Google Calendar Just Got a Lot More Attractive

If you're like me, you can't live without your Google calendar. Sure, it's a little clunky and slightly resembles a spreadsheet, but I've never minded much. Its pre-meeting notifications help me never miss an appointment, the color-coding perfectly organizes my work and personal life, and the to-do list function is a great task manager.

Here's a snapshot of the calendar I count on to carry me through my week:

Admittedly, it's not that pretty, but it certainly gets the job done. However, things are about to change.

Update to Google Calendar

Yesterday, Google announced to its users a major change in the calendar's user interface. That's right, Google Calendar just got a major facelift and finally looks like it belongs in 2017. This redesign is significantly more attractive and user-friendly than the current version, and I can't wait to start using it.

Check out this screenshot from Google:

New Features

According to an email sent to GSuite administrators, the new Google Calendar has the following features:

• Ability to quickly see event info like guest list, locations, meeting links, etc.
• Ability to click on any empty space on the calendar to quickly add a new event
• Additional view options and the ability to customize what you see
• Simultaneously manage multiple calendars
• Plus more

How to Get It

You will automatically transition to the new version of the calendar starting Nov. 14. You also have the option to manually move over to the new calendar from your administrator console.

See an excerpt of Google's email below for details on enabling the new calendar:

Automatic—Automatic is the default option. Starting Nov. 14, 2017 for Rapid Release domains and Nov. 28, 2017 for Scheduled Release domains, we will gradually transition your users to the new UI. The transition will take about 8 weeks (including opt-in and opt-out stages). No action is required on your part for the Automatic option.

Manual—Alternatively, you can choose to manually control when to move your users to the new UI in the Google Admin console. For example, though we've worked with the developers of the most popular Calendar Chrome extensions to prepare for the new UI, you might have users who depend on an extension that hasn't been updated yet. To choose the Manual option, go to  Apps > G Suite > Calendar > New Calendar. Here, you can set by organizational unit when you'd like your users to access the new version of the Calendar UI. If you choose the Manual rollout option, please plan to transition all your users to the new UI before  Feb. 28, 2018. Any users who are still accessing the old Calendar UI on Feb. 28, 2018 will be transitioned to the new UI, with no ability to opt out.

Side note: If you implement the new calendar but want to go back to the traditional view, just click settings, then "back to classic calendar."

I hope you're as excited as I am to have a fresh, modern Google Calendar. This was certainly a much-needed update. Please share your thoughts on the redesign in the comments!