When you buy something online, the seller or the parcel company usually sends a tracking number. Normally this number is of no use to us unless we go to the carrier’s website or use a specialized app.
Gmail announced last November that it would start rolling out a new feature so users could track their packages right from their email inbox.
In this way, when we receive an email from an online store, Gmail will automatically detect the tracking number of the package and do an online search so that the user can find out the status of the shipment and an estimated date of when it will be delivered.
All this information will be displayed in a widget or card just below the title, when we open the email. In addition to that, two buttons have also been added where we can obtain more detailed information about the shipment and see the details of the order.
Image: 9to5Google
How to activate shipment tracking in Gmail
It should be noted that this new function is not enabled by default, and therefore it is necessary to activate it manually .
- On Android, open Gmail and go to the left side menu. Enter “Settings”, select your email account and among all the available options, activate the “Shipping tracking” box.
- On iOS,open the Gmail app and go to the settings menu. You can activate shipment tracking from the “Data privacy” section.
If you still don’t see the option available, make sure you have updated the Gmail app to its latest version.
Currently, Gmail already shows information about the shipment of packages in some post offices, such as those of Amazon, for example. However, this new redesign should work with a larger number of services, considering that it analyzes the tracking number of the package. All this, with the convenience of being able to see the estimated delivery date directly from the inbox and without having to open the email.