If you have Gmail, you can now track your shipments straight from your inbox. And whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone.
According to PCWorld, Google has officially begun to roll out the ability for Gmail users to track their deliveries directly from their inboxes. Google first announced the feature in November, with promises of delivering it “in the coming weeks” to deal with the onslaught of Christmas deliveries, but the holidays came and went without the feature finding its way to our iPhones or Android phones.
However, after a lengthy wait, package monitoring is now publicly available, and Gmail clients may enable the option on both iOS and Android. The capability is expected to make its way to the web version of Gmail eventually, although Google has not specified a specific launch date.
Customers must enable the capability “directly from your inbox or in Gmail settings” in order to utilise it. Once enabled, Gmail will regularly look for and display your bundle statuses inside the interface.
Gmail will provide you with a simple, usable view of your bundle monitoring and supply data right in your mailbox. For orders with tracking numbers, Gmail will prominently display your current supply status in your inbox list view and in an abstract card at the top of individual emails. Package tracking will be available from most major U.S. transport providers and will provide vital information at a glance, such as projected arrival date and status — such as “Label produced,” “Arriving tomorrow,” or “Delivered today.”
In the preliminary release, the company also indicated that, sooner or later, Gmail would recognise whether a delivery has been delayed and “proactively display a delay label and push the email to the top of your inbox so you don’t miss a beat (or a package).”
Many people already utilise third-party applications to track deliveries, so it’s exciting to see Gmail provide such choices. After all, it’s going to Sherlock, as many of these package-tracking app alternatives do. Apple has made a similar transition, where some Apple Pay transactions may now be monitored by employing the company’s built-in Wallet app on the iPhone.