A few weeks ago, Uber quietly introduced something called Simple Mode. 

It’s a setting that hides non-essential options, uses larger buttons, and generally makes the app feel clearer to navigate. The stated goal is to help seniors feel more confident using the service.

Over the years, Uber’s interface – like most apps – has grown. New features get added, menus expand, and the screen gets busier. Even with one of the best design teams in the world, the end result can still feel overloaded.

What happens when you turn it on

With Simple Mode enabled, Uber’s app focuses only on the essentials: request a ride, choose the type, see your driver. Everything else steps quietly into the background.

It doesn’t change what the app can do, only how much of it you see at once.

I’m in my 20s, so not exactly the target demographic for Uber’s Simple Mode. But I’ve been thinking about this idea for a while and – as you probably know if you’re reading this – built Simple Mode as one of the early features for vykee. So I was curious to see how Uber’s app felt with Simple Mode switched on.

The short answer: awesome. The app was quicker to use, easier on the eyes, and there was no moment of “hang on, where do I tap?”

Not just for seniors

While Simple Mode was designed for seniors, it’s easy to imagine others benefiting too. New users, for example, could start with only the basics visible. No dense menus, no pressure to learn everything at once. The rest of the interface could appear after they’ve used the app for a while and grown more comfortable.

In other words, it’s not just an accessibility feature for seniors. It’s also an onboarding strategy for everyone.

💡Note: Someone recently told me about the paradox of specificity which then led me to the curb cut effect. Simple Mode (at least in Uber's case) seems like a great example of both.

Why this matters for SaaS

Most SaaS products grow in complexity over time. As a result, for someone opening an app for the first time, it’s easy to end up with a screen full of options and possibilities, but not a clear sense of where to start.

But what if your product could work like Simple Mode?

Instead of every feature being visible from day one, new users would see only the core actions. The rest would reveal itself as they explore.

How to build your own Simple Mode

Some people have already tried this, but implementing your own Simple Mode from scratch is technically tricky. You’ll have to restructure your UI, decide which elements to hide, and figure out the rules for showing them later.

But here’s the good news: there’s a tool for that.

With vykee, you can add a Simple Mode to your own mobile app / web app / SaaS in just a few minutes in three simple steps:

1. Embed the vykee script

2. Mark the non-essential elements with the UI picker

3. Activate



That’s it – new users will then see a simplified version of your application with the option of turning the Simple Mode on/off. (You can even set it so that advanced features appear automatically when the user is ready for them.)

A small setting, a bigger idea

Simple Mode in Uber might seem like a niche option, but the thinking behind it is much broader:

Software doesn't have to be either powerful or easy to use. It can be both. UIs don't have to be fixed. They can meet users where they are, and grow with them.

A calmer starting point can make all the difference. And if this is true for booking a ride or ordering food in a mobile, this is definitely true for learning a new SaaS tool. :)