Ahead of the festive shopping season, Google is upgrading Gmail with the ability to identify a parcel tracking number from an email and show you its tracking and delivery information at a glance. If you receive an email containing a tracking number for an order, Gmail can now identify it, fetch the tracking information from the shipping carrier, and show you its tracking details within the app.
You can see the delivery details at a glance right below the subject line in the inbox. Plus, the Gmail app on your Samsung (or other branded) smartphone will show you a widget with a more detailed view of tracking information when you open the email containing the tracking number.
According to Google, Gmail will be able to track packages from most of the major shipping carriers in the US, and the feature will be rolling out to Android and iOS in the coming weeks. The web interface of Gmail will get the feature in the coming months. Once this feature becomes available in the Gmail app on your device, you’ll see a ‘Track your packages in Gmail’ pop-up to opt-in for the feature. You can disable it at any time from settings.
Google also says that if a package is delayed, Gmail can show a delay label on that email and proactively bring the email to the top of the inbox. However, this feature will roll out in the “coming months.”
