DoorDash launches AI agent that takes food orders by text

DoorDash announced on 30 September 2026 that it is launching a text-to-order AI agent that lets users place orders through Apple Messages. The tool lets users send prompts like "order my usual," and the agent understands that they mean their Friday night order. U.S. iOS users can join a waitlist at doordash.com/text to try the beta.9to5mac.com

The launch matters because it moves food ordering out of the DoorDash app and into a plain text thread, an approach rivals Uber Eats and Grubhub have not matched with a comparable agent. It builds on Ask DoorDash, an AI chatbot that launched inside the DoorDash app in June and let users get recommendations and browse without leaving the app.macrumors.com

What the agent can do

Users can ask for a specific dish or request a local recommendation based on their mood. The agent searches local spots, scans menus, and suggests a cart, texting photos of recommended food from the restaurant's store page in the DoorDash app. Customers can also send a picture of their fridge for recipe ideas and suggestions for missing ingredients.

The phone number used in the conversation connects the request to a customer's DoorDash account. The assistant uses previous purchases and preferences to assemble an order, then uses a saved payment method at checkout. It learns preferences over time and can message a customer proactively to ask about a usual coffee order based on daily habits.

For group orders, the agent handles mixed dietary preferences and different quantities in one order. Customers confirm the order and complete checkout inside the text thread without opening the app. DoorDash describes the message assistant as a pilot for select U.S. account holders and advises users to check their carts before paying because the AI can make mistakes.

How the ordering works

Access is limited for now. iOS users in the U.S. can join a waitlist from 30 September 2026 to try the experience in beta, and DoorDash says Android support is coming soon. Depending on demand, waitlist access might arrive right away or take some time. DoorDash has not announced a rollout timeline for wider availability.

DoorDash is also opening a waitlist for U.S. users and testing delivery drones with select restaurants in Northern California. DoorDash Air will be piloted in an unspecified part of northern California with local food services, including Chipotle and Popeyes. DoorDash says around 80 percent of typical restaurant orders are light and small enough for the aircraft to carry safely.

What is still unconfirmed

Drone deliveries arrive at customers' doors within five minutes based on initial testing, but DoorDash has not announced when they will be available to consumers. Separately, a returns feature will expand across the U.S. in November, letting customers pay DoorDash couriers to send items back to local retailers for $7.99, with no box or shipping label required.

The text-ordering launch positions DoorDash against Uber Eats and Grubhub as personal AI agents that handle tasks without users navigating apps or websites become more common. DoorDash has not published figures on how many users have joined the waitlist or when beta access will widen beyond select U.S. account holders. The next dated event DoorDash has announced is the U.S. expansion of its courier returns feature in November, which currently runs in select cities at $7.99 per eligible return.