Gmail now has a Purchases tab that takes care of your online orders and deals

Gmail is rolling out new features, including a Purchases tab and smarter Promotions sorting, to help users track deliveries and manage deals more easily.

Google has announced two major updates to Gmail, aiming to make inboxes more organised ahead of the busy holiday season.

Gmail just made online shopping a lot less stressful—here’s how! (Unsplash)

By Aishwarya Faraswal

Aishwarya is your go-to guide for turning your home, especially your kitchen, into the smartest and most efficient space on the block. If you ever find yourself wondering which air fryer actually delivers that perfect crisp, whether a new-age water purifier is worth the hype, or how to make your refrigerator work smarter (not harder), she’s the one to turn to. For over five years, Aishwarya has dived deep into the world of home and kitchen tech, reviewing everything from air fryers and microwaves to chimneys and water purifiers. Her approach is simple: cut the jargon, highlight genuine innovation, and spotlight budget-friendly solutions without compromising on quality. Her column is where fresh launches meet honest opinions. There is no sugarcoating and no fancy marketing spin. Every review comes from real, hands-on experience, giving readers the unfiltered truth, good or bad (sometimes brutal). A big believer in viral “how-to” hacks, Aishwarya loves sharing appliance hacks like microwave-cleaning tricks that involve a lemon and absolutely zero scrubbing, fridge-care tips (when sometimes all you need to do is defrost) that save you trouble, and everything in between. She tries her best for home tech to feel less overwhelming and a whole lot more fun.

Read moreRead less

The first is a Purchases tab, which gathers all order confirmations and shipping details into one consolidated view. Instead of digging through multiple emails, users will now see a streamlined list of upcoming deliveries in one place. Packages scheduled to arrive within 24 hours will continue to appear at the top of the inbox and in summary cards within related purchase emails.

Google says the feature is timely, given the spike in online shopping expected in the coming months. A PwC survey shows that nearly 40% of US holiday gift spending will take place between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. With such a surge in orders, the new tab aims to reduce the stress of tracking deliveries. The rollout for personal Google accounts begins today on both mobile and web platforms worldwide.

With the latest Gmail update, the status of your online orders will appear like this.

The second update targets Gmail’s Promotions tab, which will soon include a “most relevant” sorting option. Instead of displaying promotional emails strictly by date, users can prioritise updates from brands they interact with most often. Gmail will also highlight limited-time offers through nudges, ensuring that important deals don’t get lost in the clutter. For those who prefer the traditional view, the option to sort by “most recent” will remain available.

These improvements build on Gmail’s ongoing efforts to simplify inbox management. In 2022, Google introduced package tracking directly in emails, eliminating the need to check carrier websites. Earlier this year, the company also unveiled a subscription management tool that groups marketing emails together and allows users to unsubscribe quickly. Together, these updates reflect Google’s strategy of giving users greater control and making Gmail a more personalised space

Industry analysts note that email remains the backbone of digital communication, and features that help people manage clutter are increasingly critical. With inboxes flooded by shopping confirmations, newsletters, and promotional campaigns, Gmail’s move to consolidate and prioritise information could give it an edge over rivals like Outlook and Yahoo Mail.

With these changes, Google is positioning Gmail as more than just an email service and is evolving into a central hub for managing digital life. From tracking deliveries to keeping up with deals and subscriptions, Gmail is increasingly designed to reduce the friction of everyday tasks.