Google Calendar: 11 Hidden Tips and Tricks

What is Google Calendar?

Google Calendar is Google’s calendar app. It’s free to use for anyone with a Google account, but Google Workspace users can access additional features. Google Calendar automatically syncs with your other Google tools, including Gmail, and you can integrate it with other platforms, such as your project management software. Google Calendar is accessible via your web browser or the Google Calendar mobile app.

11 Google Calendar tips and tricks

The following tips and tricks will come in handy when you’re using Google Calendar.

1. Set notifications for events and appointments.

Putting events and appointments into your Google Calendar won’t do you much good if you forget about them when the time comes. Fortunately, Google Calendar can send push notifications or text messages to remind you of upcoming and imminent appointments. It can also alert you if an event is canceled or the details change. 

Follow these steps to change your notification settings:

1. Open the Settings menu (the gear icon).
2. Select Settings.
3. In the General section, choose Notification Settings.
4. Edit your notifications to suit your preferences.

2. Have your daily agenda emailed to you.

In addition to sending alerts for individual appointments, Google Calendar can email you a daily agenda so you can see your entire schedule at a glance. Here’s how it works: 

1. Open the Settings menu (the gear icon).
2. Select Settings. 
3. In the “Settings for my calendars” section, select a calendar. 
4. Under “Other notifications,” go to Daily Agenda and toggle the box from None to Email.
5. Google will send a complete agenda to your inbox each morning.

3. Hide your inactive hours.

If you use Google Calendar for business, then weekends and evenings are probably just taking up space on your calendar. Consider hiding those times to get a better view of the hours and days you’re open for business. 

Follow these steps to hide weekends:

1. Open the Settings menu (the gear icon).
2. Select Settings. 
3. In the General section, choose “View options.” 
4. Uncheck the box next to “Show weekends.” 

You can use Chrome extensions to hide specific hours in Google Calendar. The Hide Morning in Calendar Chrome extension, as the name implies, allows you to hide morning times. GCalPlus lets you hide everything before and after the times you specify. 

4. Set your working hours.

Google Calendar users can receive meeting invitations from others and add those appointments to their calendars with a few clicks. But because you’re not always available for a meeting, a feature in Google Calendar helps you set working hours. When someone tries to schedule an event outside those hours, they will receive a warning and the option to select a different time. 

Follow these steps to set your working hours:

1. Open the Settings menu (the gear icon).
2. Select Settings.  
3. In the General section, choose “Working hours.” 
4. Select “Enable working hours.” 
5. Select the days and times you’re available for work. 

5. Manage your tasks.

Forget about pen-and-paper to-do lists. Google Calendar has a hidden task manager that lets you create lists and check off items as you go. 

Follow these steps to view or add a task:

1. Select My Calendars from the left column. 
2. Ensure that Tasks is selected. 
3. To view a list of tasks, select the task icon, which looks like a check in a circle, from the menu on the right side. 
4. To add a task, select the appropriate day in your calendar. When the event dialog box appears, select Task.
5. Enter the task details, and select Save. 

6. Use your calendar offline.

A web-based calendar has perks, including that it’s accessible from any internet-connected device. However, you won’t always have internet access, and mobile coverage can be spotty. In those instances, it comes in handy to access an offline version of your calendar using Google’s Chrome browser. 

To enable this function, you must use Google Calendar as part of Google Workspace and Chrome as your web browser. Here’s how it works:

1. Open the Settings menu (the gear icon).
2. Select Settings.  
3. In the General section, select Offline and then “Turn on offline calendar.” 
4. Select “Reload now.” 
5. Your calendar will sync for offline use. 

7. Share your calendar.

Sharing your calendar with employees or colleagues is an excellent workplace collaboration practice that can help teams complete projects efficiently. When you share a calendar with team members, they can access it on their Google Calendar page. 

To share a Google Calendar, follow these steps: 

1. Open the Settings menu (the gear icon).
2. Select Settings.  
3. Under “Settings for my calendars,” select the calendar you want to share. 
4. Select “Share with specific people or groups.” 
5. Select “Add people and groups,” and enter the email address of the person you want to share with. 
6. Choose their permission level, and select Send.  

You can also create and share a project-specific calendar instead of your primary calendar. Here’s how to do it:

• On the main Google Calendar screen, select the plus sign (+) next to “Other calendars.” 
• Select “Create new calendar,” and enter a calendar name and description. 
• Select “Create calendar.”
• Enter specific project-related events, tasks and dates, and share the calendar with the appropriate team members.

8. Schedule group meetings according to availability.

Planning business meetings with groups of people with different schedules can be challenging. Google Calendar can help you plan meetings that accommodate all parties’ schedules. Here’s how to do it: 

1. From the top left of the main screen, select Create and then Event. 
2. Enter your meeting details, including a meeting title and location.
3. Select “Add guests,” and enter the email addresses of your meeting attendees.  
4. Select ”Find a time” to manually scan for open times, or select “Suggested times” to see time options when all participants are available.  
5. Choose your meeting time, and select Save and then Send. 

9. Create a video meeting link.

You don’t need Zoom or a conference call service to host a virtual meeting when you have Google Calendar. Whenever you create an event involving at least two people (including yourself), Google Calendar will automatically populate the event with a Google Meet link. Here’s how to do it:

1. From the top left of the main screen, select Create and then Event. 
2. Enter your meeting details, including a meeting title and time. 
3. Select “Add Google Meet video conferencing.”

Your attendees don’t have to request a video link, and you don’t have to send one. Everyone can load the event and select Join with Google Meet when the meeting begins.

10. Utilize Google Calendar keyboard shortcuts.

Google Calendar is among the most streamlined planning apps, and keyboard shortcuts make it even more efficient. Here are a few basics: 

• While you’re looking at your calendar, type “Q” to quickly add an event. 
• Type “C” to bring up the full event addition menu.
• Type “T” to go to today in your calendar. 

Visit Google Calendar’s keyboard shortcut list to see a complete list of keyboard shortcuts. 

11. Use Time Insights to improve time management. 

As artificial intelligence continues to proliferate, Google has been at the forefront of building new technology into its existing software suites. Time Insights is an excellent example. With this tool, you can get a quick, at-a-glance view of who you meet with and how you spend your time. Here’s how to do it: 

1. Open Google Calendar. 
2. Select “More insights” from the left-hand menu. 
3. Check how much time you spend in meetings overall or with a specific person.  

This feature is available only in Google Workspace or school accounts. Note that if you manage other team members’ calendars, you can also view their Time Insights. 

Benefits of Google Calendar

Google Calendar can bring the following benefits to professionals, managers and other users: 

• Google Calendar streamlines meeting planning. With Google Calendar, you can share your schedule with anyone. You can also invite other people within or outside your organization to meetings while auto-generating video conferencing links. Additionally, you can indicate your working hours and meeting availability and compare them with those of other users.
• Google Calendar can send meeting reminders. It’s easy to miss meetings or deadlines when you have so much happening. Google Calendar can send you notifications that help you avoid missing key events. You can receive notifications in your web browser, on your desktop or via your mobile device.
• Google Calendar can send daily agendas. Google Calendar can automatically email you a daily agenda at the start of every workday. This way, you can start the day knowing exactly what’s on your agenda and plan for it.
• Google Calendar streamlines task scheduling. Google Calendar’s Tasks function can help you manage your workload. Although it doesn’t have the functionality of top productivity apps, it’s a convenient tool that can help you stay organized. 

Google Calendar is an excellent business resource

A functional, easy-to-use calendar is an indispensable tool for busy professionals and business owners who need to stay organized and on task. Google Calendar’s collaboration and meeting features can help anyone streamline their workday and enhance communication and collaboration in the workplace. When you use Google Calendar in conjunction with Google’s wider suite of business tools, your efficiency will skyrocket. 

Matt D’Angelo contributed to this article.