Royal Mail app gains Alexa skills with new update

Royal Mail has added Alexa-powered voice control features to the Royal Mail app, allowing customers to track deliveries using a voice command.

Using the app, customers use the option to track an item, which stores it to their tracking history and allows them to set an alias such as “birthday present”. They can then access the Royal Mail Alexa Skills page on Amazon, which will allow them to log into their Royal Mail account. Once logged in this will sync the Alexa Skill with their Royal Mail account.

They will then be able to say “Ask Royal Mail to track my item” and supply either the tracking reference number or the alias to receive up-to-date information from Alexa.

The new features also include an augmented reality parcel sizer, which will allow customers to find the right format size and price for posting items and purchase it through the app. Users can also access previous postage labels they have used to send items before.

Royal Mail said in a statement: “The updated Royal Mail App is helping users to manage their deliveries more efficiently and is rapidly growing with the number of downloads increasing every month.

“Royal Mail is the first in the industry in the UK to launch an augmented reality feature in its App, making it simpler than ever to send a parcel. The new features of the Royal Mail App are part of our commitment to investing in technology that improves the customer experience for both senders and recipients.”

The postal giant’s app has been downloaded over 500,000 times. Over the last year the firm has added tracking, push notifications and redelivery booking amongst other features.

Mobile apps are becoming a key battleground for couriers. For example, in August, Hermes added in-flight delivery options such as the ability to divert parcels mid-transit.

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