Heaving email inboxes stuffed with ephemera have made it increasingly difficult to track down the info that matters most. That parcel confirmation or boarding pass can get lost in a sea of newsletters we never read, promotional messages bordering on spam, and countless LinkedIn notifications.
While Google can’t make all of those distractions magically disappear, its new Gmail feature could save you the time and hassle of digging through your inbox.
In the coming months, the popular email app will add a new “happening soon” section near the top of the screen. Here, you’ll find a stack of notifications that show you the most timely info for en-route parcels.
The card-shaped alerts will only show up when an estimated delivery date is nearing, so as not to further clog your busy inbox. You’ll have the option to either track the package or view order details without the need to open individual emails.
Additional info will be available in Gmail’s new-look Summary Cards, which can now extract and surface even more details from your emails. They’ll show you a timeline for your delivery, a short description of the item along with an image, the order and tracking numbers.
The recaps have been available above individual emails for a while, but now they’re getting a glow-up that makes them a little more eye-catching. And it’s not just delivery summaries that are in for a makeover.
Starting October 2, the summary cards for events, bills, and travel emails are all being updated, with buttons that can add important dates to your calendar, set reminders, get directions, and handle check-ins for flights. In the future, they’ll also be visible in the happening soon section and via Gmail search.
The update is rolling out on iOS and Android now, so keep an eye on your preferred app store if you don’t see it straight away.
