Google brings a unified 'Purchases' tab to Gmail ahead of the holiday rush

What you need to know

• Google's rolling out an update for Gmail that brings a new "Purchases" tab just in time for the holidays.
• This new tab will only display your purchases/orders and tracking information with the "Arriving Soon" section at the top like your inbox.
• Gmail is also updating its Promotions tab, adding a way for users to leverage what's most important and "timely" offers quicker.

Google's starting to roll out an update for Gmail that might make it easier to manage all those packages this holiday season.

There are two features on the way in this new update, as Google Keyword post explains those key details. Arriving in Gmail's sidebar (in app and on PC), users will notice a new "Purchases" email label. Google states tapping Purchases will give you a "bird's eye view of all your upcoming package deliveries in one simple, organized list." From this view, users will find an "Arriving Soon" section at the top, similar to what you'd find in your primary inbox.

This is reserved for packages that should be delivered within the next 24 hours. Below that, users will find the list of emails containing those tracking details and order confirmation. This update is rolling out today (Sep 11) for all personal Gmail accounts, so keep your eye out for it.

Additionally, Google says the "Arriving Soon" section in your primary email, as well as tracking details within order emails themselves, will not leave.

The second update concerns Gmail's "Promotions" tab. This tab will now offer a "nudge," bringing up promotions and discounts that are timely, so you're in the loop. More than that, a new sorting option, "Most Relevant," is on the way, which Google says pushes Gmail to display promotions from brands you're more likely to engage with. Users can sort by "most recent," too, if you're interested in just seeing the emails as they arrive.

Gmail for the holidays

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Google, Gmail, and the holidays seem to be a regular thing as of late, as even last year, an update rolled out to help users avoid scams. The company implemented a new AI model in Gmail in December last year to determine what's a scam and what isn't. Google said its AI models were successful in blocking ~20% more scam attempts and are also reviewing 1,000 times more user-reported spam events.

These protections are still in place, and Google still encourages users to be vigilant on their own.

A Gemini update for Gmail arrived this year, making it way easier to take important dates and events from an email and put them into Calendar. If Google's AI detects a date within an email, an "add to calendar" button will appear for convenience. The AI will automatically create an event centered around it, leaving you the choice of further editing that newly created event for clarity.