If you want to use Google Assistant to create events to a specific calendar, you'll have to make a quick change in the settings.
I rely heavily on Google Calendar. In fact, I have numerous calendars created (one for each client) that pretty much define my work week. I also use Google Assistant on my Android devices to make my mobile life a bit more convenient and easy. On any given day, I'll use Assistant to add calendar appointments. And why not? It makes for a hassle- and hands-free means of fleshing out my Tetris-like calendar.
Thing is, Assistant defaults to the main Google calendar. No matter how hard you try to say, "Hey Google. Create event on my TechRepublic calendar," it will always be created in the default calendar.
But what if you have a specific calendar that you prefer to use with Google Assistant? Out of the box, Assistant is only capable of adding events to that one default (which is your main calendar). Although you can select numerous calendars to be included with Google Assistant, you cannot add events to them directly. Instead, what you have to do is select a different calendar as the default.
SEE: VPN usage policy (Tech Pro Research)
My work around
What I do is create a special calendar, called Assistant. I then use that calendar as my default for Google Assistant. When I create a calendar from Assistant, I know it's going to automatically be saved under that tag, which makes it easy to go back (when I have access to a desktop or laptop) and assign the event to the proper calendar.
It's not a perfect solution, but it works fairly smoothly.
The trick is, however, to change your default calendar for Google Assistant. Let me show you how.
What you need
The only things you need to make this happen are:
- An Android device that includes Google Assistant.
- Your Android device associated with your Google account.
- A specific Google calendar to use.
With those items checked off, let's change that default.
Changing the default calendar
In order to make this change, go to Settings | Google | Search, Assistant & Voice. In the resulting window (Figure A), tap Google Assistant.
Figure A: The Google Settings window.
In the Google Assistant Settings window (Figure B), tap the Services tab.
Figure B: The Google Assistant Settings window.
Within the Services tab, tap Calendar. In the resulting window (Figure C), you can tap to include various calendars that Assistant can read (but not write to).
Figure C: All the magic happens here.
Under Default calendar to create events, tap the dropdown and select the calendar to be used (in my case, Assistant). Once you made that change, back out of Settings (or tap the Home button on your device to return to the home screen).
Wouldn't it be swell...
At this point, you can now create a new event, through Google Assistant, that will then be saved to the new default calendar. It would be swell if Google would make it such that users could save to different calendars (or even multiple calendars) through Assistant, but that feature isn't available, nor is it on the horizon. Until it does (if ever) arrive, give my system a try and see if it doesn't make your mobile life a bit easier.
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Image: Jack Wallen
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