10 Google Calendar Features You Should Use | Tips & Tricks

If you’re a Google or Gmail user, then you must have, in one way or another, checked or used Google calendar. It’s part of the package. By logging in to your Gmail account, you can freely use this tool to plot tasks on specific dates and manage meetings and business transactions more efficiently.

Using digital calendars has done a great job in helping different people be reminded of their regular tasks, but how well are you using the features of Google calendar? If you haven’t tried exploring the tool, then chances are, you’re missing vital functions that would help you enhance your scheduling procedures even more.

Here are 10 of the most important features you should be using.

Multiple calendars

If you’re having troubles managing your personal and professional calendar, then creating separate records is in place. Unfortunately, not all Google calendar users know that they can actually create multiple calendars to house specific life and work interests.

Whether you want to have something for business, hobbies, and charity work, adding separate calendars come as easy as pie.

Find a Time / Suggested Time feature

Busy schedules are common among regular workers, and finding the best time to meet without sacrificing the usual working hours can be a challenge. This feature allows you to find the best time when you and your contacts are free. You can either decide to find a specific time or go for the suggested time fit for you and your colleagues’ schedules.

Event attachments

This comes in handy during meetings. More often than not, a reference to certain documents is necessary when conducting a meeting and sorting through emails for such documents could be difficult to some of the participants. This feature allows you to attach all the necessary references for your event.

World Clock

If you’re handling transactions with people around the globe, then chances are you’ll have some issues with the time zones. It might also turn out tricky to remember all time zones when you need to contact someone for a meeting. This feature allows you to specify time zones that you want to see when checking your calendar.

Specific address / location

Asking or giving out a direction to someone can be tricky especially if you don’t get the address right. If you’re about to meet someone, it’s best to schedule the meet-up via Google calendar and use this feature to send the exact location of your meeting place to the attending parties.

This way, you’ll save time from having to locate a venue yourself.

Appointment slots

This feature makes it easier for users to indicate a specific time in their schedules when they are free. From here, their contacts could see the available time slot and arrange for an appointment.

Auto-decline events

There are times when you just have tons of things to do that accommodating more meetings or appointments is just not possible. This feature enables you to automatically decline meeting invites that may prompt in your calendar.

Gentle reminders

If you’ve been relying on Google calendar to alert you of important events in your schedule, then you must have known that its default notification occupies the entire screen, making it a real distraction if you’re currently doing something.

Enabling this feature allows you to receive the small notification ONLY when you open the calendar.

Google Hangouts

If you often use video chat for meetings or conferences, then adding Google Hangouts by clicking on the ‘Add video call’ link will do the trick. This way, you don’t need to shift tabs just to activate the call.

Email event guests

Giving people the heads-up before an important meeting is necessary, but manually sending messages to each one could risk missing any of the attendees. This feature allows you to add names on your contact list in advance so you can send the email to them in bulk later.

Time management is a crucial thing in any type of business. Even in handling personal transactions, efficient management of time is necessary to make sure you get all things in your schedule taken care of.

Maximize your usage of Google calendar by setting up the features we mentioned on the list. Breeze through your appointments with ease and stop missing important meetings!

Author Bio:

Christine de Guzman is a freelance writer for Optimind, a digital agency in the Philippines. Aside from being a freelancer, she also loves to travel out of town and keeps herself updated with the current technology. Follow her on Google+ and Twitter.