Google Calendar is overall a great service. However did you ever try to work with external ICS files and Google Calendar? There are many items for improvement on that user experience. Lets list them
As the basis, Google Calendar can be registered in Google Chrome as a service handler. Ensure that this is set to Allow. Check: chrome://settings/handlers
This is also directly the first flaw. You would expect that this is highlighted on Google Chrome help website and on the Google Calendar help website. No luck. You just have to Google it or know about it.
[1] Recognize ICS file on Chrome OS
When I find a ICS file online or downloaded the file on Chrome OS, I try to open it by double clicking. Unfortunately the file type is NOT recognized by Chrome. Despite the fact that the Chrome handler is enabled.
On windows more or less the same situation. ICS files can not be linked to Google Calendar. Hence Outlook or any other desktop application that is able to handle ICS files is started. Result, bad Google experience.
[2] Import process
Within Google Calendar help the process is explained on how to import the ICS files in Google Calendar. Great! No so great is the user experience. After importing the file, you can the very informative message "Imported X out of Y event". There is no clue on which date, time the event was added. Or the title of the event. You would expect that the import process shows a list of Calendar item titles and you could click each title to verify the import. Now the user just have to look on the calendar (past and future) to search for an item that has been added. Alternatively I can start using an online ICS file viewer to view the content of the ICS file, and then look for the event on my calendar. Hell, that is no user experience at all.
Dear Google,
Can you make the handling of calendar files easier?
- Create an intuitive import function
- Ensure that local ICS files can de directly opened in Google Chrome
- Provide a ICS file viewer in Google Drive.
Thank you!
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