Six tips to improve your Google calendar usage

Google Calendar is the favourite up-to-date organization tool. like other Google’s services, Google Calendar has flexibility which lets you work faster and more efficiently. With Gmail, separate calendars for work, school or personal affairs, keep them together in the same view, and share your calendar with colleagues.

1. Keyboard shortcuts

Navigating around a calendar should be fast and easy.

Shortcut Key	Action
Navigation
k or p	Moves your calendar view to the previous date range
j or n	Moves your calendar view to the next date range
r	Refreshes your calendar
t	Moves you to the current day
Views
1 or d	Displays your calendar in the 'Day' view
2 or w	Displays your calendar in the 'Week' view
3 or m	Displays your calendar in the 'Month' view
4 or x	Displays your calendar in the 'Custom' view
5 or a	Displays your calendar in the 'Agenda' view
Actions
c	Allows you to create a new event
e	Allows you to view an event's details
Backspace or Delete	Deletes the event
ctrl + z / command + z or z	Undo last action (if possible)
ctrl + s / command + s	Save event (from event details page)
Esc	Return to calendar grid (from event details page)
Application
/	Places your cursor in the search box
shift += or +	Focus on 'Add a calendar' text box under 'Other calendars'
q	Opens "Quick Add"
ctrl + p or command + p	Prints the current view
s	Brings you to your Google Calendar settings page
ctrl + ? / command + ? or ?	Brings up a menu of keyboard shortcuts

2. Receive an email with your agenda

If your schedule is busy, you can receive your google agenda by mail, share it, modify it or duplicate it. Go to settings, Calendars tab, then click on the “Notifications” of the agenda.

Receive an email with your agenda

3. Add a Different Time Zone

You can get Google Calendar to display multiple timezones. To change this, hit S to head to "Settings" menu. Under the "General" tab you can see "Your current time zone." Click on "Show an additional time zone," and then tick the box "Display all time zones."

Add a Different Time Zone

4. Customise view the view of your Google calendar

Set the view of your calendar, depending on whether you prefer a display of “4 days, 5 days or more”. Choose between 2-7 days and 2-4 weeks.

Hit s for settings and scroll down to "Custom view"

5. View your tasks in your Google Calendar

Google Calendar allows you to view your tasks in your calendar. In the left pane, in "My calendars" check the “Tasks” box. Google Calendar allows you to assign a deadline to a task, which will be displayed in your calendar.

View your tasks in your Google Calendar

6. Add public holidays to Google calendar

Integrate public holidays or special events to your Google Calendar. Depending on countries and cultures, the holidays or public holidays can be very different. In the left pane, click "Other Calendars" and "Browse interesting calendar".

Add public holidays to Google calendar

Google Play Store settings you might like to turn off

There are two settings in Google Play Store I like to turn off on my phone, the “shortcut on homscreen” and Auto-update apps. I really do not like to add a shortcut to my homescreen for each and every application that I ever download.

• Open up the Google Play Store app on your phone or tablet
• Slide out the menu from the left of the screen
• Open "Settings"
• Under "General" you'll find an option to "add icon to home screen"
• Make sure the checkbox is unticked

From now on out you'll not be filling up your home screen with dozens and dozens of apps as you install them.
Next step is to control how you update your apps. Open up the Google Play Store app on your phone or tablet

• Slide out the menu from the left of the screen
• Open "Settings"
• Under “Auto-update apps” you'll find options to control when you update.
• I prefer “Do not auto-update apps”