• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, October 3, 2024

Google is taking another stab at improving the Gmail experience. It has updated its summary cards, adding new details to the snippets it previously supplied at the top of emails. 

The new cards are now appearing in Android and iOS.  

What’s all the hype about?

“For starters, summary cards as you know them are getting a whole new look across purchases, events, bills and travel emails,” Google writes. “They’ll offer new action buttons, like adding an event to your Calendar and inviting others or setting a bill payment reminder.”

This could be a boon to ecommerce brands and just about any email senders conducting business with consumers. 

Specifically, the new dynamic summary cards will enable users to:

- Track packages, view order details and determine when birthday gifts, say, are going to arrive. 

- See or add upcoming events to their calendar, whether concerts or dinner engagements, and even find directions.

- View and pay bills, receive reminders to pay later and add a due date in Google Tasks.

- Manage reservations, check in for flights and other travel details. 

In addition, Google is adding a “Happening soon” section at the top of inboxes. “To start, purchase summary cards will appear here, and this section will only show up when it’s relevant,” Google says.

Of course, we have to wonder what happens if Google is broken up because of the antitrust actions against it.

What will happen to Gmail?  

For now, the summary cards in the world’s most-used email service have a new look.