Facebook Messenger fiends have a new way to get where they're going with minimal disruption: they can now request a Lyft ride from within the app.
Announced today, the integration is part of a major expansion of the Lyft developer platform that heralds more partnerships on the horizon. Requesting a ride through "Messenger x Lyft" involves tapping on the "transportation" icon above the keyboard, selecting "Lyft," and then tapping "ride." Lyft will take over from there.
The feature isn't available to all Messenger users yet; Lyft said that it will be rolling out across the country "in the coming weeks."
Starting a car-sharing ride from within another app is nothing new. Uber's own integration with Facebook Messenger has been live since December. That came with a promotion for $20 off your first Uber ride requested through Messenger; there's no word on whether Lyft will match that offer.
Now that Lyft's developer platform is out of beta, the company hopes it will usher in a new era of seamless ride requests. For example, Lyft launched a Slack integration last fall, which allows users to request a Lyft simply by typing commands: you type "/lyft ride <pickup_address> to <dropoff_address>" in any Slack channel to request a ride.
Some of that, including requesting rides abroad, is playing catch-up to Uber; the Lyft API will allow users to access foreign ridesharing apps like Didi, Grab, and Ola. Uber itself has been operating in other countries for years.
Integration with transit apps is also a priority. The urban public transit app CityMapper and several other similar services will now show Lyft as an alternative to trains and buses in their routing results.
As for Messenger, Facebook has big plans to transform the app into a standalone service independent of the social network, a bit like WhatsApp. It's already possible to sign up for Messenger without a Facebook account.
Additionally, the newest Android version of the app has just been rebuilt with Google's Material Design platform. That means a brand-new user interface, and the ability for Facebook to more quickly implement new features, according to a company blog post. The update rolls out to all Android Messenger users today.