The feature, active in nearly 70 cities, showed a temporarily unavailable message throughout the day in metros like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR
Citing operational constraints, Swiggy has temporarily suspended its on-demand pickup and drop service, Swiggy Genie, leaving users puzzled and unable to book deliveries. The feature, active in nearly 70 cities, showed a temporarily unavailable message throughout the day in metros like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR.
Swiggy has confirmed the service pause in social media responses but has not shared any official update or timeline for its return. “We are working to restore the service soon,” Swiggy posted on X. In another response to a user, Swiggy Cares stated that ‘Genie’s lamp is just cooling off for a bit’.
The abrupt halt came without any prior notice, catching both users and many delivery partners off guard. The app continued to function for food delivery and Instamart orders. This is not the first such disruption. Swiggy had paused Genie in 2022 across several cities to focus on its core services. This time, too, the move appears to be part of a broader strategic shift, with the company expanding Swiggy Bolt, its 10-minute delivery service, to over 500 cities.
While Swiggy has not clarified whether the latest pause is temporary or permanent, the timing comes amid a wave of course corrections in the quick commerce sector. Rival Zomato recently shut down its 15-minute food delivery service, ‘Zomato Quick,’ within months of starting.
Started in April 2020, Genie was Swiggy’s answer to urban courier needs – letting users send forgotten keys, packages, or groceries within the city. Whether this latest disappearance marks the end of Genie remains to be seen, but for now, the service simply isn’t there when users go looking for it.
