Gmail and Inbox now convert addresses, phone numbers and contacts into clickable links

The chances are that when you read that headline -- particularly if you're not a Gmail or Inbox user -- your reaction was something along the lines of "how is that not already a thing?"

The update is a simple one, but one that will be welcomed by users. Just as URLs are automatically converted into clickable links, so the same luxury is to be lavished on addresses, phone numbers and contacts. Welcome to 2017.

As the conversion is carried out automatically, there's nothing Gmail and Inbox users actually need to do. Once the feature has been activated by Google, clicking an address in an email will open up Google Maps. Click a phone number and a call will be started with your default dialer. Click an email address and... you get the idea.

Google says:

Gmail users often exchange information like addresses and phone numbers with each other to set up meetings, introduce colleagues, and plan events. Precious time can be lost by having to copy and paste this information from an email into other apps and websites, so we wanted to provide a better way to perform these tasks that also saves time. That’s why starting today, Gmail and Inbox by Gmail on Android, iOS, and the web will begin converting text to interactive hyperlinks whenever they detect phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses in emails.

The feature is rolling out now and should be available to everyone within a couple of days.