United States Postal Service releases new letter-tracking app

A new United States Postal Service app called Informed Delivery allows you to quickly to track your mail and to know immediately if your letters are lost or stolen.

“Get a sneak peek before it arrives in your mailbox,” USPS Marketing Manager, Alisa Zanette said.

A picture of each envelope is taken as they’re sorted at the post office. According to USPS Marketing Manager Alisa Zanette, this is the first time the USPS is connecting with people electronically.

You can receive the photo of your letter when it goes out for delivery through email, text or through the USPS Informed Delivery app. It helps you know when to expect important pieces of mail in your mailbox, like a check from grandma, a college acceptance letter or a new bank card.

“I have a daughter that goes to Jefferson County Public School, and the grades come through the mail, and when I came home, the letter was missing,” Zanette said. “She was so excited with her grade she already had it on the refrigerator. But as a parent, I already knew that letter was going to be there.”

Anyone can log on to the USPS Informed Delivery website to sign up to use the new, free service. Right now, pictures only work for your letter-sized mail. The app can also track your packages, but the tracking does not include a picture.

USPS will roll out pictures of packages on the app in the near future. That way, you know your letters are safe and sound at home, even when you’re not home.