With the increasing number of meetings due to working from home, my iPhone calendar app is (slowly) becoming one of my most popular apps. But I’ve been part of Google’s ecosystem for a long time. But I also use Apple Calendar for ease of use for adding events.
Also, if you notice that you’re moving back and forth between Google Calendar and Apple Calendar, you don’t have to look anymore. This article provides a detailed comparison of Apple Calendar and Google Calendar for some important aspects. Take a look and help you decide which one to use to better manage your week.
- Calendar interface
- ease of use
- Add new event options
- Calendar notification
- Integration with third-party calendars and services
- Add new event suggestions
- Data privacy
- safety
- availability
Contents
1. Calendar interface
The layouts of all calendar apps are similar, but Google Calendar and Apple Calendar differ in some ways.
Both apps allow you to switch between layout, day, week, month, or upcoming events. In addition, the events are color coded for easy identification. However, it’s a bit nicer in Google Calendar because it displays the text along with the event name.
In addition, Google Calendar displays both month and day views at the same time. This option is not available in the Apple Calendar app. It’s a minor feature, but there are differences.
winner: Google calendar
2. Ease of use
In my opinion, the calendar app should be easy to use. Don’t waste your time setting new appointments or searching for events.
Google Calendar has many options that make it one of the best calendar apps, but it can sometimes be overwhelming. Clicking the plus button ideally creates an event. Google must provide at least options or shortcuts to quickly create an event without going to the options screen.
Apple has one of the simplest calendar apps. Everything is right in front of you and you can search for events with just one tap. With just a click, you can easily switch between views, events invited to views, and calendars. Apple Calendar is a great “look and go” app, and I believe this is the purpose of the calendar app.
winner: Apple calendar
3. Add new event options
When you create an event in Apple Calendar and Google Calendar, you’ll see various options. Look at the options and consider which service is better.
Apple Calendar’s new event creation screen is easy. You can give the event a title, add people to the event, tag the event, and set notifications. In iOS 15, you can also use the Video Hangouts link to create an event and specify the location of the event.
In Google Calendar, + ButtonYou’ll see various options such as, tasks, reminders, events, and even create goals. Event creation options such as invitations, meeting links, tags, and notification settings are very well known. But Google jumps over Apple with that goal option.
Google Calendar allows you to set goals such as exercising and building skills. Once you specify a goal, Google Calendar analyzes the best time for that event.
For example, if you set a goal to play badminton in the morning, the event was automatically created from 8am to 9am. If you have a calendar for many events and want to find time for your activity on a regular basis, you should use the Google Calendar goal option.
winner: Google calendar
4. Calendar notification
Both Apple and Google offer a variety of options for customizing notifications. For Google, you can set default settings for all events, such as notifying you about the event 10 minutes before the start time or emailing you about the event. In addition, Google allows you to set custom default settings for your custom calendar.
For Apple, the default is set 10 minutes before the event and can be customized for each event. However, Apple’s “Time to Leave” is unique. If you set an event location, Apple Calendar analyzes your current location, traffic conditions, and the time it takes to reach the event location, and suggests a time to depart so that you can reach it in time.
Google does not provide such a feature.
winner: Apple calendar
5. Integration with third-party calendars and services
Google Calendar is best integrated with third-party calendars. You can add events from third-party sources by using links or by importing directly using a file (CSV is also supported). You can also use your email ID to request access to your colleague’s calendar.
In addition, if you’re a sports fan, Google can import sports equipment directly into your calendar to support many sports. For example, you can import a calendar of IPL matches for your favorite team. Next time, you won’t miss the match.
Apple does not provide this feature in the app. You can import holidays and subscribe to your calendar via a link, but that’s it.
winner: Google calendar
6. Add new event suggestions
Google easily wins this race. Google adds all the events contained in your email, such as airline tickets and restaurant reservations, directly to your Google Calendar. This is great because you don’t have to open the email every time you view the event details. Everything is right in front of you.
Apple Calendar provides similar functionality, but only suggests adding events manually. For example, if you receive text with a date and time in your message, iOS will highlight the date and time so you can tap it to create an event. However, the event is not added automatically.
Some might say that it’s better to suggest an event because the calendar is full of non-essential events, but if you’re like me and want to see everything in one place, Google Calendar It’s perfect.
winner: Google calendar
7. Data privacy
Whenever you use Google services, this is one area you would normally miss. However, due to a recent change in Google Calendar policy, Google has stopped using calendar data for tracking.
Calendar events aren’t scanned like Gmail, so they aren’t used for tracking purposes. Google Calendar’s privacy policy states:
Information is not used in apps that store personal content primarily for advertising purposes, such as Google Calendar.
Meanwhile, Apple maintains user privacy here as well. All data used in Apple Calendar is encrypted, and the company does not use it for personalized ad targeting or anything else.
winner: sea bream
8. Security
When it comes to security, both Google Calendar and Apple Calendar face one big problem. Users have reported an increase in the number of calendar spams, especially during the pandemic. Both Google and Apple have taken steps to tackle the calendar virus, but sadly it’s still here. If you’re having calendar spam issues on your iPhone, you can fix them in the following ways:
Apart from spam, Google Calendar and Apple Calendar do a fair job of preventing fishy events. However, both calendars suffer from spam issues, so there is no clear winner here.
winner: none
9. Availability
Availability is one of the areas where Apple seems to lose points in every comparison. Like other apps, Apple Calendar is for Apple devices only. This means that the Apple Calendar app is only available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. You can access Apple Calendar via iCloud on Windows and Android devices, but it’s not very intuitive.
Google Calendar, on the other hand, is accessible from almost any platform. With the official app for iOS and Android devices, you can easily access Google Calendar from anywhere using your web browser. The experience on all devices is similar, and the Google Calendar web app is very interactive and easy to use.
Overall, when it comes to availability, nothing beats Google.
winner: Google
With all features and aspects in mind, Google Calendar plays an important role in the war between Google Calendar and Apple Calendar. It’s well implemented, well integrated with the world’s most used email services, and is perfect if you’re looking for a calendar app that works well on your device (smart speakers, TVs, and even displays). is.
However, if you’re deep in Apple’s walled yard, Apple Calendar is also a great choice. Who are you on your side? Let us know in the comments section below!
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