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Gmail is getting a free update that will make it much easier for you to keep track of your deliveries this holiday season and beyond.
We’ve been there before: you grab some of this year’s best Black Friday deals and then you realize you have to keep track of it all. Some are gifts that you should intercept in case someone you live with catches a glimpse of what’s coming their way, others are items that you need to make sure will arrive by a certain date. Keeping track of everything normally involves sifting through a ton of emails and using tracking codes for a wide variety of shipping companies – it’s annoying if nothing else.
Google is trying to simplify the whole process this year with a new Gmail update that lets you track deliveries in the app. The new package tracking feature is available with most major US carriers and gives you an at-a-glance overview of the delivery status of your package.
If you look at your entire stack of emails, the delivery will get a new tag that gives you the latest update, such as “Your item is on its way” or a more specific message such as “Arriving Wed, Dec 21.” Opening the email will give you a more in-depth look at your package; you can see when the delivery was posted, when it was shipped, and when it is expected to arrive.
In the blog post (opens in new tab) When announcing the update, Google said that the feature will be further improved in the coming months. The next planned improvement is that Gmail can show you when your package is delayed and automatically put the email at the top of your inbox so you don’t miss it.
To take advantage of this new delivery tracking feature when it becomes available, you’ll need to opt in through your Gmail settings. It’s not live right now, but when it is, you should also see an option to sign up in your inbox (although you can also close the message if you don’t want to use the feature).
Google’s other vacation helper: Maps
Gmail isn’t the only Google service that can help you with your holiday preparations, the search giant has a few other tools that can help in its Maps app.
Google Maps is full of useful hidden features, including some hidden in plain sight, such as the popular times tool. When you click on a local business, you can see a lot of information about it, including the general trend for when it’s busiest and quietest. If you want to do your personal Christmas shopping without a crowd of people around you, then this feature can help you plan.
If you use the Maps app on one of the best Android phones, a similar feature can also help you decide when to go on vacation. The app can show you the general trend for travel times on your planned journey and can provide real-time alerts about current traffic and accidents that may cause delays. By using this feature, you can either leave later when the situation has hopefully improved, or warn the people you meet that you will be late.