Google App Searches Gmail for Upcoming Bills

What day of the month is the cable bill due? That is a question you’ll never have to wonder again with the Google App’s new update.

Now, users can simply tap the microphone and say, “Show me my bills” or “My bills due this week” within the app. The information is pulled directly from your Gmail account and displayed on your screen as shown below.

The comments on Google’s G+ release vary from excitement to distrust at Google’s ability to scan your email folder. Here’s the hard truth: If you’re a Gmail user, Google is already scanning your emails for advertising and retargeting purposes.

However, the Wall Street Journal uncovered some information that will hopefully help users rest assured. Current Google Search users must opt into the new service in order for it to be activated. Additionally, when the Google App scrapes your email account and displays information for bills due, upcoming airline tickets, etc., you will receive a notice that states “Only you can see this result.” This helps reiterate to Gmail users that their personal information will not be shared.

I do have some of my monthly bills sent to my Gmail account. Unfortunately, when I tried to search for them using the Google App there were no results to speak of. So I ran another test searching for some upcoming travel plans also stored in my Gmail, and those displayed perfectly fine.

In reviewing some of the other user’s comments, it appears that quite a few people are asking if your bills must be present in your main Gmail folder in order to pull into the app. As of yet it doesn’t appear that Google has answered that question.