DoorDash opens a U.S. iOS waitlist for ordering by text

DoorDash has opened a waitlist for a text-ordering beta for U.S. iOS users. Instead of browsing the app, customers can message a dish, ask for nearby recommendations, or request their usual. DoorDash then searches local menus and suggests a cart.

The beta builds on Ask DoorDash, the assistant already in the app. It can send photos of dishes from a restaurant’s listing, so customers can choose without opening the DoorDash app.

DoorDash says the assistant can account for preferences such as skipping cilantro or adding extra sauce. It can also handle different quantities and dietary requests in a group order. Customers can review the suggested cart and confirm checkout in the message thread.

The beta is still limited

DoorDash says U.S. customers using iOS can apply to join the beta waitlist through its official announcement. The company has not announced when text ordering will become broadly available.

DoorDash also announced separate grocery updates inside its app: shoppers can rebuild a regular basket with one tap and review lower-priced equivalent swaps before checkout. Those tools are separate from the text-ordering beta.

The text flow joins other efforts to move purchases into assistant interfaces. Google is testing a Flipkart checkout in Gemini and AI Mode and has outlined a Universal Cart plan that spans Search, Gemini, YouTube, and Gmail.