For sure you already have your own way of managing your bills in order to avoid paying late but you might also like the updated Google Search app that helps you keep track of your bills.
It was just a few weeks ago when Google officially updated its Search application for iOS and Android platforms allowing its users the ability to view their past due and upcoming bills through their Gmail accounts. With the updated Search app, the user will just tap the microphone icon and say something like ‘Show me my bills’ or ‘I want to see my past or upcoming bills’. The system will scan the Gmail account to show the summary according to the bills that were sent to the user’s email address.
This will surely be a good way to manage your bills especially if there are way too many of them that you need to be reminded when they’re due—could be mobile phone bills, utilities, credit card bills and so on. Aside from serving as a reminder, this updated Google Search App will also be a good way of confirming whether you’ve paid your bills already or not. Say for instance you have a hard time remembering the exact amount you need to pay then the app will also help you out.
The comments of many users on the update range from excitement to concerns regarding privacy based on the fact that Google will have access to the Gmail accounts of users and scan the email folders.
With the rollout, Google have addressed the privacy concern already saying that the users have an option to be the only person who can view their bills. Also, according to The Guardian, Google has been scanning Gmail accounts for the longest time already for advertising and retargeting purposes. The Wall Street Journal even stated that in order to put the users’ mind to rest, they can just set the updated Google Search App to ‘Only you can see the result’ and the update won’t be activated on their accounts if they don’t allow for it anyway.
Two months ago, Google also updated the same Search app for Android devices with a feature that can search for flight alternatives just in case there’s a delay in the flight of the user. Aside from checking flight alternatives, the Search app also added bus and train reminders through Gmail reservations that display in the form of Google Now cards.
The updated Google Search app should prove to be useful for those people who have a hard time remembering amounts to pay on their bills, those who seem to forget if they’ve already paid their bills or not and those who need help with keeping track of their bills—past due or upcoming ones. If you think this update suits you, all you need to do is activate the service and start using it.