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Yelp is serving up something exciting this fall. The company has unveiled a fresh batch of AI-powered updates designed to make discovering and choosing local spots easier—and a lot more fun. The star of the show? A new AI assistant that can scan restaurant menus and instantly show you what each dish looks like, complete with photos and real diner reviews.
Imagine this: you’re sitting at a cozy new restaurant, staring at a menu full of mouthwatering names—but no idea what “Chef’s Fusion Delight” actually is. Now, with Yelp’s latest feature, simply point your phone’s camera at the menu, and Yelp will do the rest. Using AI image recognition, interactive bubbles pop up over each dish, giving you a peek at what it looks like and what other diners have said. No more guessing games—just delicious clarity.
But that’s just one course in Yelp’s latest feast of features. The company’s AI assistant, first introduced last year, has been upgraded to answer all kinds of questions about restaurants, bars, shops, attractions, and more. Wondering if that zoo has penguins, or which hair salon is best for balayage? Yelp’s assistant pulls from business pages, reviews, photos, and websites to give you quick, conversational answers.
To make browsing even simpler, Yelp now displays popular questions right on business pages, so you can get the info you need without typing a thing. And if you’re using the assistant to find a plumber or painter, it’ll remember your preferences and make personalized recommendations next time you need help.
Search on Yelp is also getting a serious glow-up. You can now ask questions in plain English (or just talk to it), thanks to new natural language and voice search support. Whether you type “best pizza near me with vegan options” or say “show me cozy date-night spots,” Yelp will deliver results that feel more natural and intuitive.
Yelp’s visual discovery tools are also expanding beyond food. The company is rolling out “most mentioned” highlights for over 100 business categories, showcasing top services like popular haircuts at salons, best-selling items at shops, or standout experiences at local attractions. And on top of that, Yelp now includes popular desserts alongside dishes and drinks on restaurant pages—because who doesn’t want to know where to find the best tiramisu in town?
Businesses are getting some love too. Yelp’s new AI-powered voice tools—including an AI host for restaurants and an AI receptionist for service providers—can now handle bookings, answer questions, manage reservations, and even summarize calls.
And for those who prefer a more visual experience, Yelp is rolling out AI-generated videos that stitch together user photos with narrated highlights, a visual summary section featuring both photos and videos, and expanded video uploads (now up to 30 seconds).
With these updates, Yelp continues to make local discovery more conversational, more visual, and more human. Whether you’re planning a date night, tackling a home project, or exploring a new city, Yelp’s latest features make finding what you love simpler—and tastier—than ever.
