whether your child can follow safety rules, make responsible decisions, recognize scams, and contact you confidently if something doesn't feel right.

What are the biggest cybersecurity risks of ride-sharing apps?

Some of the most common risks include phishing emails and text messages, fake customer support scams, account takeover attempts, stolen phones, and exposing personal information such as home addresses or travel routines.

Should my child share their live location during a ride?

Yes. Whenever possible, encourage your child to share their trip with a parent or another trusted contact so someone can follow the ride from pickup to destination.

How can I protect my child's ride-sharing account?

Use a strong, unique password, enable two-factor authentication if available, never share verification codes, and keep the app and phone updated with the latest security patches.