To ask if you use a family calendar

[thenextsmallthing]

Our wall calendar just isn't cutting it anymore and i want to get the whole family to use one shared online calendar. Mixture of android and Apple devices so needs to be cross platform.

AIBU to ask how you've managed to make a shared calendar work well in your family?

We use all Apple devices and that calendar works well for us. We have four in total, three for DH ho has to jiggle clients (he uses it also to invoice for hours spend on them), and one home but I think we need to add a fifth as DD starts to add her own stuff now instead on us doing it for her.

We also link it to the contacts so that birthdays come up automatically as well.

It doesn't seem that simple when not everyone's on an iPhone sadly

Google calendar?

I put everything on my Google calendar, and invite DH to things I think he needs awareness of (generally school stuff etc). Before arranging things, we double check each other's calendars. I have a massive white board in our kitchen that I write on everything happening in the coming week - we each have our own coloured pen, so can at a glance see what we need to remember each day.

It's not perfect, I'd like to share a calendar with DH, but he uses his work one and doesn't see the point in merging (and I don't really want to see his work diary TBH). I also keep a work one separate from my personal one (except where they need to overlap, such as appointments in working hours etc).

That's a good point Emma I don't really want to share all the appointments on my phone calendar. I already have a work and a personal calendar on my phone and this could get complex adding in a 3rd.

We have a shared google calendar. It’s been so long since we set it up I’m afraid I can’t remember how we did it, but the whole calendar is shared, not just each entry. We then both have it synced on our phone.

On Google calendar you can have multiple calendars showing at once if that makes sense. We use it very basically, I put all my appts, kids' stuff, holiday dates etc on and dh can see it. He also has a 'layer' that isn't shared with me that has all his work stuff on, and is shared with his work colleagues.

I have a 'private' layer on mine which is just more personal appts, birthday surprises etc. Learnt that one the hard way when I put dh's surprise meal on the calendar and then wondered how he knew about it. 🙄😂

We use FamCal and love it so far. It also has a handy shopping list and a memo feature too. It's free and no adverts either which is a bonus these days.

We use an app called Cozi, it had a great calendar function, can be used across different platforms and let's you do to do lists/shopping as well. It's made things much more harmonious at home since we got it about a year ago! My whole life is now in it and I wouldn't be without it.

Google calendar is cross platform, and integrates with Outlook and iCal.

We use famcal, but both on abdroid. If it can work cross platform it's worth having a look at.

Thanks all I'll have a look at FamCal and cozi to see what that offers. Google calendars is baffling me a bit.

Create a gmail email account, they come with a calendar, then person on apple can add it to their calendar app

Every appointment can be put under the joint calendar not your personal one. Works great.

I'm samsung and partner is apple

I need to see DH’s work calendars as sometimes he has late meetings on the days he is daddy taxi for DD’s activities. This could mean arranging a pick up by a friend or me leaving work 1/2 hour earlier.

I don’t need to merge my work calendar as it is purely work hours as I am a fairly constant 9-5 worker. If I have a workshop or after work event i log it on the home one to make sure DH is at home.

The advantage of a google calendar is you can access it from any phone, laptop etc. If you get one of those apps you're limited to where you have it installed.

I had a look at Cozi but didn't appreciate the adverts.
FamCal doesn't have ads, but if they don't bother you then it sounds like the apps are very similar

Old school here. M&S organiser calendar, with 5 columns, one for me, dh and ds, and my Mum. The fifth is for meal planning and other reminders. I keep track of my stuff, Dh's work travel and sport stuff, and deadlines for ds's job applications. I can put in important dates for Mum (we live abroad), so I know if I have to go back to UK at times.

If it isn't on my calendar, then it isn't happening.

Also old school here.

Family organiser calendar with a column for me and DH and each of the kids, plus the dog has her own column so I know which days she's booked into doggy daycare and when her flea treatment is due!!

I have a very small pocket diary in my handbag for checking stuff and adding new things when I'm out and about.

We use the paid version of Cozi - been using it for years and can't remember how we coped without it. Prior to that we used a shared Google calendar but it didn't work as well.

We use google calendar - we have set up a joint gmail account that is on both our phones as an app and everything goes in it - If I am at work and adding something to my calendar I just send an invite to the google calendar and it is replicated on there so I don’t need to put it in twice - DH does the same and if its not in the calendar it doesn’t happen. Works really well for us