Two major updates are rolling out to Gmail that could save you serious time, especially if you shop online often. Starting today (September 11), Google is introducing a new Purchase tab to help you stay on top of all your purchases while also making it easier to track deliveries.
At the same time, Gmail’s Promotions category is getting a long-overdue upgrade. Instead of a cluttered mix of random ads, you’ll see more relevant discounts, deals and offers tailored to your preferences and activity interacting with your favorite companies. This means less noise from the companies you don't want to hear from, while keeping better tabs on the sales you truly care about.
Together, these updates tackle two of the most annoying parts of online shopping. Here’s a closer look at how they work and what they mean for every Gmail user.
New Purchases tab puts all shopping receipts in one place
If you do a lot of online shopping and find yourself digging through your inbox for tracking numbers or order confirmations, the new Purchase tab could be the organizational feature you’re looking for.
Starting today, personal Gmail users will see a new view that sorts all of your recent and upcoming purchases in one place. The interface shows upcoming package deliveries, past orders, and any purchase-related emails in a single, streamlined list, which removes the need to do any extra hunting for receipts and shipment updates.
Within this tab you’ll still see important delivery updates, like packages arriving within 24 hours, at the top of your inbox and within summary cards when you open purchase emails. But, what’s different about this new view is that you’ll now see everything categorized together for a centralized dashboard view of all your online shopping activity.
This feature is rolling out globally across mobile and web for users with personal Google accounts.
Gmail Promotions tab is getting even more personal (and useful)
In addition to the Purchases view, Google is also updating the Promotions tab in Gmail to help users find the most relevant deals faster. Soon, you’ll be able to sort promotions by “most relevant” instead of just “most recent,” making it easier to discover sales from the brands you prefer and interact with most.
The update includes highlights to upcoming deals and time sensitive offers and even smart nudges to make sure you don’t miss out. This could be a real game changer for the holiday season as more brands send promotional emails with deals and offers.
The takeaway
As back-to-school season gives way to holiday prep, these Gmail updates arrive at a great time. You can better keep track of what you’ve bought, when it’s arriving and how to save more within your inbox.
Gmail’s new Purchases view and smarter Promotions tab are practical updates that meet users where they already are — in their inboxes, juggling receipts, tracking packages and scanning for deals.
Don’t like the change? You’ll still have the option to switch back to sorting by "most recent" if you prefer the classic layout. This smarter Promotions experience will begin rolling out on mobile in the coming weeks.
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