Gmail Now Converts Phone Numbers and Addresses to Links on Desktop and in iOS Apps

Monday September 18, 2017 3:49 PM PDT by Juli Clover
Google today announced an update to Gmail that will see the popular mail client able to convert addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and contacts to into clickable hyperlinks.

The new hyperlink feature is available on the web and in the Gmail mobile apps for iOS and Android -- Gmail and Inbox by Gmail. This is something that has long been available in Apple's own Mail app on iOS and Mac devices.


When an address is clicked from Gmail, it will automatically open up Google Maps. Clicking an email address will compose a new email using the user's default email client, and clicking a phone number will start a call request.

Google says it will take approximately one to three days for the new feature to roll out to all users.

Tags: Google, Gmail
23 comments


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terrapinjess
22 months ago
Wait this wasn’t already a thing in the Gmail app?
Yikes
Rating: 7 Votes
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justiny
22 months ago

Apple can learn a thing or two from Google about software.


I agree Apple can learn a thing or two or ten about software. But definitely not from Google.
Rating: 6 Votes
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ILuvEggplant
22 months ago
Love the Gmail app.

The Apple mail app is seriously terrible.

Apple can learn a thing or two from Google about software.
Rating: 3 Votes
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Nuttz565
22 months ago

Love the Gmail app.

The Apple mail app is seriously terrible.

Apple can learn a thing or two from Google about software.

I agree with the exception of messaging. iMessage is leaps and bounds better than any of the dozen or so messaging services Google has.
Rating: 3 Votes
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dwman
22 months ago
It's not that Google was unforgivably behind in implementing this feature. This is mostly due to Apple having a patent on this technology which expired in 2016.
Rating: 2 Votes
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dannyyankou
22 months ago
Finally, this is something many iOS apps have had for years
Rating: 2 Votes
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Aston441
22 months ago

Love the Gmail app.

The Apple mail app is seriously terrible.

Apple can learn a thing or two from Google about software.


The Gmail app middle of the road IMHO. There are far better than that in the App Store.

Apple's Email is definitely the worst of the worst, I agree.
Rating: 1 Votes
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justiny
22 months ago

I've deleted the Gmail app and went back to using drfault mail app. As terrible as it is, at least I don't see any ads anymore.


I use Spark as my default email app for all of my devices. If you haven’t tried it out yet, I highly recommend it.
Rating: 1 Votes
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trusso
22 months ago
Sometimes this is convenient, other times it's undesirable. Apple and Google should give users the option to toggle automatic phone/address hyperlinks.
Rating: 1 Votes
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HallStevenson
22 months ago

I agree Apple can learn a thing or two or ten about software. But definitely not from Google.

As noted above, Google (and Samsung) had this years ago but had to remove it due to an Apple patent. Hopefully Google doesn't patent such simple concepts in order to restrict others from using features like this....
[doublepost=1505825607][/doublepost]Interestingly, just yesterday I tapped a tracking # in an email (using the Gmail app) and got a pop-up asking me if I wanted to use Google Chrome or Safari to open the link. There was also a toggle to remember this setting. This is something new. Not sure if it's from Gmail or the GM release of iOS 11.
Rating: 1 Votes
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