Shopping online has become one of the most convenient ways to buy all the things you want without ever leaving your house. As more and more people do their shopping online, tracking your purchases is more important than ever. If you’re making purchases from a variety of sites, it can be difficult to keep track of all of your orders. It’s important to know when a package is going to be delivered, so you can bring it in immediately or sign for it if necessary. Fortunately, there’s a variety of ways to keep track and stay informed, all from the comfort of your smartphone.
1. Google
As soon as an order you’ve placed online ships, a tracking number is sent right to your email. Once you have that number, tracking a package from a major shipping partner couldn’t be any easier. If your package is sent via USPS, UPS or FedEx, copy and paste your tracking number right into Google.com. It’s really that simple. Assuming you’ve entered a valid tracking number, the first Google search result will direct you to the appropriate shipping partner page. From there you can see all of the info about your package including its current location and estimated date of delivery.
2. Deliveries (iPhone)
3. Deliveries Package Tracker (Android)
Like its similarly named iPhone counterpart, Deliveries on Android is a class-leading package tracker. Tracking a package with Deliveries on Android mirrors the same feature set as on an iPhone. There are dozens of shipping carriers available to track from and you can even copy and paste a tracking number in the app. Fortunately, the open nature of Android adds a few extras that help differentiate this app from the pack. With support for home screen widgets, Deliveries can show where your package is and its estimated delivery date without opening the app. Additionally, tracking a package via Google Maps is as cool as it is functional. You’ll discover exactly where your package is right now and where it should be tomorrow. Notifications are sent directly to your phone with each shipping status update.
4. Arrive (iPhone)
If Deliveries isn’t the right app for you, Arrive is the next best thing. This beautifully designed package tracker helps you instantly track online orders. For Gmail users in particular, signing into the Arrive app with your email account is the best way to get started. Once logged in, Arrive will automatically locate active tracking numbers from your email history. If you’d prefer not to grant Arrive access to email history, that’s no problem. You can just as easily copy and paste tracking numbers into the app from any of the 400 shipping carriers and the app does the rest. Live map updates will show you the current status as well as the estimated date of arrival.
5. 17Track (Android)
While the name might be unusual, 17Track is a fantastic choice for Android users. With support for more than 500 delivery companies, there’s just so much to like about this app. It has everything from tracking packages with multiple carriers as well as pull-to-refresh updates. Signing up with an account automatically saves your tracking information. This way you don’t have to re-enter tracking numbers every time you open the app. A custom widget works with Android devices letting you see all relevant tracking info right on the home screen of your device. With support for more than 30 languages, this app is truly global. Every time a package update occurs, 17Track immediately sends a push notification and/or an email, giving you fast updates.
Conclusion
There’s so much to love about ordering online, from great deals to larger selections. Who doesn’t enjoy ordering a new television while still wearing their pajamas? Having the ability to track your package with minimal effort makes the entire online process so much easier. Do you have a favorite package tracking app? Let us know in the comments.
David is a freelance tech writer with over 15 years of experience in the tech industry. He loves all things Nintendo.
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