AfterShip — Are we there yet?
Track your packages… Simply
I normally order between 7 to 10 items from eBay, Amazon and other smaller outlets from around the globe per month. In some cases if the thing is not so important, or I don’t need it very soon I will go ahead and order it with free shipping and no tracking. It usually takes between 7 to 28 days to arrive with free shipping (they really do take their time…).
On the other hand, when I do order something important and I need to ensure it will arrive safely and it’s well on it’s way there’s AfterShip. This is a beautifully designed app that simply tracks your packages and lets you know if there are any status updates throughout the journey your things are undertaking.
When you open the application, you will just find two tabs and a button. The plus button on the top right corner of the screen lets you add a new shipment. The two tabs show your current shipments to the left and your archived (delivered) packages on the right. *Note, archiving is manual and optional, otherwise it will just stay in the active shipments.
When you add a new shipment, you are presented with this screen. You can scan a barcode, or you can manually add an alphanumeric value or copy-paste your tracking number from your email.
The carrier will be automatically selected, or if by any odd reason it doesn’t find your carrier you can manually select it from the dropdown box too.
On the last field, you can enter a name for your parcel, say, what the item is, so you can easily keep track of which item is which.
Once you have added your parcel, it will show you on the header what is the current status, in this case, “IN TRANSIT” is the current status. As you scroll down you can find all the steps, or stops that your package has gone through already.
- Note: As long as your packages are being scanned on every stop, it will be updated on the shipment information.
You also may either tap on the share button to send a link to open it on your browser or another app, or press on the information button to get some other details.
When you press on the information button, you will find more details regarding the shipment itself. The tracking number, the carrier, and so on. It has a direct link to the website and a call button, no hassles, awesome simplicity all around.
All in all, the application is extremely easy to use. It is very accurate, as I have never had to correct which carrier the shipment is on. It’s free, with a paid online scheme if you want SMS updates but the app is enough and if you’re really desperate you may open the app as many times as you want to refresh it. (I do that, all day… ALL).
If you’re looking for an easy, smart way to track your shipments, this app will definitely cover you on that front. It has a great user interface, up to today’s Android design standard (as opposed to most others on the market) and it’s free. What else would we ask for?
