A Better Service to Track Packages And Shipments Than Google’s

Manually package tracking in Google search

When Google introduced package tracking in its search results, Gmail followed suit and brought the “Track Package” button to the inbox. However, both these approaches have severe flaws. One, tracking has to be done manually; two, not all couriers are supported, three, does not give complete information like shipment location and delivery status, and many more.

Tracking status in Gmail — Gmail provides a quick link to track packages but it opens a delivery status page from an ecommerce site

Automatic Package Tracking of Your Shipments in Gmail

Fortunately, there are other better ways to automatically track your packages and shipments than depending on Google and Gmail.

AfterShip is by far the most cross-platform solution with apps for both iOS and Android along with an excellent interface for the web with support for nearly 400 couriers worldwide. Install the apps from the respective stores and you’ll be presented with the option of signing up with Google or email at launch. If you wish to avoid giving AfterShip any personal information, you can also always sign up using the latter option.

Import shipment information from Gmail or Amazon

Why We Recommend AfterShip? Ans. Gmail Integration

In addition to being easy on the eyes, while testing other apps like Deliveries Package Tracker & ParcelTrack, the ability of AfterShip to synchronize with Gmail to pull up recent shipments within 7 days and associating with Amazon US to display my orders gave it an extra edge over the others.

The app is also free without in-app purchases for regular home users. It lets the users track 100 active shipments at any given time, which is more than generous for most casual users.

Once connected with Gmail and Amazon US account, your shipments will be automatically tracked and notified

How To Use The App?

Step 1: Launch the app, and sign up using email or Google account. Having an account is essential for cross-platform synchronization so that the tracking information is never lost.

Step 2: To manually track other couriers, press the Plus (+) Fab button present in the bottom right and type or paste in the tracking ID. The app will automatically try to figure out which courier the tracking ID resembles by matching with its database. In case it fails to detect the correct courier, you can always search from a list of 400 couriers to find the right name.

Step 3: Once you press Add, track the shipments from the home page. Notifications are shown promptly and can be managed from the settings.

Left to right: To manually track, press +, enter the info and select Add

Detailed shipment information at your fingertips

The app also features adds nice little touches by featuring buttons to directly call the courier from the app and open the tracking link externally in a browser. Additionally, you can track all your shipments from the desktop by heading over to AfterShip’s website.

The interface is very straightforward with more business-centric options for Premium users who are essentially companies with their own independent stores and logistic partners.

Related: Stop Tracking in Gmail

Alternative to Receive Notifications on Shipment Updates

While I was able to eliminate many apps for their poor design or user interface and ads, one runner-up worth checking out is 17Track.

While it has a website, you can’t use your login credentials to sync all the shipments between the phone and desktop. But the app is extremely photogenic and reliable when it comes to pushing out notifications on time.

Tracking Status of Shipment on Google Maps

If you want to see where your shipment has reached on Google Maps, then head over to Boxoh.

Package status on map — Location Tracking of Shipment on Google Maps

While there are other services available to see the location of your package on a map, I found Boxoh very simple and easy to use. No need to create an account or fill in additional details, just enter your tracking number and it will show you the location of the package on the map at the current time.

Related: Gmail Read Receipt

At Grticks, we look at certain criteria when recommending apps in any category such as usability of the app, how well it’s designed, whether it’s cross-platform and most of all if it has any unnecessary ads or in-app purchases. After looking at several apps on the Play Store, we can confidently recommend AfterShip as the best service for tracking shipments apart from Google’s services.