Waymo's new iPhone app lets some users order self-driving taxis

Waymo One is now one. 

It's been one year since the self-driving taxi service opened for public (but still very limited) rides in a geofenced part of the Phoenix area. Its fleet of Chrysler Pacifica minivans and other autonomous vehicles just hit more than 100,000 rides. 

To celebrate, Waymo One is now on the App Store, available for download for any iPhone user. But to actually order and ride the robo-taxis in Arizona, you still have to get on a waitlist. If you want to take a ride, you'll have to be based in the right part of the Phoenix suburbs, known as the East Valley.

For the past year, only pre-approved riders got access to the exclusive Waymo One app after signing up for the waitlist. At first, only 400 early riders could use the autonomous minivans, but it eventually opened up to more than 1,000 users. Now there's more than 1,500 monthly active riders. In April, Android users could download the app from the Google Play store, but that also was just another way to get on the waitlist. Read more...