iPhone Calendar alerts

M

Matt-Man-Plus

macrumors regular
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Why is it that you can't set an alert for a calendar event any more than 2 days before the event? This drives me nuts. In iCal you can make an event (say an appointment that is 6 months out) and set it to alert you a month ahead if you'd like. Why can't you do this on the iPhone?
 
Matt-Man-Plus said:
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Why is it that you can't set an alert for a calendar event any more than 2 days before the event? This drives me nuts. In iCal you can make an event (say an appointment that is 6 months out) and set it to alert you a month ahead if you'd like. Why can't you do this on the iPhone?
Click to expand...

You CAN. In Calendar, click on future event. Hit edit button You have the option to set alert.
 
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I'm clearly missing something here. Where is this "future event" option to click on? I'm using an iPhone 4 with the the latest IOS.
 
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That's what I've been doing for 2 years now.
Problem is every once and a while I forget to set the alert in iCal. Would be nice if you could do it right in the iPhone.
 
Sorry, misunderstood your post. You cannot, in the calendar program on iDevices, set the alarm notification to go off more than 2 days prior to the event (although is this often necessary?). As noted before, however, you can configure an event and alert on your computer and then sync it over.
 
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It's just a minor annoyance. Sure I can sync the calendars and then edit the event in iCal but wouldn't it be easier to just setup the event and alerts on the phone and not have to worry about it?

I'm talking about doctor and dentist appointments for myself and my family Stuff that is usually scheduled weeks/months out.
 
Matt-Man-Plus said:
It's just a minor annoyance. Sure I can sync the calendars and then edit the event in iCal but wouldn't it be easier to just setup the event and alerts on the phone and not have to worry about it?

I'm talking about doctor and dentist appointments for myself and my family Stuff that is usually scheduled weeks/months out.
Click to expand...

I can understand wanting to SET UP an event in the distant future (which you CAN do on an iDevice).

I am unclear why anyone would need an ALERT more than 48 hours prior to said event.
 
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eawmp1 said:
Matt-Man-Plus said:
It's just a minor annoyance. Sure I can sync the calendars and then edit the event in iCal but wouldn't it be easier to just setup the event and alerts on the phone and not have to worry about it?

I'm talking about doctor and dentist appointments for myself and my family Stuff that is usually scheduled weeks/months out.
Click to expand...

I can understand wanting to SET UP an event in the distant future (which you CAN do on an iDevice).

I am unclear why anyone would need an ALERT more than 48 hours prior to said event.
Click to expand...

That's not really the point. YOU may not need to set an alert more than 48 hours in advance. Others may see it as a usefull feature.
 
eawmp1 said:
I can understand wanting to SET UP an event in the distant future (which you CAN do on an iDevice).

I am unclear why anyone would need an ALERT more than 48 hours prior to said event.
Click to expand...

A perfect example would be for birthdays - 2 days is simply not enough time to be reminded about a birthday/anniversary, etc., buy a card and mail it out - especially if the recipient is a long distance away.

Another example is for anything that requires advance planning (try to coordinate work coverage for a doctor's appointment on 2 days' notice sometime).
 
Resurrected old thread...I am constantly looking at my calendar so events have difficulty sneaking up on me but I sympathise with the OP and you, weebear1.

iCloud/Apple Calendar doesn't provide much in the way of settings.

Google calendars can, individually, have default reminders set to be sent via SMS or email. So you could have a medical calendar with 3 week reminders and a birthday calendar with one week and so on.
 
2 days is good enough for the hairdresser, but not the sales presentation.

eawmp1 said:
I can understand wanting to SET UP an event in the distant future (which you CAN do on an iDevice).

I am unclear why anyone would need an ALERT more than 48 hours prior to said event.
Click to expand...

Let's say that I book a speaking engagement 6 months out (common for me). Although my presentations tend to follow a canned presentation, they are either political or economic in nature, meaning that the underlying facts change almost hourly. I also tailor my presentation to the group to whom I'm speaking. It's the same message, but delivered with different emphasis, based on the focus of the group.

Considering that it takes me a week to place recent events into context and adjust the presentation so that I spend more time on the group's interest and events change so quickly in the current political climate, it would be foolish for me to plan changes to my presentation 6 months out and give that 6 month old presentation, when the date arrived. At the same time, two days just doesn't cut it. I need a full week, including a two day safety margin.

The iOS Calendar app may be great for appointments with the hairdresser or remembering the date of the PTA meeting, but it is severely lacking for even ordinary business world needs. Salesmen, lawyers, board members, and many more have to budget their time and plan in advance of sales meetings, depositions, board meetings, etc. Two days just doesn't cut it. Neither does just two alerts.
 
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