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To turn on Google Calendar alerts, choose a notification method in Calendar settings, set reminders for the relevant calendar or event, and allow notifications in your browser or device. These are separate controls: enabling one does not automatically override the others.
Which Google Calendar alert should you use?
Calendar can alert you by email, with desktop notifications outside the browser, or with alerts inside the Calendar window. On a computer, choose the method under Settings > Settings > General > Notification settings. For desktop notifications, allow calendar.google.com to show notifications if your browser asks. Desktop alerts appear outside the browser while Calendar is open; in-window alerts appear within Calendar.
You can also set Calendar to notify you only about events you have accepted with a Yes or Maybe response. After desktop notifications are enabled, their snooze timing can be customized; Google says snooze notifications are available only in Chrome.
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Turn on alerts on a computer
- Open Google Calendar in a browser and select Settings, then Settings.
- Under General, choose Notification settings.
- Select the notification method you want, such as email, desktop notifications, or in-window alerts.
- If prompted, allow notifications for calendar.google.com in the browser.
This setting controls the account’s notification mode, but the event still needs a reminder. To change one event, open it, select edit, add or change its notification or email reminder, and save. To set defaults for a calendar, open that calendar’s settings and edit Event notifications or All-day event notifications. Google’s computer notification instructions cover these options.
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Enable alerts in the Google Calendar phone app
Set notifications for a calendar
- Open the Google Calendar app and tap Menu > Settings.
- Choose the calendar you want to change.
- Adjust its notification settings.
Set a reminder for one event
- Open the event in the app and tap Edit.
- Change or add the notification, then save.
On Android, the app’s general notification controls also let you change notification sound and vibration. See Google’s instructions for Android and iPhone and iPad. Google says notification changes made on your phone also sync with computer notifications, but device-level permissions can still block delivery.
Understand whose reminders are changing
Calendar reminders are personal. Changing an event reminder affects your notification preferences, not those of other guests; each guest manages their own alerts. Calendar-level defaults apply to new events unless an individual event is customized. For work or school accounts, Google notes that you may not receive a notification when an administrator makes changes to events.
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Troubleshoot missing Google Calendar alerts
Check each layer in order. Desktop alerts depend on Calendar’s settings, a reminder on the event or calendar, browser permission, and operating-system delivery settings.
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- Check the event and calendar reminder. Open the affected event and confirm it has a notification. Then inspect the calendar’s Event notifications or All-day event notifications defaults.
- Check browser permission. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications and confirm calendar.google.com is allowed. Other browsers have their own notification settings.
- Check operating-system permission. Confirm your browser is allowed to show notifications in the computer’s notification settings. Keep Google Calendar open in the browser for desktop alerts.
- Look for alerts that were hidden or suppressed. On Windows, full-screen use, screen sharing, games, or Focus Assist may prevent an alert from appearing; check Action Center for missed notifications. On macOS, check Notification Center and notification settings for display mirroring.
- For missing sound, check browser permission. Google says Calendar needs permission in the browser to play sound.
Google’s missing-notifications troubleshooting guide provides its platform-specific checks.
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Can you get event alerts in a mobile browser?
No. Google Calendar’s mobile-browser version does not support event notifications. To receive them on a phone or tablet, use the Google Calendar app. See Google’s mobile-browser guidance.
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