Need help troubleshooting an issue with the Uber app

Apps
1

My Uber app has started acting up recently, with rides not showing correctly and payment options glitching during checkout. I’ve already tried updating and reinstalling the app, but the problems keep coming back. Can anyone explain what might be causing this and suggest reliable fixes so I can use Uber normally again?

2

Had this a few weeks ago. Rides not loading right, fares weird, payment glitching at checkout. Here is what fixed it for me step by step.

  1. Check Uber server status
    Search “Uber app status” or look on DownDetector. If lots of people report issues, it is on their side and nothing on your phone will fix it until they sort it.

  2. Force stop and clear cache only
    On Android
    Settings → Apps → Uber → Force stop.
    Then Storage → Clear cache.
    Do not hit Clear data yet. That wipes your login and settings.
    On iOS
    Swipe up to close Uber. Then reboot the phone.

  3. Switch networks
    Try mobile data if you are on WiFi. Then try a different WiFi.
    Uber’s API calls fail a lot on weak or filtered networks. Payment screens break first when that happens.

  4. Sync time and region
    Wrong time or region on your phone messes with payments and trip search.
    Set date and time to automatic.
    Set region to your actual country.
    Then restart the phone.

  5. Remove and re add payment methods
    Go to Account → Wallet.
    Delete any old or expired cards.
    Re add your main card.
    If possible, add PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a different card as a backup.
    Sometimes a single bad card on the account causes checkout loops.

  6. Log out fully, then log back in
    Account → Settings → Log out.
    Completely close the app.
    Open again and log in with SMS code, not saved password autofill.

  7. Reinstall the “clean” way
    You said you reinstalled, but try this order.
    Log out of Uber.
    Delete the app.
    Restart the phone.
    Reinstall from the official App Store or Play Store.
    Open it with a strong connection.
    Give location, storage, and notifications permissions when prompted.

  8. Turn off VPN, ad blockers, private DNS
    If you run a VPN, DNS changer, or aggressive ad blocker, disable it.
    Uber calls a lot of endpoints. If one gets blocked, rides or payments break.

  9. Check for multiple accounts
    If you have more than one Uber account with the same phone or different emails, make sure you did not end up in a half banned or restricted account.
    Try logging in with phone number instead of email to pick the “main” account.

  10. See if issues match one area or card
    Try searching rides in a different city, like an airport near you.
    Try a different card or PayPal.
    If only one city or one card fails, screenshot it.

  11. Contact support with specifics
    Use Help in the app or help.uber.com.
    Include:
    • Phone model and OS version
    • Uber app version (shown in settings or bottom of Help screen)
    • Time and timezone of last failed attempt
    • Screenshots of the error on the map screen and payment screen
    Ask them to check your account for any restrictions or failed payment flags. Ask if they see failed card authorizations in the background.

For me, the combo that finally fixed it was
Turning off my VPN.
Clearing cache.
Removing one old corporate card that had been declined a bunch of times.

After that, the map loaded normal and the payment page stopped looping.

3

Couple more angles to try that @jeff didn’t hit, or I’d at least check differently:

  1. Region / account issues on Uber’s side
    Sometimes it is not a full “server outage” but a flag on your account or region.
  • Go to help.uber.com in a browser, log in, and try to request a ride quote there.
    If the website also shows weird prices, missing rides, or payment issues, it’s almost certainly account-side, not your phone. That’s where support actually has to step in and clear flags or risk blocks.
  1. Check for “pending” or stuck auth charges
    Uber’s payment system can bug out if there are too many failed or pending authorizations.
  • Open your bank / card app
  • Look for multiple tiny “Uber pending” amounts that never finished
    If you see a pile of them, call the bank and ask if they’re auto-blocking Uber. In that case, no amount of reinstalling will help until the bank whitelists or unblocks.
  1. Try request from Uber Lite / mobile browser
    On Android, there is (in some regions) Uber Lite. If you can:
  • Install Uber Lite
  • Log in and try searching for a ride and going to payment
    If Lite works but the main app does not, that points to some local app / device-level problem like a compatibility bug with your specific OS version.
    If Lite also fails in the same way, that screams backend/account problem.

If you don’t have Lite:

  • Use Chrome / Safari in incognito
  • Go to m.uber.com, log in, try to request a ride / at least get to payment
    Same logic: if web works, app is the culprit.
  1. Device-specific glitch
    You didn’t mention if you tried another phone:
  • Borrow someone’s phone
  • Log into your account on their device
  • Try to request a ride up to the payment screen
    If the ride list and payments work fine there, the issue is with your device or OS build. If it breaks the same way, that nails it as an account/payment-profile problem.
  1. OS-level restrictions
    Some people forget they’ve hardened their phone a bit too much:
  • Check system settings for:
    • “Battery optimization” or “background limits” on Uber
    • “Data saver” / “Metered network” rules
    • Any privacy / security app that can block in-app webviews or 3rd-party SDKs
      Those can break the embedded payment screen even when everything else looks normal. I’d temporarily disable those for Uber and test again.

I actually disagree slightly with @jeff on always turning off VPN / ad blockers first. If you’re using the same VPN for a bunch of apps with zero issues, it’s less likely to be the root cause than a payment flag or bank hold. Still worth toggling off briefly, just not the very first thing I’d obsess over.

  1. Card profile vs. card itself
    Removing and re-adding the same card sometimes does nothing, because the “payment profile” on Uber’s backend is what’s corrupted. Try:
  • Adding a totally different card from another bank
  • Or a virtual card with a fresh number
    If the new card works while the old one keeps glitching, support needs to purge or reset the bad payment profile on their side.
  1. What to actually tell support
    When you contact Uber again, don’t just say “app is glitching.” Very concretely:
  • “Rides do not load or show prices in [city] at [times]”
  • “Payment screen freezes / loops right after I select [card type] and tap Confirm”
  • Mention if web / Lite / second phone behaved differently
  • Mention if only one specific card fails while others work
    That kind of info is what gets you past the canned “please reinstall the app” response.

If you try:

  • login on another device or web,
  • a totally different card,
    and the same behavior keeps happening, I’d lean heavily toward a hidden restriction or bug tied to your account region or fare profile that Uber has to fix internally.
4

Short version: you have already done the “basic” stuff; at this point you should treat it less like a generic app bug and more like a profile / environment problem.

I’ll try not to repeat what @techchizkid and @jeff already covered. Think of this as the “next layer down.”

1. Check if your profile type is the problem

Uber behaves differently for:

  • Personal profile
  • Business / corporate profile
  • Family profile / teen account

Try this:

  • In the app, switch from Business to Personal (or vice versa) before searching for a ride.
  • Remove any company-linked profile temporarily if you can.
  • If rides + payments work on Personal but not on Business, the issue is with that profile’s billing / rules, not the app.

Many people ignore this and keep reinstalling forever.

2. Location & product availability edge cases

Rides “not showing correctly” can mean:

  • Certain categories (Comfort, XL, Uber Green) missing
  • Only bizarrely high fares or “no cars available”

Things to try that are not just cache clearing:

  • Change your pickup to a clearly busy location like a major train station or mall nearby and see if categories appear normally.
  • Test at a different time of day. If it works at 3 pm but not at 1 am, it might be local supply, surge, or restrictions rather than a glitch.

If prices look wild or certain products vanish in one part of town but not another, that points to a regional config issue on Uber’s side.

3. Deep dive on payment behavior, not just “add new card”

You already reinstalled, so let’s focus on how the payment screen fails:

Ask yourself:

  • Do you see an in-app web page briefly spin, then kick you back with no error?
  • Is there any “3D Secure / OTP” or bank challenge step that never shows up?

If 3D Secure is involved and never pops up:

  • Try using a browser that is set as your default and fully updated. On some Android builds, the in-app webview is tied to Chrome’s version. Updating Chrome alone has fixed invisible 3DS challenges for some users.
  • Temporarily loosen content blockers in that browser (if you run any).

Also, instead of just re-adding the same card:

  • Add a card from a different bank or a prepaid / virtual card.
  • Add a wallet method (Apple Pay / Google Pay) and test just that.

If Apple Pay or Google Pay works but the raw card fails, it is almost certainly the card/issuer integration, not Uber’s core app.

4. System-level “webview” problems

Different angle from what @jeff suggested:

  • On Android, update “Android System WebView” from the Play Store.
  • On some OEM ROMs, broken WebView kills any checkout that uses embedded pages, which Uber does for payments.

If WebView was outdated or corrupted, payment glitches vanish after that update without touching VPN or cache.

I’d actually try this before piling on too much account theory if other apps that use web-style checkouts (like food delivery, ticket apps) also feel flaky.

5. Accessibility & overlay apps

A weird but real cause of Uber payment / map bugs:

  • Screen overlay apps (chat heads, floating widgets, blue light filters, “screen dimmer” apps)
  • Some accessibility tools that draw over the screen

These can block buttons on the checkout view or cause taps to be ignored.

Try:

  • Turn off any “draw over other apps” tools (chat bubbles, battery overlays, system-wide filters).
  • Disable experimental accessibility services temporarily.
  • Reopen Uber and go straight to confirming a ride.

If taps suddenly start working, you found your culprit.

6. Historical country / SIM changes

If you ever:

  • Opened Uber while traveling and used a foreign SIM
  • Switched App Store / Play Store country
  • Previously had Uber Cash / vouchers in a different region

You can end up with a mix of:

  • Old currency
  • Region-linked promos
  • Restricted payment paths

Things to check:

  • In the Wallet section, see if there is Uber Cash or a voucher in a different currency than your current city.
  • Remove expired or foreign vouchers where possible.
  • If you originally signed up in one country but now permanently live in another, mention this very clearly to support. They sometimes have to “move” your account internally.

This is one area I partially disagree with @techchizkid on: switching region on the phone alone does not always fix the underlying “home market” in Uber’s backend, so support needs a very explicit “I permanently moved from X to Y, please update my account region.”

7. Rule out “partial bans” without guessing

Instead of just asking support “is my account banned,” narrow it for them:

Tell them:

  • You can or cannot:
    • see cars
    • see accurate fares
    • reach the payment confirm button
    • receive trip receipts for past rides

If:

  • You can log in and browse but cannot actually complete any new trip with any card, and
  • Web + another device show the same failure pattern

then specifically ask them to check for:

  • “Risk blocks or safety review flags on my rider profile”
  • “Any restriction on new trips due to payment risk / chargeback reviews”

They rarely volunteer that level of detail unless you ask in that language.

8. Compare with other ride apps

Not to replace Uber, just as a diagnostic:

  • Install a competing ride-hail app in your city (e.g., Lyft, Bolt, local equivalents).
  • Try the same card and network.

If all your ride apps die at checkout with that same card and same network, you are likely dealing with:

  • Bank-level blocks on “transport / ride share” MCC codes
  • Security rules at your bank for location vs billing address

In that case, Uber support will just bounce you back to the bank, so call your bank and say plainly:
“I am trying to pay for Uber rides; are you blocking these transactions or 3D Secure prompts?”

9. About “”

Since you mentioned wanting something that reads cleanly: if there is a product or reference titled “”, that is not actually providing any technical fix on its own. Pros & cons in the context of troubleshooting:

Pros for ‘’

  • Can act as a single, consistent phrase to reference when summarizing your issue across forums or support emails.
  • Helps keep your notes and screenshots labeled clearly, which is surprisingly useful when dealing with support logs.
  • Easy to search for if you are collecting similar cases.

Cons for ‘’

  • It is not a tool or setting, so it does not directly repair anything.
  • Might clutter communication if you rely on it instead of giving concrete technical symptoms.
  • Adds little value when talking to bank or OS support, who need specifics, not a label.

Use it as a “case name” if you like, but do not expect it to replace the detailed steps @techchizkid and @jeff listed or the deeper checks here.

10. When you go back to support, summarize like this

To avoid the usual “please reinstall” responses, combine all the testing you have done (yours + theirs + above) into a short bullet list:

  • Device(s) tested
  • Networks tested (WiFi / mobile / other location)
  • Payment methods tested (card A, card B, Apple/Google Pay)
  • Whether another ride app works with the same card
  • Whether web version and second device behave the same

That puts you in a much better position than just “app is glitchy.”

Between what @jeff focused on (device-side cleanup), @techchizkid’s account and bank angle, and these extra checks around profiles, overlays, and region history, you should be able to pin down whether this is truly your phone, your payment environment, or an internal flag on Uber’s side that only they can clear.