Google has issued new guidance explaining how events such as flight confirmations, hotel bookings, and restaurant reservations sent to Gmail accounts are automatically added to Google Calendar. This feature, part of Google’s smart personalization tools, is enabled by default in most countries and helps users manage logistics by integrating event-related emails into their calendars.
When Gmail detects an eligible email, such as a ticket or reservation confirmation, it automatically creates a corresponding event in Google Calendar. Events appear with key details such as time, location, confirmation number, and a link to the original email. These entries stay updated if changes are made, such as a rescheduled reservation.
Google notes that, by default, only the calendar owner can see events created from Gmail, even if their calendar is shared. Users can adjust the visibility of these events through Calendar settings.
For users who prefer not to use this feature, Google outlines steps to turn it off. Users must disable “Smart features and personalization” in Gmail settings and uncheck “Show events automatically created by Gmail in my calendar” in Google Calendar settings. Both steps are required to prevent new events from appearing.
Events from Gmail can include reservations for flights, trains, buses, hotels, restaurants, as well as ticketed events like movies, concerts, and medical appointments. However, events may not be generated under certain conditions, such as if the email was sent to a mailing list, cc’ed, redirected, or is not a proper confirmation message.
Google Calendar allows users to delete individual Gmail-sourced events or hide all events from Gmail entirely. Even when syncing Calendar with third-party apps, events from Gmail will still be added, though some details may be limited.
Google also allows users to report issues with events. If a Gmail event is incorrect, missing information, or does not belong to the user, a report can be submitted via Calendar’s feedback tools. Users can trace which email a Calendar event originated from using the “View Source Email” option on the app or “Open URL” in the web version.
For users in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the UK, or Japan, smart features and personalization settings are off by default. Users in these regions will need to manually enable these features to access automatic event creation.
To turn on the feature, users must:
- Open Gmail, go to Settings > See all settings, and enable “Smart features and personalization.”
- Open Google Calendar, go to Settings > Events from Gmail, and check “Show events automatically created by Gmail in my calendar.”
This integration aims to simplify planning and organization for users by making event details accessible and manageable directly from their calendar interface.
Image: Google
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