An update to Gmail begins rolling out soon, readying Google’s premier email app for all your upcoming holiday purchases. Gmail has been surfacing shipment tracking for some time now, but Google will now add a separate view just for remembering the things you have ordered. And if you want to buy more things, there’s a new interface for that, too. Yay, capitalism.
Gmail is quite good at recognizing purchase information in the form of receipts and shipping notifications. Currently, the app (and web interface) lists upcoming shipments at the top of the inbox. It will continue to do that when you have a delivery within the next 24 hours, but the new Purchases tab brings it all together in one glanceable view.
Purchases will be available in the navigation list alongside all the other stock Gmail labels. When selected, Gmail will filter your messages to only show receipts, order status, and shipping details. This makes it easier to peruse your recent orders and search within this subset of emails. This could be especially handy in this day and age of murky international shipping timelines.
The Promotions tab that has existed for years is also getting a makeover as we head into the holiday season. This tab collects all emails that Google recognizes as deals, marketing offers, and other bulk promos. This keeps them out of your primary inbox, which is appreciated, but venturing into the Promotions tab when the need arises can be overwhelming.