Gmail adds glanceable package tracking info right in your inbox

Gmail has been around since 2004, and aside from the occasional redesign, the look and functionality of Gmail remain largely unchanged. Sure, there was Inbox by Gmail, which gave us certain features that have mostly been absorbed now by regular Gmail, but they were mostly geared towards organizing your email and achieving zen with “Inbox Zero.”

However, there is one Gmail feature just announced by Google that totally deserves our attention — and just in time for the holidays too. Within the next few weeks, Gmail will begin to show you package tracking and delivery information right in your inbox. This information will be displayed in the list view of your inbox and in a summary card at the top of each email. Check out the screenshots below for an idea of what it will look like on mobile. Although not specified whether this will be coming to the web version, I am assuming it will be just as other Gmail features have.

This will, of course, only apply to emails that include tracking numbers and will support most of the big shipping companies in the U.S. The tracking info will show important details at a glance, such as the estimated arrival date and current status, be it “Label made,” “Arriving tomorrow,” or “Delivered today.” Once this functionality is rolled out, you will receive a notification to opt-in, and you can always change your mind and opt-out via your Gmail settings.

This feature will hopefully save us lots of time when trying to track orders, as we will no longer have to click on tracking numbers on emails to then be taken to another webpage to then click a few more times to get a status – depending on the case of course. Google also states that should one of those emails be a delay notification, Gmail will proactively show a delay label and float the email to the top of your inbox to bring attention to it. However, that particular functionality will take longer to roll, and we can expect it within the coming months.