Bloomberg/Getty Images
- DoorDash is beta-testing a new text-to-order feature.
- The option will text users pictures of food and allow them to reorder items quickly.
- AI agents like Instinct, which have a similar text interface, are gaining steam.
DoorDash’s latest pilot skips its app and asks customers to text in their orders.
Users can order food and groceries by texting the company like they would a friend or family member, DoorDash said on Wednesday. The text-ordering option is being beta-tested in the US, and users can join a waitlist to get access to it.
The new feature lands as delivery apps try to make it easier for customers to place orders, often with help from AI. Competition in the space is also growing with new delivery partnerships and even new entrants like Walmart.
The option lets users ask for suggestions on what they should order and can text the photos of food provided by restaurants, DoorDash said.
If customers already know what they want, they can text DoorDash a specific order or ask to reorder something they’ve bought before.
“It’s less like traditional online ordering and more like texting a friend while they’re standing in line at your local coffee shop,” DoorDash said in a press release. “They already know your milk preference and can order your usual, or send you the menu so you can tell them what you want.”
DoorDash’s texting option comes as AI agents gain popularity. Some, such as Instinct, also allow users to text them with tasks to complete.
The texting interface is an expansion of Ask DoorDash, a chat function within the company’s app designed to help users decide what to order, including by uploading a photo of a shopping list or a recipe.
“Managing tasks like ordering lunch or groceries shouldn’t feel like work,” DoorDash co-founder Andy Fang said. “We built a personal shopper that helps you discover and compare thousands of items while identifying ways for you to save on DoorDash.
Do you have a story idea about DoorDash? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.
Â
