Gmail Is Getting A New Feature That Tracks Holiday Packages

The busy holiday shopping season is upon us, and shipping companies and retailers alike are bracing themselves for what's about to come. Whether you're one of the people who tend to get an increasing amount of packages near the end of the year, or you just occasionally shop online, it's always an exciting feeling to know a package is coming soon. It seems that Google has decided to find a way to dial that feeling up a little while making it easier to track your incoming packages, all with the help of Gmail.

Online and brick-and-mortar retailers alike are about to enter their busiest season of the year. With Black Friday sales already starting, and the holiday season making many people more eager to shop, there'll be a lot of getting shipped in the coming two months. When shopping online, most of us get some sort of alert when the package has been sent and when it will be delivered. This means that if you do enough online shopping, your inbox will be flooded with package-related emails, making it difficult to stay on top of what's arriving and when. Moreover, you can't actually track the packages in your emails — instead, you're forced to follow various tracking links to see where each package is at right now. Google may have found a fix for that kind of headache.

Gmail has already had some big changes, but starting soon, your Gmail inbox will track your packages for you (via Google). You'll see a green little note on each package-related email, saying when it will be arriving. You may also be able to see the status of your package, including whether it has been sent out yet if it's in transit, and when you can expect it to reach your place. Google has shown off some quick screenshots of the feature, and it looks neat and helpful if you tend to get a lot of different emails. The tracking will be visible in your inbox as well as in the email itself.

Google

Users will be able to opt-in and receive regular package updates. Similarly, if you want to opt out, it will be possible to do in your Gmail settings at any given time. Google also plans to expand this feature by adding "package delayed" alerts.

Google teased that the new feature will be available "in the coming weeks." Let's hope it arrives just in time to help holiday shoppers stay sane while receiving a flurry of packages.