Lime makes it even easier to ride one of its electric scooters

By Trevor Mogg March 24, 2021

With warmer weather on the way, you might be more inclined to jump back on a rental scooter to get around town.

Lime, one of the leaders in the scooter space, is aiming to score even more customers by making it easier than ever to use one of its electric two-wheelers.

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It means that from this week customers new to Lime’s service can ride one of its scooters without having to download and install the app first.

“Lime riders will be able to walk up to a scooter and start riding, regardless of whether they have our app on their phone,” the San Francisco-based company announced this week. “This new feature is a first for the shared micromobility industry and provides the most seamless experience for Lime riders to date.”

So, how does it work?

Well, the feature is offered via Android’s Instant Apps and Apple’s recently launched App Clips, which gives you partial functionality of an app via a streamlined version that takes up less space on your device.

When it comes to Lime, all you have to do is approach a scooter, scan its QR code with your phone’s camera, open the app clip to confirm the ride, and then use Google Pay or Apple Pay to begin a trip. Yes, that’s it.

Lime suggests the new feature is ideal for newcomers who would prefer to test the service rather than commit fully by downloading the main app, or who don’t have the space on their phone to install it. Regular riders can use the feature, too, enabling them to start a ride more quickly.

Commenting on the new feature, Lime’s Zach Kahn said: “We know our riders are on the go and we want to get them on their way as seamlessly as possible.”

Lime has also launched a reservation feature that eliminates the possibility of another rider nabbing your target scooter before you reach it. The new system lets you reserve a nearby scooter for 10 minutes, thereby ensuring it’ll be ready and waiting for you when you show up. To use this feature, however, you’ll have to download the main Lime app.

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