There are so many package tracking applications available for Android that there's no way we could highlight them all, but after testing several, we think Parcels delivers the right package of useful features for the price tag?free. You still have to enter your tracking numbers manually, but where other apps may have more gimmicky features, Parcels is clean, to the point, notifies you of changes, and gets the job done.
- Supports dozens of shipping services, including the major ones in North America and the UK
- Supports background notifications of changes in package status
- Allows you to track multiple packages at once, labeled and color coded for easy reference, and marked with icons for in-transit and delivered
- Displays package status in an all-in-one view, tap any package to see detailed status and scan history
- Can display package status and history on a Google Map so you can see where it has been
- Can shift from an in-app status display to the carrier's web page, complete with current status of your packages
- Can be set to automatically delete delivered packages after a set time, and removes completed packages from the notifications list
Parcels' may not have the UI flair that some of its iOS counterparts do, but what it lacks in design it makes up for in functionality. You do have to enter your tracking numbers manually (the developer recently removed the requirement that you link the app with your Google account for shipping notifications), but once you do you can see package status at any time on one screen. You can drill down to see all of the updates from the carrier, check the package's progress on a Google Map, or jump over to the carrier's web site to see detail the app may not have picked up, all without having to re-enter the tracking number. Best of all, Parcels does all of this for free, ad-free. There is a donationware version of the app that will set you back just over $4 USD if you want to contribute to the app's development.
The major downside to Parcels is that you have to enter each of your tracking numbers in manually. Other package tracking apps have found various ways to get around that (more on this later), but as it stands, you'll have to copy and paste from your shipping email into the app, or type it in while looking at another screen. Also, one of the app's drawbacks is that it doesn't support the wide variety of shipping carriers that some of its competition does. Where other apps boast hundreds of services, Parcel has a few dozen?that's a drawback for some international users, but most people will find their carrier supported, especially in North America and Europe. Plus, the developer is open to adding more carriers, and invites users to email or comment on the project page to help him choose which ones make it into each update.
Package Buddy (Free, ad supported/$1.99 to remove ads) is another robust package tracking tool for Android, and while it supports more carriers and shippers than Parcels, the UI is a bit more difficult to read and the app offers virtually the same features, only ad-supported. You'll have to shell out a few bucks to remove the ads. Package Buddy tries to get around the need to enter your tracking number manually by giving you a web site you can visit to create QR codes for your tracking numbers, but frankly it's just as much work to create the QR code and then scan it into the app as it is to just type it in once. Plus, Package Buddy's automatic update was buddy in our tests, and we missed the background notifications Parcels offered.
TrackChecker (Free) is another great alternative. It too supports tons of international carriers, including many in eastern Europe, Russia, and Asia, so if you're reading from there, this might be a better option for you than some of the apps that focus on the western hemisphere. The downside however is that TrackChecker is a "just the facts" kind of tool. You enter you tracking numbers manually, and you get a list of all of the packages you entered. Icons with number indicators let you know if there have been any changes (there are no notifications) and if any of them occured since you last looked at the status.
Shiprack Package Tracker (Free, ad supported/$0.99 to remove ads) supports largely North American carriers, including some enterprise freight and delivery services. While it's lacking in supported carriers, Shiprack fixes the problem of entering tracking numbers very well. Simply forward your shipping notifications to Shiprack from your Google account, and the service associates your notification with your phone and displays the current status of that package in the application. If that sounds familiar, it's the same way apps like TripIt allow you to send all of your travel arrangements to one address, log in to your account, and see them together. Sadly, Shiprack doesn't allow you to enter tracking numbers manually even if you wanted to, so we have to ding them for that. Aside from that, the app does offer package history on a Google Map, and detailed package history via the carrier's mobile site.
Package Tracker Pro ($1.99) offers most of the features that the other utilities do?the only difference is that Package Tracker Pro costs money. For your two dollars, you get the ability to sync with a file full of tracking numbers on your computer, so you don't have to enter them into your phone manually, you get background notifications on your phone (complete with flashing LEDs), and the ability to organize and label your packages the way you prefer, or by carrier. There's also a Package Tracker Pro version for Android Tablets, so if you're comfortable spending money to track your packages, the app is worth a look?but there isn't much you get here over other free options.
Packetracer (Free, ad-supported/$1.72 to remove ads) is the app for you if you're looking for a utility that works across multiple platforms and have to have the same app on your iOS, Android, Blackberry, or WIndows Phone. Still, the app supports close to 200 carriers internationally, so it's a great option if you do a lot of international shipping. The carriers are organized by region, which can be a pain to switch between if you have to track a lot of packages in different places. Still, it's the app with the most supported carriers we could find. Plus, Packetracer gets around you having to enter tracking numbers manually (although you still have to) by allowing you to scan tracking numbers from your computer screen, or labels from your packages. The trouble with this though is that the app has a tendency to think something's a tracking number when it's not, and you have to know where the tracking information is on the label to scan it.
Lifehacker's App Directory is a new and growing directory of recommendations for the best applications and tools in a number of given categories.
You can reach Alan Henry, the author of this post, at alan@lifehacker.com, or better yet, follow him on Twitter or Google+.
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/EdIKeOGvnvc/the-best-package-tracker-for-android
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