Google recently added a killer Gmail feature that everyone is going to love after 18 years.
Since it launched 18 years ago, Gmail has become the standard email service for a large number of users. That's due in part to the fact that it's free, but it's also because it excels at a few specific tasks. For instance, you may anticipate Google to be rather adept at searching your email, and Gmail is undoubtedly among the best.
Even yet, it could be a pain if, for instance, you're looking for an email with a tracking number because you're expecting a box. Wouldn't it be much simpler if you could track packages directly from your inbox rather than having to trawl through countless emails?
Google has incorporated that specifically as of late. Google says that adding the capability to track your packages will happen over the upcoming few weeks directly from inbox.
It's not always obvious who came up with new features that Google introduces. For instance, Google incorporated its Chat and Meet services within Gmail early this year. Google Chat and Google Meet are probably not important to or even known to most Gmail users. Even so, it's conveniently located at the bottom of your inbox.
However, Google occasionally includes Gmail features that are actually helpful. One of those is the most recent instance.
When an email with a tracking number is detected by Gmail, a label indicating the expected delivery date will appear on the email in your inbox.
Additionally, Gmail will notify you when a shipment has delivered, and Google will surface the email and notify you if there is a delay. You know how frustrating it can be to learn that a delivery has been delayed for some reason if you've ever changed your plans so that you could be home when a package was supposed to arrive.
Google claims that "most major U.S. shipping carriers" are compatible with the capability. Clearly, this refers to FedEx, UPS, and the US Postal Service. Google did not specify whether it would integrate with Prime Delivery from Amazon.
This notion is not new. In reality, a number of email programmes already implement this, with Edison Email standing out. Since it works with any email address rather than just Gmail, it's in some ways a more useful feature in an email app. Additionally, I imagine some people prefer Google not to search their emails for tracking numbers to determine where they've been shopping.
That's fair, however you can choose whether you want Gmail to search for tracking numbers in your emails because the service is opt-in. To be honest, this feels very low on the list of ways that your data is tracked online, including every time you use a Google website or service.
This is due, at least in part, to the fact that it is worthwhile to notify Google that you are anticipating a package the more value a feature provides to your life. The concept that you will just receive a notification in your inbox when a shipment is on its way and when it will be delivered seems especially practical as the holidays draw near.
It does appear that Gmail should have had this capability from the beginning. It doesn't appear to be all that difficult to train your machine learning to surface tracking numbers if you're already indexing the contents of my inbox so that I can search. It's kind of like the easy stuff that gives way more value to the consumer than it costs.
It turns out that those are the best new feature types. They might not seem important, but by saving people time and providing them with peace of mind, they add a lot of value. Google can help you keep track of your packages along the way, if not ensure that they arrive in time for the holidays.
