Hidden Features of Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a powerful little application anyone can take advantage of. If you have a Google account (including YouTube, Gmail, an Android device, or have an account on any other Google based platform) you have access to it. And if you don't, it's free and easy to setup. Google Calendar not only is free but it's packed with all kinds of fantastic features. Some of these are obvious and straight forward, while others may require a bit more digging to access. You don't need extensive administrative skills to utilize these features, but if you are in the admin department Google Calendar will make life easier.

Create Different Calendars Within A Single Calendar

Maybe you want to keep your work life and personal life separate. Or maybe you want to create different calenders for separate individuals and yet be able to access it all together (when necessary). You can do that with Google Calendar. To do this you will want to:

• Click "New Calendar"
• Add in a title at the prompt
• Choose color code
• Repeat process to create different calendar within the same calendar

Make sure you color code your calendars. This will make it far easier to see what's going on and who is scheduled for what without looking up names.

Add Attachments To Events

When you're in the middle of a call or meeting and you need to cite a document, do you really want to spend time sifting through your computer to find a particular document? Attempting to find the right file in the middle of a meeting might force you to question your administrative skills. Instead, you can attach the files to an event so everyone has them, or at least so you have the documents readily available. To do this you want to:

• Select the meeting or event
• Click on the pencil icon
• Click the "Add attachment" paper clip icon from the edit window that appears
• Choose the documents you wish to add

You can also upload the documents directly to Google Drive prior to uploading, just so you always have the files in question, no matter what computer you login from.

Add Google Hangout

Perhaps you have an upcoming event on your calendar that requires some sort of interaction with others. If you plan on using Google Hangout you don't need to try and launch the app separately. Instead, you can add a Google Hangout to a specific event. To do this you need to:

• Select "Add video call" within your event
• Follow the prompts to select the individual(s) you wish to contact during the event

Activate Desktop Notifications

Have you ever missed a meeting because you simply forgot and your phone was on vibrate so you didn't get the notification? Well fine-tune your administrative skills with this little feature. You can activate computer desktop notifications by:

• Choose "Settings" by clicking the gear icon (located in the top-right corner of the applications)
• Select "Event Settings."
• Click "Notifications." A new pull-down menu will appear.
• Select "Desktop notifications" from the pull-down menu

The default notifications is 10 minutes, but you can adjust the notification to a specific time.

Take Advantage Of These Powerful Features Today

There's truly no limit with the kind of things you can do with Google Calendar. Combined with the other free applications and tools available through Google and it will make your administrative life much easier. Whether you're a beginner in the world of Google Calendar or you've used it for years, these are just some of the very best hidden (and not so hidden) features of Google Calendar you can use today.