Uber says thousands of items were left behind in its robotaxi network over the past year, from phones and wallets to dentures, an “I Heart Hot Dads” bag, and an “Emotional Support Human” hat. The company is using its annual Lost & Found Index to show that even
For years, Uber’s Lost & Found Index has felt a bit like an accidental museum of modern life—smartphones, laptops, and the occasional wild oddity like live fish, an ankle monitor, live butterflies, and a single Louboutin shoe.
This time, the museum has a new wing.
Uber says that thousands of items were left behind in robotaxis on its ride-hailing network over the past year. The list includes the usual suspects—phones. keys. wallets. passports. and headphones—but it also dips into the “wait. who left this?” zone. There’s a set of dentures. There’s an “I Heart Hot Dads” bag. And there’s a blue hat that reads “Emotional Support Human.”.
The story is light on its face, but it’s also practical in a way riders understand immediately. Even if the vehicle no longer has a driver, something still has to happen when a misplaced item turns into a real problem for a real person.
Uber’s robotaxi operations haven’t been running for decades. The AV piece really started to turn for Uber in March 2025, when “Waymo on Uber” launched in Austin. Since then, Uber and Waymo have also started a robotaxi service in Atlanta. Over the past year. Uber has added more autonomous vehicle options to its app as well. including Motional in Las Vegas and Avride in Dallas—though those still include human safety operators behind the wheel.
That timeline helps explain the scale behind the lost-and-found update. Uber says these thousands of forgotten items happened in just 12 months. a number it contrasts with the much larger catalog it produces each year across its broader network. The company’s message is that its existing system is already set up to reunite riders with belongings. and now that same capability is being stretched to cover robotaxi rides too.
When a rider realizes something was left behind, Uber says the recovery path looks like any other Uber trip. Riders open the app, click the activity tab, select the trip during which the item was lost, and contact customer support. After that, riders can message, chat, or call a support agent.
If the item is found, Uber says there are two options. Riders can pay $15 for an Uber Courier driver to provide same-day local delivery. Or they can pick up the item in person from an AV depot, where the vehicles are stored and serviced.
Uber Courier, the company notes, is a rebrand of Uber Connect, which launched in 2020 and let users send packages and personal items between local addresses. Uber also emphasizes that robotaxi support isn’t just a repackaging of existing tools.
Amy Satrom. global head of autonomous support at Uber. said in a statement that Uber has spent the last decade building systems to reunite riders with belongings at scale. She added that as autonomous rides continue to grow on Uber. the company is applying that same expertise to AVs—combining fleet operations. support teams. and a hybrid network so getting a lost item back stays “simple. ” even without a driver behind the wheel.
The operational details matter because they sit right at the center of Uber’s larger push into driverless technology. In February. Uber announced Uber Autonomous Solutions. a new business division meant to package the work required to run robotaxi. self-driving truck. or sidewalk delivery robot operations. Uber says the division provides a suite of services that handle tasks tied to operating those businesses. including software and support.
Uber also wants AV revenue to be a serious driver for its future. The company plans to offer robotaxi rides through its app in as many as 15 cities globally by the end of the year. It has also said it intends to be the largest facilitator of AV trips in the world by 2029.
In other words, the dentures and the novelty bags aren’t just curiosities. They’re a reminder that rider behavior doesn’t switch off when the steering wheel does—and that the success of robotaxis may depend as much on support and logistics as on autonomy itself.
Uber robotaxi Lost & Found Index Waymo on Uber autonomous support Uber Courier Uber Connect Amy Satrom AV depot Motional Avride