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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Google Calendar vs Google

Google Calendar 4.5★ · Free to download 75
Winner Google Calendar
Google 4.6★ · Free to download 60

Google Calendar is a focused, reliable scheduling tool, while the Google app is a broader search and information hub, with recent updates causing frustration for some users.

Full reviews: Google Calendar · Google

Google Calendar excels at its core function of scheduling, though users desire more customization and consistent UI elements. The Google app, while widely used, faces criticism for recent AI integration, privacy concerns, and search functionality issues.

Head to head

Features edge: Google CalendarR2R5R6R13
Google Calendar Google Calendar users appreciate its core scheduling capabilities and fast syncing, but frequently request additional features like a live date on the app icon, more widget options (especially a full-size schedule or month view), and more color customization for events. Some users also desire the ability to repeat events every weekday on mobile and to fade past events like the desktop version R2R5R6R13.
Google The Google app offers search, predictions, and accessibility features like 'read aloud,' but recent updates have introduced an AI/Gemini mode that users find problematic. This AI integration has replaced other features, broken tab management, and led to issues with search results and responsiveness. Users also report problems with account creation and managing favorite links R66R70.
Ease of Use edge: Google CalendarR7R12R24R42
Google Calendar Google Calendar is generally considered intuitive and easy to use, with good UI for most functions. However, some users find it too easy to accidentally change or delete events. There are also complaints about the lack of a dark mode toggle and difficulty changing text size for accessibility R7R12R24R42.
Google The Google app is described as generally friendly to use, but recent changes have made it less intuitive for some. Users report difficulty logging out, issues with tab management being broken by AI, and features being replaced or hidden. Some find the interface frustrating and slow R70.
Reliability edge: Google CalendarR2R19R25R36
Google Calendar Google Calendar generally offers fast syncing and works well for most users. However, several users report a persistent bug where the app freezes or crashes when trying to add a location to an event, requiring a restart. Notifications are also not always reliable, with some users missing reminders. Syncing issues between desktop and mobile, and events disappearing after a few years, are also noted R2R19R25R36.
Google The Google app is described as fast and reliable by some, but many recent reviews highlight significant reliability issues. Users report slow loading times, searches failing to load, the app disappearing, and new features being buggy. The AI/Gemini mode is particularly criticized for being unresponsive, having hallucinations, and breaking core functionalities like tab management R70.
Price/Value edge: Google CalendarR10R21R24R42
Google Calendar Google Calendar is free, and users generally find it a valuable tool for organization and scheduling. Some users, despite finding it frustrating, continue to use it because it's required for work R10R21R24R42.
Google The Google app is also free, but its value is debated due to privacy concerns, excessive ads, and the recent introduction of AI features that many users find detrimental to their experience. Some users feel it's no longer worth using, despite being free .
Support tieR5R6R7R13
Google Calendar Reviews do not directly mention user support for Google Calendar. However, users frequently request specific feature changes and bug fixes, suggesting a desire for responsiveness from developers R5R6R7R13.
Google Reviews for the Google app mention some positive experiences with Google's help and attention to detail, particularly regarding account protection. However, other users express frustration with difficulty finding settings, help not being helpful, and the app's developers making changes that are unpopular or buggy R82.
Pick Google Calendar if

You need a dedicated, generally reliable scheduling tool, especially if you rely on its syncing capabilities and find its UI intuitive for managing events R2R24.

Pick Google if

You primarily use Google for basic search functions and appreciate its ability to predict information, and you are not bothered by recent AI integrations or privacy concerns .

Evidence note: Reviews for Google Calendar are more focused on specific feature requests and bugs, indicating a generally stable core product. Reviews for the Google app are more polarized, with strong negative sentiment around recent AI changes and privacy, despite a high lifetime rating which may reflect its long history and broad utility before these changes.

Frequently asked

Does Google Calendar's app icon show the current date?
No, many users are frustrated that the Google Calendar app icon consistently displays '31' instead of the current date, unlike other calendar apps R5R9R14R16.
Are there issues with adding locations to events in Google Calendar?
Yes, several users report a persistent bug where the Google Calendar app freezes or crashes when they try to enter a location for an event, often requiring them to save the event first and then edit it to add the location R25R36R41R43.
How do users feel about the Google app's AI integration?
Many users are highly critical of the Google app's recent AI/Gemini integration, reporting that it breaks basic tab management, replaces desired features like translation, is unresponsive, and provides unhelpful or 'lying' results, making the app less useful R66R70R82R90.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Needs better notifications sound: Sync is faster than apples calendar app. However the notification sound is very tame and quiet. Not customizable at all.
  2. [R5] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Just needs one tweak: I wish the app icon would show the date, instead of constantly saying 31.
  3. [R6] Google Calendar 3/5 · US More widgets: Missing a full size schedule widget and calendar widget (similar to minicals design if possible for the calendar widget) in my opinion
  4. [R13] Google Calendar 1/5 · US need every weekday option on mobile: really need the option to repeat a calendar item every weekday on the mobile app not just on desktop
  5. [R7] Google Calendar 1/5 · US No Dark Mode Toggle: Dark/Light mode cannot be set, and is only based on the system theme. The 3-way Dark/Light/System theme toggle had been an app standard since 2020. If you advertise 'dark mode' as a feature of this app, then just give us a setting for it.
  6. [R12] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Bad accessibility: No way to change text size. I need reading glasses to see text
  7. [R24] Google Calendar 3/5 · US T Brown: Excellent as usual not difficult to figure out and in our fast paced lives, anything that simplifies and makes things organized
  8. [R42] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Good, not great: A quick upgrade to this app would be to indicate the date on the icon. Having to open the app to see the date is terrible. It’s also way too easy to accidentally change or add something on accident. I’d use a different app if my work didn’t use it.
  9. [R19] Google Calendar 1/5 · US Practically useless: I use the calendar regularly on my desktop. It takes WAY too long for any changes I make to reflect on the app. By long, I’m not talking a minute or two. I mean whole days pass by without the changes reflecting on the app. It’s insane and wholly unacceptable.
  10. [R25] Google Calendar 1/5 · US Cannot enter locations: I used to have the infrequent problem of only being able to enter the first letter of the location of my events, but then the app froze and the only thing to unfreeze it was to force close the app and lose my draft of a calendar entry. But I didn’t think much of it because it happened once in a blue moon. Now since this latest update I can no longer put a location on any of
  11. [R36] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Location Glitch: Every time I try to put in the location for an event when I’m inputing something into my calendar, it glitches and deletes the entire event. I’m able to edit the location after I make the event, but it’s incredibly annoying to not be able to put the location in when I’m originally inputting the event into my calendar.
  12. [R10] Google Calendar 1/5 · US Terrible: This is the worst calendar app on the market. I would rather pay for one than use this for free.
  13. [R21] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Meh: Also pissing me off. I only use this for work on the computer. If I think I’m on a different screen and start typing, the calendar starts going crazy. Pretty sure I accidentally deleted peoples events or tasks off of a day on accident. Just don’t supply these apps if you’re going to be mediocre about it. We’ll find another outlet I swear. Just stick to your search engine and maps. And forget
  14. [R9] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Live date gone: Love the app, but don’t like the update where today’s date is no longer part of the app icon.
  15. [R14] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Please make the app button change date: The app works well on my phone, but it’s really frustrating that the logo doesn’t change on the app like the Apple calendar. It would be nice to see the actual date on my screen. Please change this 🙏🙏🙏
  16. [R16] Google Calendar 2/5 · US App Icon: Please change the app icon to something other than a static number. I have to use this app for work and having the native apple calendar app displaying the correct date next to this app on my Home Screen makes this app look like a joke. Easy fix for a proper design decision.
  17. [R41] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Good overall: I use the app on my iPhone and find it works pretty good overall. It’s intuitive and syncs easily which makes it really convenient. 1 thing I wish for: that the app image had the actual date on it (instead of always saying 31). I also have a persistent bug where the app freezes when I try to type a location for an event. I have to close and reopen the app and recreate the event to ge
  18. [R43] Google Calendar 2/5 · US “Location” Field on an event causes app crash a lot: Please fix this it’s been like this for months
  19. [R66] Google 3/5 · US Please let me have a conversation with google 🙏: I can not create a conversation because it is replaced with a shop button otherwise it is great 👍
  20. [R70] Google 1/5 · US Broken tab management: The AI/Gemini interface inside the Google App completely breaks basic tab management. When I click the "New Tab" button while inside an active AI thread, it fails to open a separate, additional tab. Instead, it completely ignores the command and overwrites my current thread. This destroys my active research progress and pollutes the AI's context window with unrelated questio
  21. [R82] Google 1/5 · US Why are the features I used now just an AI Mode button?: I use the Google app for just two things, reverse image search and translation. I can sort of get to the reverse image search if I’m ok with Google having camera access, but the translate button is gone, presumably to make room for the very unwelcome AI Mode button. There may be a setting to change this, but it’s not clear in the settings, a
  22. [R90] Google 3/5 · GB Why: Sometimes can be really annoying when I go on Google AI it doesn’t work

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store