Google and Uber last year partnered up with each other to integrate the ride-hailing service directly into the Google Maps application. This partnership allowed users to book, track, complete and pay for cab rides directly from the Maps application. We even saw an APK teardown of the Google Maps beta app in which we got to see the option to create an Uber account was lying disabled.
After 18 months of the partnership, Google seems to have removed the integration and started requesting users to directly book cabs from the Uber application. The announcement of this news was first posted on Google's support page, which was spotted and reported on by Android Police. The support page states, "You can no longer book Uber rides directly in Google Maps."
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The feature was extremely well received when first launched as it allowed users to search for directions then choose the ride-sharing option after which they could book a cab directly from within the app. The ride-sharing option is still available in the Google Maps app, however, when chosen it shows you an estimate of your ride and then sends a prompt to take you to the Uber application.
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Uber is not the only app that shows in the ride-sharing tab of the Google Maps app, there are over 17 different services that show up. However, it is the only one that previously would let users ride and complete their rides without opening any other app. The reason as to why the feature has been disabled is currently not known. It may be the fact that not many people were using the feature, or that the relationship between both the companies has suffered due to various lawsuits and isn't as strong as it used to be.
