Restaurant software company Olo is launching a delivery app.
Bloomberg/Getty Images
Restaurant software provider Olo is launching a delivery app.
Olo will offer the same menu prices for delivery that in-person visitors get, it said.
Other delivery services often mark up order prices.
A new food delivery service is taking aim at menu mark-ups — and some entrenched rivals
Restaurant ordering software company Olo is launching its own customer-focused app, it said on Tuesday. The app puts it in competition with more established delivery companies, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats.
On Olo's app, customers will see the same prices that restaurants charge in-person patrons, the company said. By contrast, third-party delivery services often charge customers higher menu prices than diners would get at a restaurant.
Offering in-store prices can save customers between 15% and 30%, Olo said.
"It's a better experience for consumers and a more sustainable model for restaurants, with no menu price inflation and no barriers standing between great brands and the people and communities they serve," Olo CEO and founder Noah Glass said.
Food delivery is one area where consumers continue to spend money, even as they cut back their budgets elsewhere. How much customers pay for delivery — and whether apps charge individuals different prices or the same order — can affect how often they order.
Olo is stepping into a competitive space. DoorDash and Uber Eats continue to grow, including by rearching into club deliveries and catering. And Walmart, which spent years building its own grocery-focused delivery service, started delivering restaurant orders earlier this year.
Olo got its start in 2005 with a service that let users text their orders to restaurants in the pre-smartphone era. Now, the company fields about 3.5 million orders daily through around 800 restaurant brands.
The company doesn't have its own team of delivery drivers. Instead, the company uses its own dispatch service to compare delivery options at other third-party services, such as Grubhub, and pick one based on factors like cost and speed.
Olo's delivery app will allow customers to order from about 250 restaurants, including Five Guys and Dave's Hot Chicken.
Do you have a story idea about Uber Eats, DoorDash, or another delivery service? 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.
Take a look inside your wallet. There is a good chance at least one piece of plastic in there does little more than display a barcode. Maybe it is your library card. Perhaps it is a gym membership, grocery rewards card or another card you pull out every once in a while. Until now, getting some of those cards onto an iPhone could depend on whether the organization offered its own digital pass. Apple is changing that with iOS 27.
The latest iPhone software lets you create your own pass in Apple Wallet from a physical card, photo or screenshot. Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel owners have similar options, which means you may be able to leave a few more plastic cards at home. Here is how to turn a membership card into a digital pass on all three phones.
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Apple added the ability to create your own passes in Wallet with iOS 27. This comes in handy when a membership or loyalty card has a barcode or QR code, but the organization never gave you an "Add to Apple Wallet" button. Apple specifically points to library cards and gym memberships as examples.
If you have an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, you can create a pass from a photo or screenshot containing the barcode or QR code. Apple Intelligence recognizes the code and can give you the option to add it to Wallet.
Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 requires a supported device, including the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16 family and later compatible models. Availability can also depend on your language and region. However, Apple also gives you a manual way to create a pass directly inside Wallet.
How to create an Apple Wallet pass from a photo or screenshot
First, make sure the barcode or QR code is clearly visible. A blurry photo could make the code difficult for your iPhone to recognize or for a scanner to read later. On a compatible iPhone, Apple Intelligence can recognize the barcode or QR code in a photo or screenshot and offer to create a Wallet pass.
On a compatible iPhone running iOS 27 or later:
Take a photo or screenshot that includes the barcode or QR code.
Tap Add Pass to Wallet when the option appears. If you're viewing an existing photo in the Photos app, tap the Info button or swipe up to find that option.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Pro tip: After you create the pass, you can tap View Original Photo to see the image you used.
How to manually create a pass in Apple Wallet
You can also build a pass yourself in iOS 27. This gives you another option when you want to add the information manually.
Open the Wallet app on your iPhone.
Tap the + button, then tap Create a Pass.
Tap Create Pass Manually, then choose a template.
Tap any field to enter or edit its information.
When you're finished, tap Done.
How to edit a pass you created in Apple Wallet
Once you've created a pass, you can customize its appearance or change the information it contains. You can also add or remove fields if you want different details displayed.
Open the Wallet app.
Tap the pass you want to change.
Tap the More button, then tap Edit Pass.
To change the background or color, tap the paint palette button.
To change which fields appear, tap the Edit button > Add or Remove Fields, then select the fields you want.
To change information already on the pass, tap the field you want to edit.
Samsung Galaxy owners already have a similar option through Samsung Wallet. Samsung says almost any membership card with a barcode can be stored in the app.
On a Galaxy phone running the latest available Samsung software:
Open Samsung Wallet.
Tap All.
Tap Memberships.
Choose how you want to add the card.
Select Import from Gallery if you already photographed it, or choose Take a picture to scan its barcode or QR code.
You can also choose the option to enter membership information manually.
Follow the onscreen instructions to save the card.
Samsung also supports participating memberships that are already built into Wallet. Once you need the card, open Samsung Wallet and select the membership. The barcode can then appear on your screen for a cashier or compatible reader to scan. Menu names can vary slightly depending on your Galaxy model and Samsung Wallet version.
How to turn a membership card into a Google Wallet pass on Pixel
Google Wallet can save passes from images when they contain a barcode or QR code. Google specifically lists library cards, gym passes and parking passes as examples.
On a Google Pixel running the latest software:
Take a clear photo of the card and make sure its barcode or QR code is easy to see.
Open Google Wallet.
Tap Add to Wallet.
Tap Photo.
Tap Manual.
Tap the photo library icon.
Choose the photo of your card.
Add a name and description for the pass.
Tap Add.
When you need the card, open Google Wallet and select the pass. You can then scan its barcode or QR code at the reader.
Tip: Google also lets you return to the original image you used to create the pass. Open the pass and tap the More button in the upper-right corner to find the original image.
You may also see Everything else under Add to Wallet. Google uses this option for creating other types of passes from a photo. Select Everything else, accept the consent terms if prompted, then take a photo or choose one from your phone. Google will preview the information it detects so you can review and manually edit it before tapping Add.
What kinds of cards should you try?
Start with cards whose main purpose is giving a business or organization a barcode or QR code to scan. A library card is an obvious candidate. Gym memberships and store loyalty cards may work well, too. Parking passes and other simple barcode-based credentials can also be good candidates, depending on how the organization verifies them.
The easiest test is to look at the physical card. If the person behind the counter normally scans a static barcode or QR code printed on it, there is a reasonable chance a digital version can work. Keep the physical card until you have successfully tested the digital version. Some scanners may have trouble reading a phone display, and some organizations may require the original card.
What these homemade digital passes cannot replace
There is an important limit here. Creating a digital pass from a photograph does not turn every card in your wallet into an official digital credential. Do not assume you can photograph a driver's license, credit card, secure workplace badge or another sensitive credential and use the resulting image as an official replacement.
Some digital credentials require verification from the organization that issued them. Payment cards also have separate security and enrollment requirements. Event tickets deserve extra caution. Many ticketing services now use barcodes that refresh or change to prevent fraud. A screenshot of one of those codes may fail at the gate. Whenever an issuer provides an official Add to Apple Wallet, Add to Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet option, use that instead.
I like this iOS 27 addition because it fixes a surprisingly annoying limitation. I have had plenty of cards with perfectly usable barcodes that could not go into Apple Wallet simply because the organization behind them never created a digital pass.
Now Apple is giving iPhone owners more control over that process. Samsung and Google already offer useful ways to accomplish something similar, so this is one of those rare phone features that can help you regardless of which of the big three you carry.
I would start with the low-risk stuff. Put your library card or gym membership on your phone and see how it goes. If it saves you from carrying another card around every day, great. Just remember that a photo-based pass and an official digital credential are very different things. Your phone can replace more of your wallet than it used to, but I would not empty the whole thing yet.
If your phone could replace every card in your wallet tomorrow, which physical card would you be most nervous about giving up for good? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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The period from 2015 to 2019 is considered a time of absolute dominance for swipe culture in dating. New apps featuring the ‘swipe and meet’ mechanic appeared on the market, their audiences grew every day, and the number of swipes on popular versions reached up to 1 billion per day. The second wave of popularity for these apps came during the pandemic (2020–2021). Due to lockdowns and restrictions, the influx of users reached record levels. Today, this figure exceeds 360 million users. But 2026 is bringing significant changes to these impressive statistics.
Today, simply seeing a user’s photo is no longer enough to feel genuine attraction towards them and start communicating. The era of digitalisation has brought with it a lack of real-life communication. Users want to see, hear and feel each other. That’s why dating apps are introducing new formats into their functionality:
voice messages;
conversations with AI assistants;
video.
The reason is clear: text allows you to think through every phrase, while a photo only shows a carefully chosen image. Voice adds intonation, pauses and spontaneous reactions. According to Hinge, 65% of surveyed users believe that voice helps them determine their interest in someone better than profile information. And connections made through voice messages are 48% more likely to lead to an in-person meeting. This explains why swipe mechanics are gradually giving way to real-time communication formats.
How voice platforms are disrupting swipe mechanics
Swiping is a search format that’s convenient when you need to look through dozens of unfamiliar profiles in a limited amount of time. It makes searching faster. But it doesn’t guarantee that a connection will be successful or progress beyond a simple greeting.
A photo and profile attract attention. Text maintains interest over several days. But these are only visual forms of communication that still don’t provide an understanding of how comfortable people feel talking to each other or whether there’s genuine attraction and mutual interest. Voice platforms offer a different approach: first get to know someone through conversation, and only then decide whether it’s worth meeting in person.
However, profiles aren’t disappearing completely. They’re evolving. AI matchmakers can be considered one form of this evolution. These are voice assistants that you can tell about your interests, personality, expectations and preferences through a real-time conversation. During such a conversation, you can clarify details that are often left unmentioned in standard profiles. For example, someone may value not only shared hobbies but also a similar daily routine, a sense of humour or attitudes towards free time. This is how Riya, the voice AI matchmaker in the Schmooze app, works. According to the company’s co-founder, Vidya Madhavan, user retention with the AI assistant is twice the average rate.
Another example is Known. The service uses voice AI to match potential partners, while users reveal their photos when both are ready to take that step. According to data cited in an industry publication, users accept 50% of suggested dates.
Voice helps make getting to know someone more meaningful even before meeting in person. Users don’t simply evaluate a profile; they express their thoughts, answer questions and hear their chat partner’s reactions. Swiping doesn’t disappear, but it stops being the only way to start communicating.
Why a video chat like Omegle app helps you understand someone better than a profile
The next level of information sharing after voice messages is video, which allows you not only to see someone but also to observe their non-verbal reactions. During a conversation, you can notice whether your chat partner is listening attentively, responding to jokes, able to keep the conversation going and how they behave when an awkward silence occurs. These details don’t provide a complete picture of someone’s personality, but they help create a more realistic first impression. That’s why, when meeting people through video chats, it’s so important to pay attention to several things:
Communication style. Does the person ask questions, keep the conversation going and show interest, or do they only talk about themselves?
Reactions to their chat partner. Do they listen to answers, respond to jokes and take other people’s points of view into account?
Behaviour in awkward situations. Can they calmly handle a pause or an accidental slip of the tongue without turning it into a problem?
Natural flow of conversation. Is it possible to communicate without constantly searching for the perfect words or feeling the need to fill every second of silence?
Comfort during communication. Can you express your thoughts freely without fearing ridicule or disrespectful comments?
A major disadvantage of messaging is that your chat partner can edit their response at any moment or simply spend a little more time choosing the right words. In an online video chat, communication happens almost simultaneously.
The video format also helps you move more quickly from an abstract impression of someone to real communication. Instead of spending several days messaging, you can have a short conversation and understand whether you want to continue getting to know them. At the same time, the process of finding a stranger works in a way that’s similar to the familiar swipe mechanic. For example, on the well-known Omegle service, switching between users took just a few seconds. Chat partners saw each other, exchanged a few words, worked out whether it was worth continuing the conversation, and either carried on talking or switched to other users. This saves a significant amount of time and makes dating more productive. Despite the closure of the popular chat roulette platform, its mechanics continue to be successfully used by modern services such as Omegle.chat. This great Omegle app me alternative offers the opportunity for real-time communication without commitments or pre-planned scenarios.
Dating in 2026: less selection, more communication
The growing interest in voice and video formats reflects a gradual shift in the dating industry. Users still want to find suitable partners, but they’re increasingly unwilling to spend time endlessly browsing profiles. The opportunity to understand more quickly whether there’s mutual interest between people is coming to the forefront. Instead of dozens of text conversations that end after just a few messages, people are looking for formats that allow them to move towards meaningful conversations sooner.
Most projects are already showing growth in audiences interested in video communication. According to JPLoft, platforms that have introduced this mechanic into their functionality are already recording 35% higher user engagement compared with services that rely solely on text messaging. The key reason is that it helps bring people closer together. Video dating in chat roulettes doesn’t guarantee that someone will find their ideal partner within a few hours. But it allows them to get a quicker sense of whether a particular online encounter is worth pursuing and has the potential to develop further. Other reasons for the dating industry’s shift towards random video chats include:
Safety at an early stage (there’s no need to share your phone number to make a call).
The ability to check for basic chemistry and communication style.
A higher level of protection against fake profiles.
Psychological comfort and safety.
At the same time, we shouldn’t expect voice to completely replace text or video chats to replace traditional apps. Different formats serve different purposes. A profile helps communicate interests and basic expectations, messaging gives you time to formulate your thoughts, voice conveys intonation, and video communication allows you to observe more details of someone’s behaviour. These methods can complement each other rather than compete for the only place in the process of getting to know someone.
DISCLAIMER – “Views Expressed Disclaimer– The information provided in this content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, legal, tax, or health advice, nor relied upon as a substitute for professional guidance tailored to your personal circumstances. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any other individual, organization, agency, employer, or company, including NEO CYMED PUBLISHING LIMITED (operating under the name Cyprus-Mail).
Todos hemos escuchado alguna vez eso de que Google lo sabe todo de nosotros. Pero realmente no fui consciente de cuánto de verdad tiene esa afirmación hasta que decidí hacer una prueba: entrar en mi cuenta y revisar, uno por uno, los lugares que he visitado, las búsquedas que he hecho, los vídeos que he visto, los dispositivos desde los que he iniciado sesión y la información asociada a mis fotos.
Un empleado de la Casa de la Historia pasa junto a una imagen de un ojo que refleja el logo de Google, en una exposición que aborda el miedo y la vigilancia en Alemania.
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