Google is updating the Gmail app with package tracking that will be rolling out in a few weeks in the US, as reported by Engadget. This will work if your order email has a supported tracking number. Hence, Gmail will let you see the shipping status at the top of the message.
As mentioned, the new feature will be available in the US and will support most large shipping providers. However, it's strictly opt-in, so Google will not look up your tracking numbers unless you want it to.
Also in the coming months, Gmail will watch for delays and surface the order email with a label that indicates the problem. Therefore, you will know about a setback in your delivery even before you received an official notification.
Getting Ahead of Holiday Shopping Rush
The move is Google's way to get ahead of the holiday shopping rush and will make the Gmail the go-to app for tracking packages. It should also be a useful feature if you shop smaller stores that don't always have their apps.
Holiday Rush for Package Tracking
It will be interesting to see whether Google will be able to get the tracking algorithm working correctly.
However, Google will not be looking at every email that goes through Gmail. The app will only look at emails that have a tracking number. It will also only look at emails with tracking numbers that come from large shipping companies. Hence, there's really no reason to be worried about your privacy if you are using the Gmail app.
Google has been doing a lot of things to address the year-end rush. It has been bolstering up its Shopping service, which will be under the spotlight when the holiday shopping season starts.
Google is making package tracking easier and more transparent. Furthermore, it will no longer be a hassle to check your package's progress. This is definitely a nice move by Google.
However, it will also make the entire tracking industry competitive. If the new Gmail feature proves to be popular, competitors like Amazon might take the initiative to improve their apps and services.
Package tracking services like Delivery Status can leverage from this new development to go from beta to mainstream.
Google is doing its best to get ahead of the holiday shopping rush and this latest update to Gmail could prove to be a good move. However, it will be interesting to see how other companies like Amazon, eBay and others react.
More and more online retailers are relying on email notifications and updates to generate sales. This is applicable not only to e-commerce stores but also to subscription services. This can be seen in the growing popularity of Slack and the slew of announcement tools that are being released.
For the moment, it remains to be seen if the feature will take off. However, it will definitely provide an edge that Google's competitors have sorely been lacking.
What are your thoughts? Are you excited about this new feature in Gmail?
Related Article: New Google Gmail Vulnerability is Capable of Hacking Credentials Upon Signing Up
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by April Fowell
