Calendar issues

[luckyguitar]

This is a problem on the Mac, iPhone, iPad and iCloud. I travel a lot, and I like to use the calendar to be able to keep my appointments. Unfortunately, there seems to be no way to turn off the feature that makes the times change as you change zones or cross the international date line. I'd like to be able to use a calendar in absolute time, without any regard to time zones. Whether timezone support is turned off or on, the times do change as i travel. I've reverted, quite some time ago, to using a paper calendar, simply because I can't rely on the Mac calendar to give me what I put in. Google, Microsoft, and everything else I've looked at has the same issue. If you put in an 8PM appointment in another timezone, when you go to that timezone, the time will change. If you put it in using that timezone, it will change to the timezone you're in when you're looking at it. I need to simply be able to look at the calendar and see where and what time I need to be there. I understand that many teleconference users use the timezone set up to their advantage and that's great, but why can't the rest of us have something that works? I'd sure appreciate some help or a point in the direction of a piece of software that actually will do this.

 

[organicCPU]

I don't travel so much, but what does the 'Turn on time zone support' setting in Preferences > Advanced do, if not what you are asking for? Find more about how to Change your time zone.

 

[luckyguitar]

I thought I was clear. I want absolute times. I don't want them to change. I don't want anything to do with timezones on my calendar, period. I want it to work like a paper calendar would. Time zone support, on or off, doesn't seem to matter; the times change as my location changes. There does not seem to be any way to keep this from happening.

 

[organicCPU]

You could set in System Preferences > Date & Time > Time Zone > Deselect "Set time zone automatically using current location". That way every app, not just calendar, should keep the time of the time zone you desire.
To get the time shown in the menu bar where you actually are at the moment, there are apps like Clocker.

 

[luckyguitar]

I've tried that, but it doesn't work the same across the iPhone and iPad, and with iCloud. It also makes maps go wonky, and I use those constantly, as a traveler.

There really ought to be a solution to this problem. I'm far from the only person suffering with this.

 

[Gav2k]

I've tried that, but it doesn't work the same across the iPhone and iPad, and with iCloud. It also makes maps go wonky, and I use those constantly, as a traveler.

There really ought to be a solution to this problem. I'm far from the only person suffering with this.

If you set the timezone (in the appointment) of the place where the appointment is taking place then it’ll work just fine.

 

[organicCPU]

It also makes maps go wonky, and I use those constantly, as a traveler.

Can you give more details on wonky. Do you mean that you won't get correct departure times of trains and wrong opening times of stores or is it something else?

Have you tried to live without or to fine tune System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Location Services?

I know a bit about macOS, but not much about iOS and iCloud...

 

[luckyguitar]

If you set the timezone (in the appointment) of the place where the appointment is taking place then it’ll work just fine.

Actually it doesn't. When I'm in another timezone, or across the International Date Line, the events show up changed, for the times and dates I'm currently in. This simply does not work for me. I simply need to know the time and date I'm doing whatever, regardless of where I am at the moment. Is that so hard to understand, or do? I did exactly that with a paper calendar for years.

 

[luckyguitar]

Again, all I need is a calendar that works like a paper calendar. Does anyone know of anything that fits that bill? It seems like it should be so simple...

 

[BrianBaughn]

So...you're in New York right now and will be in London tomorrow. You want your 3pm today NY appointment to show on your calendar right now as 3pm and your London appointment for tomorrow at 2pm (London time) to show right now as 2pm?

 

[luckyguitar]

Correct. Exactly the way a paper calendar would work. Without regard to timezones in any way.

That being said, I understand why some folks need timezone support. Video conferencing, etc. benefit, I know that. But I need the other option.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Correct. Exactly the way a paper calendar would work. Without regard to timezones in any way.

That being said, I understand why some folks need timezone support. Video conferencing, etc. benefit, I know that. But I need the other option.

So you need a calendar app that will know where you will be or have been at all times...or...a multi-device syncing calendar app that completely ignores where you are or what time zone you're in...just looks at the current time at where you are. I don't know of one but there's probably a lot of folks that would like it.

If you don't care about alerts you could use Google Calendar on your iOS devices and in a web browser on your Mac and enter every event as an all-day event with the time first (08:00 Breakfast). Google will put them in proper order as long as you use military time or put AM or PM before the time. Apple's Calendar doesn't sort all-day events alphabetically, unfortunately.

I see a possible issue with the international dateline but I haven't thought that through.

That seems like the closest thing to a paper calendar that syncs.

 

[luckyguitar]

I tried the Google calendar and it does shift things when you cross the date line. I wish I could find one option that simply gives me what I put in. 8PM concert at wherever, 9AM flight, change at 10:30 (a particular annoyance when I plane change is in another timezone on the same itinerary), without having to think it through every time. I've been dealing with this for several years now, and my actual workaround is to use a paper calendar. Not nearly as handy, but it gives me what I need.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I tried the Google calendar and it does shift things when you cross the date line. I wish I could find one option that simply gives me what I put in. 8PM concert at wherever, 9AM flight, change at 10:30 (a particular annoyance when I plane change is in another timezone on the same itinerary), without having to think it through every time. I've been dealing with this for several years now, and my actual workaround is to use a paper calendar. Not nearly as handy, but it gives me what I need.

Have you tried the all-day event method? Timezones mean nothing to an all-day event...that is, an all-day event in New York doesn't show up as 5am to 5am in London.

 

[MiG007]

I run into the same problem but I'll state it another way:

Going to a convention in Las Vegas and one in Japan but am currently in Minneapolis, get several meeting requests "let's meet at 2pm on Thursday" and another for Tokyo let's meet at 9:30am in Tokyo.

I just want to set a 2pm appointment for the Vegas trip. I don't want to have to worry about setting a time zone -- I want 2pm and I want 9:30am.

But my solution is to change the timezone in iCal to Floating. That solves it for me.

 

[luckyguitar]

That would work for me except that iOS doesn't support floating. It's also not a global setting in Calendar on the Mac; you have to do it each and every time you make a new event. I generally set up my various appointments on the Mac, but unless you have identical settings on the cloud and on the phone (not offered) it just adds to the confusion.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Having appointments in multiple time zones is confusing to me, also, but I thought that's because I don't have them that often. I thought you jet-setters would be used to it!

 

[luckyguitar]

I have a "great" computer so I don't have to think about these things. I can't imagine why some developer hasn't seen a niche and gone after it.

 

[MiG007]

I do all of my appointments on my laptop and they show up correctly on my iPhone.

I'm not sure what you mean about not supporting floating -- I'm guessing you mean you can't create a floating appointment on your iPhone. Agreed. I also admit that this is all a work around, it seems like it should be simpler and not require so much exactitude.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I'd suggest trying "Floating" events in BusyCal but I can't even get it to work.

 

[luckyguitar]

I'd suggest trying "Floating" events in BusyCal but I can't even get it to work.

Between the cloud, the phone, the Macs and the iPads this is sheer insanity. Three different ways of setting things up, and still my times change. The dates will change, too, when I cross the IDL. It's hard to believe, but it seems like nobody has seen the need for a cross platform calendar that works like a paper calendar and doesn't shift. Arrrrrrgh.

 

[cwanderson]

Between the cloud, the phone, the Macs and the iPads this is sheer insanity. Three different ways of setting things up, and still my times change. The dates will change, too, when I cross the IDL. It's hard to believe, but it seems like nobody has seen the need for a cross platform calendar that works like a paper calendar and doesn't shift. Arrrrrrgh.

Obviously your post is old, but I've been trying to figure out a solution to this for years. Like you, I travel constantly. I want the function of a paper calendar--absolute time--so I know exactly what time an event is no matter where I am. The only way I've found for this to currently work is by selecting Floating time when creating an event USING my MacBook Pro or iMac. Floating Time works like we want it to. But I use those very little, with my iPhone and iPad Pro being my primary devices. In such a well-constructed Apple ecosystem where mobile is king, why in the world must I still use a Mac device to get my calendar to function the way I want?! I want to be able to create events from my iPhone/iPad.

If you've come across any solutions in iOS 12, I'd love to hear them!

 

[BrianBaughn]

Looking at this again I'd say that if you're going to use a CalDAV or Exchange based calendar you have to play by their rules. Those protocols are set up for worldwide syncing as well as event invitations and sharing.

A "paper" style calendar that works across devices would need it's own type of host for storing the database and ignoring time zone and location differences. It probably would NOT be able to send or receive event invitations to CalDAV or Exchange calendars. It also wouldn't be able to subscribe to external calendars or even import calendar events generated by the other standards.

 

[MacknTosh]

I would love to have iCal have a "paper calendar" mode, as I want to set up events in my calendar, and the events stay at the time set, no matter where I go, and no matter where I am when I create the event. Unfortunately, the only workaround I have been able to find (as mentioned above, I use iCal) is to set the timezone for an event to "Floating" - that will prevent an event time from shifting when you change time zone. Unfortunately, it is not possible to set a floating timezone if you create an event on your iPhone (which seems strange, since a floating event created on MacOS will sync to your iPhone as a floating event).

 

[marcuslynch]

I too have wrestled with the disparity between OS X and iOS Calendars. Why does MacOSX not have a time zone setting for Floating, rather than forcing the user to change every single calendar entry manually? It's like not being able to set the default for Alert types any more, unlike the functionality that iCal used to have - I prefer email alerts to noises but - again - have to change each message manually (and if I forget, my phone &/or iPad will sound at unwanted times).

One work around I have found by accident to get Floating Calendar on iOS is to first on MacOS to set up a single event (I called mine "Generic Calendar event") and to set it to Floating Time Zone. I then go to iOS and start a new event called "Gener.." which then completes the entry (at the same date and time as the original event - which I edit) with the Timezone set to Floating. You need to edit title, date and time (and alert settings) but every event you create like this will be floating. I just have to deal with a few time zones with infrequent travel but without this workaround defaultI'dhave many more missed or overly early arrivals for appointments!

Hope this helps

It's not ideal, and I wish I didn't have to subvert Apple but they seem to have stooped listening to user requests...
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I keep thinking that there must be a Terminal way to make these default changes, but my coding skills don't stretch that far unfortunately...