Yelp is a crowd-sourced platform for reviewing local businesses and social networking, where users can submit reviews, ratings, and photos. It helps users discover nearby businesses such as restaurants, bars, and cafes. Users can search by location, read reviews, and make reservations or order delivery directly through the app.

Yelp is free to download and use. Users can browse reviews, photos, and business details without an account. To contribute reviews, rate businesses, or make reservations, creating a free account is necessary. An account also allows bookmarking favorites and following friends for activity updates.

Yelp uses an automated review filter to enhance review reliability, highlighting active and frequent contributors. However, it's advisable to read multiple reviews for a balanced view, as experiences may differ. Yelp also shows business responses to reviews, providing a broader perspective.

Yelp offers integrated food delivery and takeout options through partnerships with services like Grubhub and Uber Eats. Users can browse menus, view estimated delivery times, read reviews, and see delivery zones on a map. The app also provides real-time order tracking.

No, businesses cannot pay to remove or modify reviews on Yelp. The platform enforces strict policies to maintain content integrity. While businesses can advertise for visibility, they cannot influence review content. They can, however, publicly respond to reviews to address customer concerns.