Google has introduced a new feature on Gmail that help users to track their soon-to-be-delivered packages without ever leaving their inbox. “Gmail will show a simple, helpful view of your package tracking and delivery information right in your inbox,” the Tech Giant explains in a blog post.
The Gmail feature will monitor your inbox for email messages containing tracking numbers, and then using those numbers to calculate an estimated delivery date.
As you scroll through your Gmail inbox, you won’t have to open the order confirmation emails to check the delivery status. In the inbox, this data will appear in a green label just below the sender’s name and subject line.
A tiny truck icon and some text detailing the order’s current status and expected delivery date will appear. According to Google, this label will be updated with relevant information about the order as it progresses, such as “label created,” the expected arrival date, or the delivery date.
This will be a huge time saver for online buyers, who normally have to open their order confirmation emails, copy and paste the tracking information into the respective carriers’ systems, into Google, or click on a supplied link to begin tracking their orders. At this point, they need only check their Gmail inbox.
If you do choose to read the confirmation email, you will find a summary card at the top with additional information, such as a timeline with checkmarks indicating the current order state (order placed, shipped, or delivered) and a link to the order detail page.
According to Google, the new feature will roll out to “most major” freight carriers in the United States in the coming weeks. This feature is anticipated to roll out well in advance of the holiday shopping season.
In order to start tracking packages, Gmail will display a notification at the top of the inbox asking the user if they want to opt in to receiving tracking updates.
Users can select their preferred action—”Allow” or “Now now”—from a drop-down menu. There’s an option in Gmail’s configurations for this, too.
Your emails will be checked automatically for tracking information as part of the system; no humans will be involved.
While this may be convenient for some, it raises privacy concerns for others, especially if Gmail plans to utilise the information to guide future improvements to its e-commerce and first-party purchasing offerings.
Parcel, Route, AfterShip, and Shopify’s own Shop app are just a few of the prominent third-party package monitoring apps that may lose users as a result of this new feature.
In the future, Google plans to improve its package tracking service by automatically updating the label and prioritising email notifications when a shipment is delayed.
