Google unveiled that the appointment slots feature in Google Calendar will be removed and replaced with appointment schedules. The company made this decision to improve the user experience in the app and streamline calendar management. However, they didn’t specify the exact timeline for the removal of the appointment slots. According to sources, it is expected to roll out for all users by the end of August 2024.
The official spokesperson explained that “appointment schedules are available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Business Plus, Business Standard, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Standard, Education Standard, Education Plus, Education Fundamentals, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Google Workspace Individual, Nonprofits, Google One Premium and users having Google accounts.”
The new feature lets you customize weekly occurrences for an appointment schedule to bi-weekly besides weekly. You can set different timings for particular days, select locations, set week off days, add people, etc. Another good thing about scheduling is that it lets you access all your bookings in full-screen on the app’s main page.
While creating a schedule, you can add Google Groups as co-hosts. This allows active group participants to host appointments with other users.
Steps to Use Appointment Schedule in Google Calendar
1. Visit https://calendar.google.com on a PC browser.
2. Tap Create + at the top left corner of the screen.
3. Hit Appointment schedule and enter a title.
Tips! The title is visible to anyone who has a link to your booking page. It will also appear on your calendar for the schedule and incoming bookings.
4. Tap the Down arrow and set an appointment duration. It should be a minimum of 5 minutes long.
5. Choose the date, time, and time zone of your appointments. Also, modify settings based on your appointment availability, including days you won’t be available.
6. Select a primary or calendar calendar where you want to add an appointment schedule.
7. To add co-hosts, input the co-host’s names or email addresses. Tap Next.
8. Review your booking page photo and name.
9. Pick a location and conference options for the appointment.
10. Enter a description of your service.
11. Input fields for your attendees to fill out. If necessary, enable appointment payments or go to the next step.
12. Input confirmation emails and reminders for your emails. Tap Save.
13. On the next page, tap Appointment schedule to review the details.
If you would like to edit the appointment schedule and know how it works, visit the Google support website for detailed steps.