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The Google Calendar app recently updated to the new Material Design look. I've noticed that notifications have changed in a way that I do not like.

When a calendar event comes due, it appears as a notification in the Notifications bar at the top of the screen. In the past, it stayed there for about 48 or 72 hours (not sure exactly, but it was well over 24 hours) as long as I did not mess with it. But now, it seems to only stick around for a very short amount of time (as long as the event is ongoing, I think). In other words, it seems that once an event is over, the notification disappears.

This is not good news for me, I used calendar events as reminders to get things done. (Ex: "take out the trash" on Wed night... I would always see this in the evening, and can put it off until later in the evening if need be. Worst case: when I go to bed, I would see the notification still sticking around, and then go put the trash out.)

I'm looking for a way to get the previous functionality. Is there a trick for this? I'm also open to trying free calendar or task apps that do this.

Suggestions, please?

Running Android 4.4.4 on Nexus 4

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  • Two things - 5 day week and no persistent notifications. Luckily, I had backup... reverted back, and will not update, until this is fixed.
    – Maris B.
    Commented Dec 3, 2014 at 13:38
  • I have the same problem. I've been using Calendar Events Notifier in the meantime with the stock Lollipop Calendar app (notifications in the stock app turned off). play.google.com/store/apps/…
    – Karl Horky
    Commented Feb 17, 2015 at 20:20

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
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UPDATE: 4 years later, I think Mike's comment is right, and I call on Google/Android to support a way to make a calendar reminder really persistent. I actually used the Calendar Snooze app for a while until it stopped being reliable. So I'm taking this comment back:

I initially had the same reaction you did about the change in Calendar behavior. But I just realized that a calendar is simply not the right app for these kinds of reminders that you want to persist.

In the meantime....

Instead of using the Calendar app for those sorts of reminders, you can use an app designed for reminders, like Google Keep , or Google Now, both of which have repeating reminder features.

If you say "OK, Google, remind me about the dance at 7 pm on Saturday" Google now will set up a reminder for you, which you can convert to a repeating reminder from the dialog box that pops up.

For tips on Google Keep, see Five Powerful Google Keep Features You're Not Using

And I hear that if you switch to the new "Inbox by Gmail" app, your Google Now reminders can show up in your calendar also. 5 reasons to switch to Inbox by Gmail, and 4 reasons not to | PCWorld

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  • +1 because I agree a reminder app is probably better. But, it's nice to have reminders and calendar integrated though. I don't know how it is now since I've been on iPhone since Feb 2015, but last time I used google now reminders on android, they were horrible... at least, managing them was horrible. Setting them with voice is great, but managing them (deleting a bunch of them, for example) was a very painful experience.
    – Eddified
    Commented Nov 19, 2015 at 20:06
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    I totally disagree with this. I take my daughter to an activity every Saturday morning so the Calendar is the logical place for the entry - it appears in both her calendar and mine and is visible to the rest of the family in theirs. I have the repeating (weekly) event itself with a 45,40 and 35 minute warning reminder so we can set off in time. I then have another (later) reminding me to collect her with similar reminders. The calendar is the only place for this information - the same with work meetings.
    – Mike
    Commented Sep 26, 2019 at 5:40
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I am replying (I see no one else has) because I have always used the calendar/notifications functionality in the EXACT same way you have, and was also distressed of this change in functionality. I think we are in the minority, though, because your post is the first acknowledgement I have even seen anywhere about this issue.

The only solution I have is to look at third-party apps. Although someone appears to have ported an older ICS/Jelly Bean-era version of the stock calendar which you can find in the Play Store, I have not used that too much. At the moment I am using Business Calendar, which I THINK comes somewhat close to replicating the functionality you and I are accustomed to (although I am still watching it to see). I also gave Today Calendar a very close look -- it is much closer to the Google aesthetic, and even has aspects of Material Design implemented. It appeared also to have persistent notification functionality, although for some reason I had problems with the syncing. This may have been fixed.

If you have come up with any solutions, I would love to hear them! Good luck!

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    Full ack for Business Calendar – I'm using the Pro version. Comes with its own reminders, which stick until you kick :)
    – Izzy
    Commented Dec 17, 2014 at 17:40
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    Business Calendar works, but is a paid app. I eventually settled on using Google Now's (or is it Android's?) reminders. Turns out that you can schedule a reminder to repeat. If you think about it, reminders are really a different use case than calendar events anyway, so I'm satisfied now. The one complaint I have is that managing the reminders is difficult. Hopefully it will improve.
    – Eddified
    Commented Jan 10, 2015 at 5:20
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    @Eddified True, task reminders are different from events. But many people will still want to see ALL notifications they've set - even for events they have missed. So I still like your question and I hope Google will add this feature back as an option. E.g. I might have a TV show's broadcast times in my calendar. If I miss the show, it's even more important that I don't miss the event notification, because that will remind me I need to go and watch the show online.
    – Peter Ford
    Commented Feb 1, 2015 at 0:26
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    Another vote for "Business Calendar Pro" - the price is worth it to not miss reminders!
    – kellyfj
    Commented Dec 12, 2018 at 17:00
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I found a workaround : delay the event in the future for x hours then add a notification x hours before the event. For example, delay the event to tomorrow and add a notification 24 hours before the event. The notification will stay in the notification bar until the event is ended. You can do the same with several days or one week if you want the notification to appear longer before disappearing.

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In the current version of calendar (on Android 6.0) when you click on the plus icon at the bottom right you can add a reminder (not appointment), it doesn't have a duration, and it won't go away until you dismiss it and mark it as done. Perhaps that's what you are looking for.

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