The Starbucks drive-thru is notoriously slow compared to other drive-thrus, and in 2022, Starbucks unveiled that a long drive-thru line was the top reason a possible customer may decide not to order. However, ordering through the app can help you get your morning Starbucks faster.

While ordering in the drive-thru typically involves paying for and picking up your drink at multiple windows, you can avoid these extra steps by placing your order by app once you've made it close to the front of the line. After that, you'll just have to tell the folks at the speaker box that you're here for your mobile order, and the whole process is much quicker.

You can also order your Starbucks ahead of time if you’re at an airport, which is helpful since frequent flyers refer to lines at airport Starbucks stores as the stuff of nightmares. And if you accidentally send your mobile order to the wrong location, you can still get your drink without having to pay for it twice if you show your barista the mobile order receipt.