DoorDash now lets you order by text in Apple Messages

DoorDash today launched a new way to order your next meal: via text in Apple’s Messages app, powered by AI. Here are the details.

DoorDash text ordering launches on iPhone, powered by AI agent

AI agents are here to stay, and they don’t just look like cute digital creatures. While Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots have gotten a lot of attention, AI agents are popping up in ways that are less obviously “AI” too.

For example, today DoorDash launched the ability to skip the app and simply text to place your food order in Apple’s Messages app. It’s available in the US only to start, and interested users will need to first join this waitlist. And it’s all powered by an AI agent.

Here’s the rundown on how it works, via DoorDash’s announcement:

• Text what you’re craving: Ask for a specific dish, request a local recommendation based on your mood, or simply reorder your go-to Friday night meal for the family.
• Skip the search: DoorDash searches local spots, scans menus, and suggests a cart based on what you’re in the mood for. It even texts you photos of the food it recommends right from the restaurant’s store page on the DoorDash app. 
• Truly personalized ordering: Text “order my usual” and it knows you mean your Friday night order — no need to spell out the dish, the modifiers, or the restaurant. It already knows whether you skip cilantro, always add extra sauce, or never miss dessert. The more you order, the more it learns, and if you want, it can message you proactively to ask if you want your usual coffee order based on your daily habits.
• Manage group preferences with ease: Ordering for large groups is never easy, especially when everyone wants something different. It can handle mixed dietary preferences and different quantities in one order, so you’re not the one juggling everyone’s requests.
• Checkout without ever opening the app: Confirm your order right inside the text thread and it manages checkout.

To get started, join DoorDash’s waitlist and you’ll be notified when text access is granted. Depending on demand, that access might arrive right away, or it may take some time.

Are you interested in using DoorDash’s AI agent to order via Apple’s Messages app? Let us know in the comments.

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