Switching from iCloud calendar to Google calendar backend

[TRICKorDEVICE]

Has anyone made the switch from using iCloud calendar to Google calendar? I’m considering doing this but wanted to see if there were any features on iOS that would be crippled by switching which service handles the backend.


I’ve been using iCloud for the past five years for calendar syncing. But Google smarts have just become really alluring for me to make the switch. For example I recently had A flight itinerary mailed to me. When it got to my inbox iPhone/iOS did nothing with the dates. But when I checked my Google calendar it automatically added the flights to the calendar. These are the kinds of features that I am currently missing with iCloud/iPhone.

Are there any features of iPhone that won’t work correctly if I change the syncing service? Such as time to leave, being able to click on locations in the native app and open the Apple Maps, Showing next location in the maps widget on iPhone.

Any experiences you can share are appreciated

 

[scmill]

I’ve used the Google calendar instead of the iCloud calendar for the last couple of years. I haven’t noticed anything not working. I get all the notifications whether I manually enter them, import them from email (think dr appt notices) or are imported automatically from our family’s Cozi calendar.

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

I’ve used the Google calendar instead of the iCloud calendar for the last couple of years. I haven’t noticed anything not working. I get all the notifications whether I manually enter them, import them from email (think dr appt notices) or are imported automatically from our family’s Cozi calendar.

Thanks for the input. Do the locations work correctly for calendar input?

 

[scmill]

Not sure what you mean. If I give an address, it puts a little map. Is that what you mean?

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

Not sure what you mean. If I give an address, it puts a little map. Is that what you mean?

Yes! And does it show up in the next location widget?

 

[scmill]

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

View attachment 820671 View attachment 820672

Thank you for taking the time to respond to me! What I’m curious about is the maps destination widget. Could you do another test of where you have an address in there and show me if it shows up in the (Apple) maps destination widget?

 

[scmill]

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

View attachment 820677

Thank you!

Very cool!

 

[fastbagger]

One thing that aggravates me about Google Calendar is that it always shows the date of 31 instead of the actual date like the iOS calendar app.

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

One thing that aggravates me about Google Calendar is that it always shows the date of 31 instead of the actual date like the iOS calendar app.

If I switch I’ll just use the iOS calendar app with the Google backend, best of both worlds?

Why don’t you do that?

 

[NoBoMac]

If I switch I’ll just use the iOS calendar app with the Google backend, best of both worlds?

Why don’t you do that?

This.

Personally, Google Calendar has not worked for me re: notifications. Real hit/miss. All my settings are correct, yet, don't always get them. Miss the days when they allowed text messages. But in my case, G is secondary alerts when I'm traveling: plane times, check in, etc, if for some odd reason Calendar gets messed up.

 

[tarsins]

Because of my work I have to use iOS, MacOS, Android and Windows. I use the Google Calendar back-end with the iOS calendar App on my iPhone, the native MacOS calendar App on my iMac, the Google Calendar App on my Note 9 (because it looks nicer) and the native Mail App on my Surface Book. They all work fine .

 

[rbrian]

If you use Google maps, Google calendar events with locations are added to the map as POIs, with the date of the event, and it can do suggested locations just like Apple Maps. I never talk to an assistant on my phone, but they are getting very clever behind the scenes.

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

If you use Google maps, Google calendar events with locations are added to the map as POIs, with the date of the event, and it can do suggested locations just like Apple Maps. I never talk to an assistant on my phone, but they are getting very clever behind the scenes.

This is a real compelling case to switch. I’m a bit torn because “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” But the Google smart features are so damn compelling.

 

[bransoj]

I've used my iPhone with Google Mail, Calendar and Contacts since back on my 3GS years ago. Only issue i had\have is that push doesnt really work anymore unless you are on wifi but that doesnt bother me. Means all my stuff is synced and available from my phone, iPad and any internet connected PC where i can log into the website versions of these. I just use all of them on my iPhone with then native apps as well.

Not sure if its just me or not but i have noticed that if i enter a calendar entry via the Google Calendar website and add the location there it doesnt show as a proper location on the phone and show the map. I find this a bit annoying as i have carplay and find it handy when it just automatically shows my next destination as soon as i start Maps on the carplay screen so i just normally add the entry via my phone or ipad or edit the entry with a location afterwards.

 

[BBDDVV]

Am using both iCloud and Google calendars using Apple's native Calendar app for years.

A difference not mentioned above is when adding an invitee to an appointment:

• when doing this while using an appointment in a Google calendar, and the invitee accepts it in an iCloud calendar, a location will show up as a 'long Google link' (same/similar as copying an address from a Google search).
• when doing this while using an appointment in an iCloud calendar, and the invitee accepts it in an iCloud calendar, a location will show up exactly as in your appointment: normal address info and a map preview.

You can just give this Google calendar a try without loosing/replacing your iCloud calendar. Just add a Google account, make sure Calendar is ON and voila, it also shows up in Calendar app.
When creating a new appointment, you can just select what calendar you want to add it to. Also an existing appointment can be moved to a different calendar by just editing the calendar in the appointment itself.

Note 1: when you're Google calendar was ever granted 'sharing and managing permissions' from an other Google calendar, adding just your Google account also brings along these other calendar(s), they'll appear in the calendar app next to your primary calendar where you can turn them on/off individually.
Note 2: even the color you assigned to a calendar in Google will be brought over an matched to the (closed available?) color of the iOS Calendar app.

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

I've used my iPhone with Google Mail, Calendar and Contacts since back on my 3GS years ago. Only issue i had\have is that push doesnt really work anymore unless you are on wifi but that doesnt bother me. Means all my stuff is synced and available from my phone, iPad and any internet connected PC where i can log into the website versions of these. I just use all of them on my iPhone with then native apps as well.

Not sure if its just me or not but i have noticed that if i enter a calendar entry via the Google Calendar website and add the location there it doesnt show as a proper location on the phone and show the map. I find this a bit annoying as i have carplay and find it handy when it just automatically shows my next destination as soon as i start Maps on the carplay screen so i just normally add the entry via my phone or ipad or edit the entry with a location afterwards.

Thanks for the feedback. Just for the record, if you use iCloud Calendar and add the event from icloud.com - it does the same thing if you add the address there. It will not show up on devices with a smart link for the map. The address/location has to be added through the iOS Calendar app.
[doublepost=1549906557][/doublepost]

Am using both iCloud and Google calendars using Apple's native Calendar app for years.

A difference not mentioned above is when adding an invitee to an appointment:

• when doing this while using an appointment in a Google calendar, and the invitee accepts it in an iCloud calendar, a location will show up as a 'long Google link' (same/similar as copying an address from a Google search).
• when doing this while using an appointment in an iCloud calendar, and the invitee accepts it in an iCloud calendar, a location will show up exactly as in your appointment: normal address info and a map preview.

You can just give this Google calendar a try without loosing/replacing your iCloud calendar. Just add a Google account, make sure Calendar is ON and voila, it also shows up in Calendar app.
When creating a new appointment, you can just select what calendar you want to add it to. Also an existing appointment can be moved to a different calendar by just editing the calendar in the appointment itself.

Note 1: when you're Google calendar was ever granted 'sharing and managing permissions' from an other Google calendar, adding just your Google account also brings along these other calendar(s), they'll appear in the calendar app next to your primary calendar where you can turn them on/off individually.
Note 2: even the color you assigned to a calendar in Google will be brought over an matched to the (closed available?) color of the iOS Calendar app.

This is great information. I am a bit unclear on the difference you note above though. So are you saying that when I add an event on the iPhone using the Google calendar the location information will somehow get messed up if an invitee is added?

 

[BrianBaughn]

This.

Personally, Google Calendar has not worked for me re: notifications. Real hit/miss. All my settings are correct, yet, don't always get them. Miss the days when they allowed text messages. But in my case, G is secondary alerts when I'm traveling: plane times, check in, etc, if for some odd reason Calendar gets messed up.

I miss the SMS notifications from Google Calendar, also.

As a substitute I created a new Gmail email address just for calendar notifications. When I get an email calendar notification on my main Google account it's now forwarded to the new account. I set up the new account in the Edison Email app (which supports push for Gmail) and have a distinctive alert in that app for new mail.

It's so stupid to have to go through all that crap but how else are you going to get a unique alert for a flight check-in 24 hours and 10 minutes before a flight (1450 minutes)?

 

[C DM]

This.

Personally, Google Calendar has not worked for me re: notifications. Real hit/miss. All my settings are correct, yet, don't always get them. Miss the days when they allowed text messages. But in my case, G is secondary alerts when I'm traveling: plane times, check in, etc, if for some odd reason Calendar gets messed up.

Yeah, I'd get notifications for a few days and then nothing until I open the app and then I'd get notifications for a few more days and then nothing again--basically it seems like notifications stop coming through if you haven't opened/used the app for a few days.

 

[bransoj]

I have no issues with notifications from the native app tied to my google calendar account. Don’t bother with the app at all.

 

[BBDDVV]

Thanks for the feedback. Just for the record, if you use iCloud Calendar and add the event from icloud.com - it does the same thing if you add the address there. It will not show up on devices with a smart link for the map. The address/location has to be added through the iOS Calendar app.
[doublepost=1549906557][/doublepost]


This is great information. I am a bit unclear on the difference you note above though. So are you saying that when I add an event on the iPhone using the Google calendar the location information will somehow get messed up if an invitee is added?

The location information doesn't get messed up, it's just not displayed in the same way in the invitee's appointment (in the native calendar app; when you and the invitee are using 'a different calendar back-end'). On your own device it still looks fine with just the location information below the event title and a map preview at the bottom (regardless what calendar you use).

 

[TRICKorDEVICE]

The location information doesn't get messed up, it's just not displayed in the same way in the invitee's appointment (in the native calendar app; when you and the invitee are using 'a different calendar back-end'). On your own device it still looks fine with just the location information below the event title and a map preview at the bottom (regardless what calendar you use).

Got it, I think I understand now. Thanks for the information.