My first thought upon reading that Google will be discontinuing SMS calendar notifications was “wow, do people still use this feature?” Well, I’m sure some do. But I haven’t used this feature in years. I have a few calendar elements that send me texts, ones that have been in my calendar for ages. Though I’d forgotten about this feature, it was powerful at one time. At one point, this was an amazingly powerful tool, allowing me to get calendar notifications while away from my computer. It was great to get a note a few minutes before my meeting with the details. I loved focusing in on whatever I was doing and not worrying about transitioning/leaving for my next meeting.
Anyway, this announcement and (non?) event punctuates an evolutionary element of tech: the move to smartphones and mobile.
| Important Announcement about SMS notifications in Google CalendarStarting on June 27th, 2015, SMS notifications from Google Calendar will no longer be sent. SMS notifications launched before smartphones were available. Now, in a world with smartphones and notifications, you can get richer, more reliable experience on your mobile device, even offline. To receive notifications on your smartphone, either configure the calendar app that came with your device or install Google Calendar for Android or iPhone. For more information on how to configure notification defaults, check out the Help Center. Please note: Please note: This change will not affect Google Drive for Work, Google Apps for Work (paid edition), Education and Government customers. – The Google Calendar Team |
