WEIQ launches Apple App Clip for QR code restaurant orders

WEIQ is one of Sweden's leading services for ordering via QR code at restaurants.

WEIQ is now launching as an App Clip, which means restaurant guests can order without downloading the app, while still enjoying the superior user-friendliness of an app compared to web solutions.

App Clips, on the other hand, means streaming a lightweight version of the app instead of downloading it. Apple launched support for App Clips back in 2020, but WEIQ is one of the first examples we're seeing in Sweden that utilizes the technology.

– For us, this means we can continue to leverage the benefits of an app, such as better usability and push notifications, without guests needing to go through the App Store – they simply scan the QR code and open WEIQ in seconds, says Daniel Corin Stig, Marketing Manager at WEIQ.

Watch how it works:

To fit within an App Clip, WEIQ had to slim down the app to under 10MB, but it wasn't a major issue according to Jakob Navrozidis, who led the development.

– We had reason to review everything our usual app contains, and found creative ways to reduce its size without guests noticing any difference. It wasn't easy, but we succeeded very well in the end.

Even during the tests, it became clear that the investment in App Clips was a success.

– In the restaurants where we have tested, half of the iPhone users have ordered via App Clips and we have only received positive feedback, says Daniel Corin Stig.

For Android users, it's still the usual app that applies, as Google doesn't seem to be focusing on its corresponding solution, which they call Instant Apps.

– As we can see, most are withdrawing their Instant Apps, and Google has made it harder for users to install them. Instead, they seem to be focusing on using the web browser and building pages as PWAs, Progressive Web Apps, says Jakob Navrozidis.

At WWDC last fall, Apple announced that they were increasing the allowed size of App Clips from 10MB to 15MB in the latest iOS, but there are still limitations with App Clips that WEIQ hopes Apple will address in future releases.

Primarily, it's about how to open an App Clip. Today, requires a QR code or the user clicking a specific link in Safari, Maps, or iMessage, which, for example, doesn't allow a restaurant to link to it from its website.

About WEIQ:

WEIQ is a service for restaurants that allows their guests to order and pay themselves at the table or for take-away via mobile. The service was launched in 2020 and currently has over 300 customers in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark – particularly among casual dining and seasonal restaurants.

In 2023, WEIQ launched an App Clips version of its service, as well as a handheld terminal for traditional payments that can replace an entire restaurant's POS system.

Try using WEIQ's App Clip with the QR code below: