Royal Mail App gets Augmented Reality Parcel Sizer and Alexa features

The Royal Mail app has been updated with new features to help users send and receive parcels including Augmented Reality parcel sizer and Amazon Alexa integration.

Royal Mail App Augmented Reality Parcel Sizer

As part of the update, Royal Mail have launched an Augmented Reality parcel sizer on their mobile app which they say is a UK first. The parcel sizer helps users to find the right format size and price of their item and then purchase postage directly via the App making it simpler than ever to send a parcel.

Royal Mail and Amazon Alexa

At the same time they have announced that users of the Royal Mail App will also be able to track an item using Alexa simply by saying a code name (alias) they have previously set for a mail item on the App. After setting up the code name, users need to simply say ‘Alexa Ask Royal Mail to track my item’. Alexa will say ‘tell me the reference number or alias of the item you’d like to track’. Once confirmed Alexa will give the latest status of the item.

The alias can be set by the user, for instance ‘Mum’s birthday present’, or ‘new shoes’ – whatever will help you identify the parcel that will be a lot easier than memorising a tracking number. When you track an item on the app it will store the item to the your tracking history and you can then click on the item and set an alias name of your choosing. Then once you enable the Royal Mail Alexa Skill and link your account, the Royal Mail Alexa skill will sync up to your Royal Mail App. say ‘Alexa Ask Royal Mail to track my item’ and Alexa will say ‘tell me the reference number or alias of the item you’d like to track’.

Other Royal Mail App features

Royal Mail’s app is still relatively new, but it’s come on in leaps and bounds over the past year. There are things that would be nice, like automatically adding all your incoming mail once you had registered your name, address, email and telephone number – currently I have to add each tracking number myself so can only track what I already know is on the way. It is early days however and what the app has had built in makes for a nice list of features:

• Send an item

  Buy postage on the App in just a few steps.

• Postcode and address finder

  Enter part of the address and the App fills in the blanks.

• Find any Post Office location or Customer Service Point/Delivery Office

  To print labels or drop off items, with opening hours, address, map, available services and directions.

• Track items

  Enter tracking ID number or scan the barcode to check the progress of deliveries (available with Royal Mail Tracked* and Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed items).

• Receive push notifications on deliveries

  Never miss a delivery update.

• Book a Redelivery

  |If you’ve missed an item you can easily book a Redelivery to your address, your neighbour’s address or a local Post Office – and specify a delivery day.

• Save postage receipts

  Take a photo of receipts and store them on the App.