Google Calendar is a core a part of the Android productiveness bundle — but when all you are utilizing is what you see on the app’s floor, you are lacking out on some fairly highly effective prospects.Yes, oh sure: Just like so lots of our fashionable digital instruments, there’s extra to Google Calendar than meets the attention. And whereas nearly all of the service’s superior choices revolve across the Calendar web site, the Calendar Android app has its share of helpful out-of-sight choices which are particular to the cell expertise. From time-saving shortcuts to efficiency-boosting choices, they’re all issues which have the potential to make your life simpler in small however vital methods.Find time in your agenda to take a look at these 12 hidden Google Calendar options on Android. Trust me: You’ll be glad you probably did.1. The occasion creation quick-peekTell me if you happen to can relate to this: You head into the Calendar app in your telephone to create a brand new occasion. You open the display screen so as to add the occasion in — then you definately out of the blue end up dealing with a foggy psychological clean.What else did you will have happening that day? Did it’s essential schedule the occasion for two:00 p.m., or would 3:00 be higher? When was that podiatrist appointment, once more?I’ve definitely been there (nicely, to not the podiatrist, particularly, however within the basic occasion mind fog scenario). And the Android Calendar app does not do a lot to assist provide any broader calendar context whilst you’re within the midst of including in a brand new occasion. Or so it’d appear. After years of utilizing Google Calendar on Android, I simply observed a curiously camouflaged choice that’ll change the way in which you create occasions in your telephone.See that hardly noticeable light-gray line on the prime of the Calendar app’s occasion creation display screen? The one that appears vaguely like an arrow pointing downward? JR Yup, that is the one. The subsequent time you are including a brand new occasion in your telephone and you end up questioning what else is in your agenda round that very same time, faucet the road — or, alternatively, swipe downward wherever inside the principle occasion creation space of the display screen.And… JR Wouldya take a look at that?! You can really decrease that occasion creation interface down and browse round in your calendar behind it.And that is not all… 2. Simple occasion slidingAfter you’ve got entered that hid quick-peek view, keep in mind this: If you determine it’s essential shift your new occasion round to a different time, you may merely contact and maintain the define in your display screen and slide your finger up and down to maneuver it.Nifty, no? And there’s yet one more piece to this puzzle but…3. An occasion adjusting gestureIn addition to sliding an occasion round to maneuver it within the Calendar Android app’s occasion creation quick-peek interface, you may contact your finger to the dots on the highest or backside of your occasion’s define after which slide up or down from there to make the occasion longer or shorter. JR Now if solely our precise conferences could possibly be condensed down so simply! 4. Quick month-to-month calendar viewWhen it’s essential look at a full-month view while thumbing by way of your occasions, pay attention to the next invisible Calendar shortcut: You can faucet or swipe downward on the app’s prime bar — the place it says the present month’s title — to convey a month-to-month view into focus. Tap on the bar a second time (or swipe again up, together with your finger beginning simply beneath that space) to cover it whenever you’re accomplished. JR Who knew?! And talking of shadowy shortcuts…5. A helpful strategy to snap to at presentAnytime you are scrolling by way of your agenda view within the Calendar app and wish to bounce again to the present day, faucet the small calendar icon (the field with a dot it in, on to the left of your profile image within the upper-right nook of the display screen). JR That’ll zip you again to at present, regardless of how far into the longer term you’ve got traveled.6. Speedy deleting of occasionsHere’s an simply ignored and extremely helpful gesture within the Calendar Android app: From the agenda view, you may swipe any occasion or reminder towards the precise to delete it in a single, swift motion. JR So lengthy, tasks!7. The Meet omissionHave you ever observed how Calendar developed an irksome behavior of mechanically including Google Meet hyperlinks into each forkin’ occasion you create?That’s nice and dandy in case your occasion really features a Meet-based video assembly, but it surely’s fairly annoying — and doubtlessly complicated — when your occasion is one thing that is in particular person. Worse but is when your occasion is digital however in a distinct video assembly service, like Zoom, after which everybody you invite finally ends up getting each the proper hyperlink and a meaningless Meet hyperlink for a similar occasion.Here’s somewhat secret: You can put a cease to this insanity. And all it takes is a handful of fast faucets in your Android Calendar app.Open up Calendar in your telephone, faucet the three-line menu icon in its upper-left nook, and scroll right down to the underside to pick “Settings.”Tap “General,” then faucet “Add video conferencing” and switch the toggles into the off place for each account you’ve got received linked.Now, if you happen to ever wish to add a Meet hyperlink to an occasion, you are able to do so manually while creating stated occasion. But by default, these blasted hyperlinks will not get auto-added onto each single occasion for you.8. Event-sensitive silencing of your phoneThis one is technically an Android function, but it surely works hand in hand with Calendar and is likely one of the most sensible choices on the market: the flexibility in your telephone to mechanically silence itself anytime an occasion out of your Google Calendar is underway.All you’ve got gotta do is allow it: Head into your telephone’s settings and discover the Do Not Disturb part (by both wanting within the Sound part or just trying to find “Do Not Disturb” within the field on the prime of the display screen). Tap “Schedules,” convey your fairly little fingie to the road labeled “Event,” and both faucet the road itself (not the toggle subsequent to it) or the gear icon alongside it, if you happen to see one.That’ll pull up a display screen that appears one thing like this: JR The first choice on the display screen, “During events for,” lets you choose which of the calendars related together with your gadget will set off the phone-silencing habits. You can go away it set to the default setting of “Any calendar” to have any occasion on any calendar trigger your telephone to be silenced, or you may slim it down to at least one particular calendar — like your work calendar — and go away the others out.The second line permits you to specify what forms of occasions will trigger your telephone to be silenced. You can inform the system to silence your telephone provided that you’ve got replied “Yes” to an occasion, if you happen to’ve replied “Yes” or “Maybe,” or if you happen to’ve replied “Yes” or “Maybe” or have not replied in any respect. (Those selections are for occasions that different individuals created and invited you to attend, by the by; any occasion you create by yourself will at all times depend as an computerized “Yes.”)And lastly, the third line permits you to determine whether or not your telephone ought to use its default Do Not Disturb habits or if you happen to’d fairly create your individual customized settings for the way the telephone ought to behave on this particular circumstance. The customized settings choice provides you tons of flexibility for the way precisely your telephone ought to act whereas a Calendar occasion is underway: You can choose to permit calls or texts from starred contacts to return by way of, for instance, or to let occasions and reminders warn you even when no different sounds are permitted. You may even customise how several types of notifications seem visually throughout an appointment. JR Not seeing any of this in your gadget? If you are utilizing a telephone with an older model of Android or one whose producer has fudged round with this a part of the working system, you may arrange your individual simplified model of the identical function by embracing this IFTTT applet.9. Quick responses for group occasionsJust like Android means that you can ship a prewritten fast response whenever you’re rejecting a name, Google Calendar can allow you to ship a speedy word to anybody concerned in an upcoming assembly — all with a pair fast faucets in your telephone.To configure the function, open up the Calendar app, faucet the three-line menu icon within the upper-left nook, and choose “Settings” from the menu that seems.Next, choose “General,” then scroll down till you see “Quick responses.” Tap that — and there, you may see 4 choices for prewritten messages you may fireplace off on the fly whereas en path to any appointment involving a number of mammals. JR Oddly, Calendar does not allow you to create extra responses, however you may edit any of the default responses to make them say no matter you need. Just faucet any one in all ’em after which substitute it with no matter textual content your foolish ol’ coronary heart needs. JR To put your customized fast responses to make use of, open up any upcoming occasion that has a minimum of one different particular person invited. Tap the envelope icon inside the “Guests” line, then faucet the response you need from the checklist.That’ll take you on to a ready-to-roll electronic mail together with your message in place and the recipients added in. All that is left is to hit “Send” — and perhaps set free a guffaw in delight, ought to inspiration strike.10. Duplicate an present eventEver end up needing to create a brand new occasion that is remarkably just like one already in your agenda? The Calendar Android app has a simple strategy to duplicate an occasion after which use it as a blueprint for a brand new one: Just faucet the occasion you wish to emulate, faucet the three-dot menu icon in its upper-right nook, and choose — you guessed it — “Duplicate.”And that is it: Your new occasion will present up with the unique occasion’s information stuffed in and prepared for to be tweaked as wanted.Doesn’t get a lot simpler than that.11. More helpful notification occasionsGoogle Calendar’s default notification occasions for brand spanking new occasions aren’t proper for everybody. If you end up altering the setting for when an occasion will notify you as a rule (and/or quietly muttering inventive curses each time an occasion notifies you earlier or later than you want), do your self a favor and regulate your Calendar’s default notification occasions so that they work higher for you.Just head again into the Calendar app’s settings part — and this time, discover the part for the Google account you wish to modify and faucet the “Events” line beneath it. That’ll provide you with a display screen on which you’ll be able to change the default notification occasions for normal new occasions in addition to all-day occasions. You may even add a number of notifications, if you need, and alter the default shade for occasions on that calendar whilst you’re at it (ooh, ahh, and so on). JR If you wish to change the default notification time for reminders or for any secondary calendars you’ve got created inside a selected Google account, simply discover the suitable line beneath the account’s header and choose that as an alternative of “Events” — then make the identical kinds of modifications there.12. Custom calendar goalsIn addition to common ol’ occasions and reminders, the Android Calendar app can assist you create recurring targets. And regardless of the cheesy-sounding nature of the function’s title, it may possibly even have some real worth from a productiveness perspective.To test it out, faucet the round plus icon within the Calendar app’s lower-right nook, choose “Goal,” after which look by way of the sections that seem. Most of the classes are fairly goofy — exercising, spending time with household, studying, and different such duties that I discover it exhausting to consider anybody would really put onto their calendar after which observe — however the final merchandise within the checklist is named “Organize my life,” and it is on the very least value wanting by way of.Once you faucet that part, Calendar will provide you with a number of steered targets to schedule. Ignore these and faucet “Custom.” The app will then provide you with an inventory of stuff you would possibly really wish to schedule regularly: JR You can ignore these, too, although, and kind in your individual exercise — whether or not it is processing invoices, planning conferences, or one thing really essential like deciding what kinds of sandwiches ought to be ordered for lunch (I like to recommend pastrami). Once you’ve got chosen one thing or typed in your individual customized merchandise, Calendar will ask how usually you wish to do it, for the way lengthy, and at what time of day — and it will then discover open occasions in your schedule and work your merchandise in as usually as wanted. JR You can hold observe of how usually you accomplish your objective over time by telling Calendar everytime you end it. You may even choose to make use of one thing known as “smart notifications,” which warn you each earlier than and after your scheduled session so you may “prepare and track progress” (and/or grumble in regards to the annoying nature of “smart notifications”).It’s nothing revolutionary, by any means — however when you have an everyday, recurring job that appears considerably goal-oriented in nature, it may be an fascinating and visually distinctive strategy to handle it in your calendar.Bonus: Calendar’s secret codewordsHardly anybody is aware of this, however there is a strategy to hack the Calendar app’s illustration system and make any of Google’s contextual graphics seem on any occasion you need.The trick is solely studying the Calendar app’s secret codewords after which placing ’em to make use of precisely the way you need.Check out this whole checklist of Google Calendar codewords, and prepare to present your calendar an entire new personalized look.And with that, your Android calendar expertise is formally upgraded. Now all you’ve got gotta do is get every little thing in your agenda completed — and that, my expensive amigo, is squarely in your shoulders.Get much more superior shortcut information with my free Android Shortcut Supercourse. You’ll be taught tons of time-saving methods in your telephone!
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