You'll soon be able to check your mail with your iPhone
How often do you get good news in the mail? As life moves online, the amount of bills and junk mail in our mailboxes is fast approaching 100 percent. However, on occasion, you can still get a random letter from Mom or an Amazon Prime delivery. And you can't ignore the bills forever, unfortunately.
That's why the U.S. Postal Service's Informed Delivery service is so popular. The service sends you a black-and-white photograph of all your incoming mail via email, while also alerting you to USPS package deliveries and status updates. It's an ingenious little program. After all, all your mail has to get scanned and sorted en route, so why not send people a quick email preview of what's on deck for delivery? By keeping an eye on your email, you always know when you actually need to check the mailbox.
Now, USPS is reportedly prepping an Informed Delivery app for Android and iOS devices. This week, DroidLife and 9to5 Google reported that a beta test of the app is already underway, with a full mobile app to follow.
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Technically, USPS first announced this app in 2024, but since then, the federal government has undergone a bit of a regime change, and federal funding priorities have shifted accordingly. Previously, the postal service has been a target for the Trump administration. The original announcement also said the app would be released in late 2024, which means it's actually ahead of schedule by government program terms.
"The app will send notifications when the USPS Informed Delivery daily digest email is available and when there is an update on a package’s arrival. Customers will be able to use the app to scan tracking numbers or label barcodes to find out the status of inbound or outbound packages," according to the original announcement.
Per 9to5Google, the iOS beta has already been filled, but you can still try to join the Android beta.
Topics Apps & Software Politics
Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.
Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.
