A rideshare (or ride-sharing) is a service where people use a smartphone app to request a ride from a nearby driver who uses their own car. Instead of calling a traditional taxi or asking a parent for a ride, someone opens an app like Uber or Lyft, enters their destination, and a driver accepts the trip and picks them up within minutes.

Before rideshare apps existed in the 2010s, people who needed transportation had to call taxi companies, take public buses or trains, or rely on friends and family. Rideshare changed this by connecting drivers and passengers instantly through technology.

The service works through GPS tracking: the passenger can watch the driver's car approach on a map, and the driver uses the app's navigation to reach the destination. Payment happens automatically through the app, so no cash changes hands. The app also lets both drivers and passengers rate each other after each trip, which encourages good behavior on both sides.

While parents often use rideshare to get to work or run errands, most services require passengers to be 18 or older to ride alone, so kids typically need an adult with them.