Not to be outdone by Uber, Lyft has announced that Facebook Messenger users can now hail a car from them instead of Uber.

Since December, anyone has been able to hail an Uber car from within the Messenger app. We explained here how exactly that works, and we assume this new Lyft integration will work very much the same, though the update hasn't rolled out for us to test yet.

Lyft also announced it is expanding its API program, meaning developers can use Lyft's application program interface to include ride-hailing buttons in their apps. In addition to Facebook Messenger, Lyft has integrated with Slack, Starbucks, Shell, and Google's Waze.

While at first you might think "whatever", it's actually neat stuff. For instance, say you're using Messenger or Slack to chat with a friend who is about to get a coffee at Starbucks, and then that friend asks you to join. Assuming of course you don't have a car, you'll need to hail a cab in order to meet up with your friend. Well, now you can use Messenger, Slack, or Starbucks to summon a ride - all without leaving either app. Amazeballs.

Also, because Lyft's API powers this integrated feature, there's no need to download the Lyft app to hail a Lyft from another app.