Zomato Host Mode Hides Menu Prices for Guests in India

• Zomato Host Mode hides menu prices while guests browse dishes and add items to a shared cart.
• Hosts can switch it on from the home screen, restaurant menu or profile preferences.
• Device authentication is required before the host can reveal the bill and place the order.

Zomato has rolled out Zomato Host Mode in India ahead of Diwali. The new feature allows a host to hand over their phone to guests so they can browse restaurant menus and choose food without seeing item prices.

The host remains in control of the bill and payment. Guests can add dishes to a shared cart, while the app keeps item prices, totals and bill estimates hidden until the host exits Host Mode and verifies their identity. The feature is intended to make group ordering more comfortable when one person is paying.

What Is Zomato Host Mode?

Host Mode is a new ordering option on Zomato that hides price information during menu browsing and dish selection. It is designed for situations where a person is hosting friends or family and wants guests to choose what they would like to eat without checking the cost of every item.

The idea followed a suggestion shared by a LinkedIn user. The user proposed a feature called “Mehmaan Mode”, which would hide menu prices and allow a host to pass their phone around without making guests feel awkward about the cost of their choices. Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal noticed the suggestion and said the feature would be rolled out soon.

Zomato has now introduced the feature in India and named it Host Mode. The host can let guests browse the available restaurant menu and add dishes to one shared cart. Price details stay hidden during this process, and only the host can bring back the full bill view before placing the order.

What Does Host Mode Hide?

When Host Mode is active, Zomato removes price information from restaurant listings, dish descriptions and the shopping cart. The app also hides total tallies and bill estimates. A confirmation prompt appears with the message, “All prices are hidden in Host Mode”.

Guests can continue looking through the menu and add their selected items to the shared cart. They do not see the individual item prices or a running total while choosing dishes. This keeps the selection stage focused on what guests want to order rather than how much each choice costs.

Host Mode does not remove the bill review step. Before the order is placed, the host must exit the mode to see the complete amount. The app then displays itemised prices, applied discounts, delivery fees and the final payable amount. The host can review these details before deciding to place the order.

How to Use Zomato Host Mode

Zomato offers more than one way to switch on Host Mode. Follow these steps to enable it and let guests select their food:

• 📱 Open Zomato: Launch the app and look for the “Host Mode” chip in the home screen header.
• 🍽️ Open a restaurant menu: You can also find the Host Mode option directly on a restaurant’s menu page.
• ⚙️ Check profile preferences: Another route is to open Profile and go to “Your Preferences”.
• 🔛 Switch it on: Select Host Mode and tap “Switch on Host Mode” to confirm.
• 👥 Pass the phone around: Guests can browse dishes and add their choices to the shared cart. Item prices, totals and bill estimates remain hidden.
• 🔐 Review the bill: When everyone has finished choosing, the host should select “Exit host mode to review bill”.
• ✅ Authenticate and check: Complete the device authentication step using fingerprint or face recognition. The app then reveals itemised pricing, discounts, delivery fees and the final payable amount for review before the order is placed.

The authentication step helps keep the bill review with the host rather than the guests browsing the menu. Once the full pricing is visible, the host can check the order total and the other charges before placing it.

What If Host Mode Is Not Showing?

If the Host Mode option does not appear in the app, update Zomato and check again. After updating, look for the option in the home screen header, on a restaurant menu page or under Profile > Your Preferences.

You can visit the official Zomato website for the service. The Host Mode controls described here are available within the Zomato app.

Why Zomato Introduced Host Mode Before Diwali

The timing places the feature ahead of the Diwali festival, when people may host friends and family. In these situations, one person may handle the order while several guests choose dishes. Host Mode gives those guests a way to make their selections without seeing prices on the host’s phone.

The feature also responds to the concern behind the original “Mehmaan Mode” suggestion: guests may hesitate to select a dish if they can see its price while someone else is paying. By hiding prices during selection and showing the complete bill only to the host after authentication, Zomato separates menu browsing from the final cost review.

Hosts still need to review the full bill before placing an order. Host Mode changes what guests can see while choosing food; it does not remove itemised pricing, discounts or delivery fees from the final review. The host gets those details after exiting the mode and completing device authentication.

Conclusion

Zomato Host Mode lets guests choose food without seeing menu prices, while keeping the bill review with the host. Users can enable it from the home screen, a restaurant menu or profile preferences. The host must exit the mode and authenticate the device to check the full bill before placing the order.

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