DoorDash Launches In-App Ordering Agent for Messages

DoorDash has introduced an AI agent that allows users to place orders within the Apple Messages app. A waitlist is open for U.S. users, enabling them to order food using natural language without opening the delivery app.

Co-founder Andy Fang showcased the feature at the Dash Forward event in San Francisco. Users can send commands like "Send my usual protein bowl to the office," and the system matches the account using the phone number, retrieves past preferences and payment methods to complete the transaction. The agent can search for nearby restaurants, build shopping carts, send dish images, handle different dietary restrictions and portions in group orders, and even recommend recipes based on photos of the fridge while suggesting restocking items. The technology builds on the in-app chatbot Ask DoorDash launched in June. The company reports increased order frequency during the pilot and reminds users to check their carts before payment, as the agent may make mistakes. Bloomberg found discrepancies between quotes and the app during early testing, and the company stated that waitlisted users will receive an updated version. An Android version will be released later.

At the same time, a business-side interface was launched, allowing office assistants like Slack to place bulk orders, group deliveries, and track shipments, aimed at office catering and supply restocking. In retail, brands like Macy's have entered the app, supporting delivery in about two hours. The company also announced trials of its self-developed delivery drone, DoorDash Air, in Northern California, with initial partners including Chipotle and Popeyes, where early tests averaged delivery flights of about five minutes, with around 80% of restaurant orders fitting into the drone. The pilot for text-based ordering reportedly involves about 20,000 users.

The ordering entry has moved from the app icon to the system SMS thread, while settlement still goes through DoorDash accounts and merchant networks. Buyers include U.S. Apple users who do not want to open the app and enterprise assistants needing automated group orders, while sellers remain delivery platforms relying on commissions. The event is driven by competitive business agents, benchmarking against Uber Eats, Grubhub, as well as Meta's Muse and OpenAI's related personal agents. Beneficiaries are DoorDash, which occupies the entry point in the messaging app, and chain stores retrievable by the agent; pressured are competitors that must rely on app openings to complete conversions, and the potential for inconsistent quotes to trigger pricing regulations in Europe. European operations include Deliveroo and Wolt, where the same set of pricing errors in the U.S. is a malfunction, but in Europe could be a compliance issue.

Source: Public Information