Gmail Now Converts Phone Numbers, Addresses Into Links
Google has just announced a new feature for Gmail, and it's one that many of their users have been wanting for a long while now. Addresses, phone numbers and contacts now automatically turn into clickable links, saving users a lot of time.
Using an address or phone number sent by an email message on Gmail previously meant having to highlight, copy, and then paste it into another app. That's the case no longer, as Google announced an update to Gmail that does away with all that busywork.
The feature came out on Monday, Sep. 18, to all Gmail inboxes and contact lists on the Android, iOS and web versions of its app. The new feature automatically detects phone numbers, email addresses and locations within the text of an email and creates a link for each, depending on their kind.
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Addresses, when properly read by the feature, get converted to a link that takes the user to Google Maps. Meanwhile, email addresses will be linked to the user's default email app, opening it to compose a new message addressed to that person.
Gmail users on mobile devices will now be able to call a phone number straight from the Gmail app, by simply tapping the link that opens the default phone app for the device.
The full rollout of the feature is expected to be finished one to three days since the initial rollout, meaning some users may not be able to see the new feature in action until as late as Thursday. All Gmail users, old and new, will be covered by the update.
This feature, while a new one for Google and Gmail, has been around for a long time in Apple's Mail app for iOS and Mac, as noted by Mac Rumors. Aside from this update, all Gmail features remain pretty much the same, as shown in the video below.
