Zomato is preparing to introduce “Mehmaan Mode,” a feature that hides food prices when guests browse menu options on a host’s phone. The proposal came from Ayushmaan Agarwalla, a marketing manager who suggested the idea on LinkedIn. Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal responded positively on October 28, saying the company would ship the feature that week, according to reports published on October 29, 2026.
The feature is designed to make hosting friends and relatives more comfortable, particularly when the host is paying for everyone’s meal. Guests could browse the menu and choose dishes without seeing individual prices, after which the host would regain control of the phone and complete the payment. The planned launch illustrates how a small, everyday social inconvenience can inspire a consumer-app feature, although Zomato has not yet publicly detailed the final interface or its precise availability.
Key Takeaways
- New feature: Zomato plans to launch Mehmaan Mode, which hides food prices while guests select dishes on a shared phone.
- User-driven idea: The proposal came from LinkedIn user Ayushmaan Agarwalla.
- Founder’s response: Deepinder Goyal said on October 28 that the feature would be rolled out that week.
- Main purpose: The feature aims to reduce awkwardness when guests choose food while someone else is paying.
- Host retains payment control: The proposed workflow lets guests select dishes before the host takes back the phone to pay.
- Rollout details pending: Public reports have not confirmed the final interface, supported devices or whether the feature will be available to all users immediately.
What Is Zomato’s Mehmaan Mode?
Mehmaan Mode is a proposed price-masking feature for Zomato’s food delivery app. The word “mehmaan” means guest in Hindi, reflecting the feature’s focus on ordering food for visitors at home.
The concept is straightforward. When a host invites friends or relatives to choose their meals, they can enable the mode and pass their phone around. Guests can browse restaurants and select dishes without seeing the listed prices. Once everyone has made their choices, the host can take the phone back and complete the order.
The idea responds to a social problem rather than a technical limitation. Guests may hesitate to select a more expensive dish because they do not want to appear inconsiderate when someone else is paying. Others might choose less food than they want simply because they can see the cost.
By removing visible prices during selection, Zomato aims to make the experience feel more relaxed. The feature could be especially relevant during the festive season, when Indian households often host relatives, friends and other visitors.
However, hiding prices does not mean the food is free or that the final bill disappears. The host remains responsible for reviewing and paying for the order.
Who Suggested the Feature?
The proposal came from Ayushmaan Agarwalla, a marketing manager who posted the idea on LinkedIn and tagged Deepinder Goyal.
Agarwalla suggested a simple toggle that would make menu prices disappear when a phone is passed around for group ordering. His argument was that guests should be able to choose what they want without feeling uncomfortable about how much each dish costs.
Goyal responded by thanking him for the suggestion and saying the company was “shipping it this week.” His reply indicated that Zomato intended to move quickly on the idea.
The exchange gained attention because it showed a potential route from a public customer suggestion to a product change. Rather than waiting for a formal feature-request process, the suggestion reached a senior company figure directly.
It also demonstrated how consumer-facing technology companies can use public feedback to identify small problems that may not emerge from conventional product planning.
How Mehmaan Mode Could Work
Zomato has confirmed the planned rollout, but the detailed user interface has not been fully explained publicly. Based on the original suggestion, the intended workflow would look like this:
<box gap={3}>
<row align=start gap={3}>
<AsyncImage query=”Indian host holding smartphone browsing food delivery app at home dining table” aspectRatio=”3:4″ maxWidth=”104px” />
<box flex=”1″ gap={1}>
**1. The host enables Mehmaan Mode**
The host opens Zomato and activates the price-hiding option before handing the phone to guests.
</box>
</row>
<divider color=”subtle” />
<row align=start gap={3}>
<AsyncImage query=”Indian family and guests choosing food together around smartphone at home” aspectRatio=”3:4″ maxWidth=”104px” />
<box flex=”1″ gap={1}>
**2. Guests choose their food**
Visitors browse restaurant menus and add dishes without seeing individual menu prices, according to the proposed concept.
</box>
</row>
<divider color=”subtle” />
<row align=start gap={3}>
<AsyncImage query=”person holding smartphone reviewing food delivery order at dining table before payment” aspectRatio=”3:4″ maxWidth=”104px” />
<box flex=”1″ gap={1}>
**3. The host reviews and pays**
The host takes back the phone, checks the order and completes payment.
</box>
</row>
</box>
The final implementation could differ from this proposed sequence. Zomato has not yet confirmed whether prices will be hidden throughout the entire browsing process, whether the mode will also conceal discounts and delivery charges, or whether users will need to enable it separately for each order.
How This Differs From Zomato’s Existing Group Ordering Feature
Zomato already offers a group-ordering feature that lets people share a link so others can add items to a common cart from their own devices. The company announced this capability in August 2024.
Mehmaan Mode addresses a different situation: guests choosing food on the host’s phone, rather than everyone contributing from separate devices.
| Feature | Existing group ordering | Proposed Mehmaan Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Let multiple people add items to a shared cart | Let guests choose food without seeing prices |
| Device arrangement | Participants can use separate devices through a shared link | The proposed concept centers on passing the host’s phone around |
| Price visibility | No special price-hiding function was announced with the original group-ordering feature | Designed to hide menu prices during selection |
| Payment | Depends on the order and checkout arrangement | Host is expected to take back the phone and pay |
| Main benefit | Easier coordination of a group order | Less social discomfort when the host is treating guests |
Sources: The Indian Express on Zomato’s group-ordering feature and The Economic Times on Mehmaan Mode.
The two capabilities could complement each other. Group ordering is useful when everyone wants to contribute to the cart independently, while price masking is aimed at hosts who want to treat guests and keep the cost out of the selection process.
Why This Small Feature Could Matter for Zomato
Food delivery apps compete on more than restaurant selection, delivery speed and discounts. Small improvements to the ordering experience can also make a platform more useful in everyday situations.
Mehmaan Mode targets a specific behavioral barrier. A host might be comfortable paying for dinner but still want guests to choose what they genuinely want. Guests, meanwhile, may avoid ordering expensive items because they do not want to seem demanding.
Hiding prices could reduce that hesitation and make the app easier to use when a group is ordering food for a shared occasion. The feature is particularly suited to households hosting celebrations, festive gatherings or informal get-togethers.
It could also help Zomato demonstrate that its product development responds to customer behavior, not just technical trends. The idea is simple enough to explain quickly, and its usefulness is easy for potential users to understand.
Still, the commercial impact remains uncertain. Zomato has not disclosed any expected increase in order frequency, average order value or customer retention from Mehmaan Mode. Those outcomes would need to be measured after launch.
Could Mehmaan Mode Influence Other Consumer Apps?
The idea could inspire similar features beyond food delivery. E-commerce apps, gift registries and shared shopping tools sometimes involve one person paying while others select items. A temporary mode that conceals prices could make those experiences more comfortable.
The broader product-design lesson is that privacy is not always about protecting data from strangers. Sometimes it means controlling what information is visible in a particular social setting.
However, price masking needs to be implemented carefully. Users should still be able to review the full order and total cost before payment. The feature should also make it clear when price visibility is disabled so that the host can regain control of the purchase.
If the rollout proves successful, Zomato may gain a useful example of how a narrowly targeted interface change can address an everyday problem without requiring a major overhaul of its ordering system.
The Bigger Picture
Mehmaan Mode is a small proposed feature, but it reflects a broader approach to consumer technology: listening to real user behavior and reducing friction at moments that matter. In this case, the problem is not finding food or completing a payment. It is making guests comfortable when choosing a meal that someone else will pay for.
For Zomato, the next challenge is turning the suggestion into a clear, reliable experience. The feature’s usefulness will depend on how easily users can activate it, how consistently prices are hidden and whether the host can review the final order without confusion. The announcement establishes the company’s intention to roll it out, but the actual user experience will determine whether it becomes a frequently used option.
FAQs
1. What is Zomato Mehmaan Mode?
Mehmaan Mode is a planned feature that hides food prices while guests browse menu options on a host’s phone. It is designed to make group ordering more comfortable when the host is paying.
2. Who suggested Mehmaan Mode?
Ayushmaan Agarwalla, a marketing manager, suggested the idea in a LinkedIn post and tagged Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal. Goyal responded that the company planned to ship the feature that week.
3. When will Zomato launch Mehmaan Mode?
Goyal said on October 28, 2026, that the feature would roll out that week. As of the October 29 reports, detailed information about the final rollout and availability to all users had not been confirmed publicly.
4. Will Mehmaan Mode hide the final bill too?
The original idea focuses on hiding menu prices while guests select dishes. The host is expected to take back the phone and pay. Zomato has not publicly clarified every detail of price visibility during checkout.
5. Is Mehmaan Mode the same as Zomato group ordering?
No. Zomato’s existing group-ordering feature lets people contribute items to a shared cart using a link. Mehmaan Mode is intended to hide prices when guests select food on a host’s phone.
Looking Ahead
Zomato’s planned Mehmaan Mode rollout will show whether a simple price-hiding toggle can make ordering food for guests more comfortable. The immediate questions are how the option will appear in the app, which users will receive it first and whether the feature will hide prices consistently across menus and cart screens.
The larger lesson is that consumer apps can differentiate themselves by solving small, culturally specific problems. If Mehmaan Mode works smoothly, it could strengthen Zomato’s appeal for household gatherings and inspire other platforms to reconsider how they design shared purchasing experiences.
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