Unlock a world of seamless scheduling with Google Calendar, your ultimate tool for juggling life’s many demands. Experience top-notch user-friendliness, a plethora of continuously updated features, and flawless integration with other Google services. Whether you’re a multitasker, a busy professional, or just someone looking to bring order to chaos, Google Calendar offers a customizable and effective way to manage your time like a pro.
Are you drowning in a sea of tasks, appointments, and deadlines? Discover how Google Calendar can be your lifebuoy, offering not just a digital calendar but a complete time management ecosystem.
From multitaskers and project managers to students and teams, find out why this feature-rich platform is more than just a scheduling tool—it’s your personal assistant for a more organized life. Dive into the pros and cons to see if it’s the right fit for you.
Read further to learn more about Google Calendar, in our review we will detail its features, pros and cons with our rating, and a conclusion about why you should use it.
Click on “open” if you want to see exactly what we will talk about in the rest of this article.
Google Calendar is a shareable online scheduling tool that integrates seamlessly across Google Workspace.
Designed to simplify planning, it consolidates multiple calendars into a single view, allowing for efficient management of work tasks, personal commitments, and everything in between.
Users can add tasks directly from Google Calendar, Gmail, or the Google Tasks app, and set due dates for completion. The platform also offers advanced features like layering multiple calendars, shared calendars, and automatic event addition from emails.
Premium features, available on Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans, include advanced scheduling options, time insights, and location-specific RSVPs.
Google Calendar specifications
Features
Appointment Scheduling / Calendar management / Custom View / Customize Notification Time / Desktop Notifications / Event Scheduling / Events Tracker / Google calendar sync / Google meet integration / In-Meeting Collaboration and Participation / Insights / Keyboard Shortcuts / Set Default Duration for Meetings / Shared Calendars / Sync with CRM / Time insights
Google Calendar pricing: How much does Google Calendar cost?
Google Calendar is available as a free service for individual users. However, if you’re looking for additional features like advanced scheduling options and increased storage, it’s included in the paid Google Workspace plans.
These plans start at $6 USD per user per month and offer a range of additional functionalities and services beyond just Google Calendar.
Google Calendar features: What can you do with it?
Whether you’re an individual looking to organize your life or a business seeking a centralized scheduling solution, Google Calendar’s robust features have got you covered.
From multiple calendars and group scheduling options to seamless integration with other Google services, explore how Google Calendar can redefine your time management experience.
Create Multiple Calendars
You can create multiple calendars to manage different aspects of your life, such as work, personal commitments, and hobbies.
To create a new calendar, click the plus sign next to “My calendars” and follow the setup process. You can also color-code each calendar for easy identification.
Add Google Meet to Events
You can add a Google Meet video call link directly to your calendar events. This is especially useful for remote meetings, as attendees can join the meeting with just one click.
Attach Documents
Google Calendar allows you to attach documents, such as Google Docs or PDFs, directly to events. This ensures that all attendees have access to necessary materials before the meeting starts.
Schedule Meetings with Groups
Google Calendar offers two features for group scheduling: “Find a time” and “Suggested times.” Both options analyze the availability of all attendees and suggest suitable time slots.
“Find a time” displays everyone’s schedules side-by-side, while “Suggested times” provides a dropdown list of available slots.
Sync with CRM
If you use a CRM system, you can integrate it with Google Calendar. This feature allows you to sync meetings and other events between the two platforms, eliminating the need to manually update both.
Hide Event Details
For sensitive or private meetings, you can set the event to “Private.” This ensures that only you can see the event details, while others will see you as “Busy” during that time slot.
Enable World Clock
The World Clock feature displays multiple time zones on the side of your calendar. This is particularly useful for scheduling meetings with international participants.
Set Working Hours
You can specify your working hours in Google Calendar. If someone tries to schedule a meeting outside of these hours, they will receive a notification, reducing the likelihood of scheduling conflicts.
Email Event Guests
This feature enables you to send an email to all event attendees directly from the calendar. This is useful for sending updates or reminders related to the event.
Specify Meeting Locations
You can add specific addresses or locations to your events. These addresses integrate with Google Maps, providing attendees with directions to the meeting location.
Use Desktop Notifications
Instead of intrusive pop-up alerts, you can enable desktop notifications. These notifications slide in from the corner of your screen, providing a less disruptive reminder of upcoming events.
Customize Notification Time
You can set custom notification times for each event. This allows you to receive reminders at intervals that suit you, ranging from minutes to weeks before the event starts.
Arrange Appointment Schedules
The “Appointment slots” feature allows you to carve out specific times for appointments. You can then share these slots with others via a private calendar link, allowing them to book time with you.
Browse Calendars of Interest
Google Calendar offers a variety of public calendars that you can subscribe to. These can range from public holidays to sports schedules, helping you stay updated on events that interest you.
Implement a Custom View
You can customize the calendar view to show your preferred time range, such as a week, month, or a specific number of days. This helps you focus on the time frame that is most relevant to you.
Share Calendars
You can share your calendar with others and set varying levels of permissions. This allows for collaborative planning and ensures that everyone is on the same page.
Time insights
Time Insights is an advanced feature that analyzes your schedule to provide a comprehensive view of how you’re spending your time and with whom.
By categorizing your activities and meetings, it offers valuable insights into your time management patterns. This feature is particularly useful for professionals who want to optimize their workday and gain a better understanding of their time allocation.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Google Calendar supports a variety of keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation and task execution. For example, pressing “t” will move your calendar view to today, and “c” will create a new event.
Quick Shortcuts for Time Navigation
You can use keyboard shortcuts like “G” to quickly jump to a specific date and “T” to return to the current date/time. This eliminates the need for manual scrolling through the calendar.
Set Default Duration for Meetings
You can set a default duration for new meetings, helping you manage your time more efficiently. For example, you can set a default duration of 20 minutes for quick check-ins.
Google Calendar is particularly beneficial for individuals who juggle multiple responsibilities, whether in a professional setting, academic environment, or personal life.
It’s a go-to solution for freelancers, project managers, students, and anyone who needs to keep track of various tasks and appointments. The software is also ideal for teams and organizations that require a centralized scheduling system.
It offers a seamless user experience and a variety of features that make time management more effective. The software is continually updated with useful presets for common events like meditation and gym sessions.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Effective Time Management: Google Calendar excels in helping you manage your daily routine and time. It’s particularly useful for multitaskers who need to juggle various commitments.
User Experience: The platform offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface. Even if you’re new to digital calendars, you’ll find it easy to get started.
Feature-Rich: The software is continuously updated to include useful features. For example, it offers presets for common events like meditation sessions or gym time, making it easier to schedule recurring activities.
Integration with Other Google Services: Google Calendar can be seamlessly integrated with other Google services like Google Meet and Google Tasks, providing a unified platform for all your scheduling needs.
Customization: The ability to create multiple calendars, set custom reminders, and even attach documents to events makes it highly customizable to fit individual needs.
Cons:
Application Crashes: Some users have reported occasional application crashes, which can be disruptive, especially if you’re in the middle of scheduling or attending a meeting.
Event Reminder Issues: There have been instances where the software does not mark the event as a reminder for all participants, leading to potential miscommunication.
Limited Offline Capabilities: While you can view your calendar offline, the functionality for making changes is limited when you’re not connected to the internet.
Learning Curve for Advanced Features: While the basic features are easy to use, some of the more advanced functionalities may require a bit of time to master.
By weighing these pros and cons, you can make an informed decision on whether Google Calendar is the right scheduling tool for you.