Guide

Google Calendar reminders: set, change, or stop event notifications

Short answer: Google Calendar Help calls timed alerts Event notifications, not a separate Reminders type. On a computer, open the event, click Edit event, next to Notifications choose a notification or an email, then Save. To change later events, open Settings for that calendar and edit Event notifications or All-day event notifications. In the Google Calendar app, tap the event, tap Edit, then add, change, or remove a notification. Tasks are different: a dated Task notifies at its time, or at 9 AM if it has no time.

If a reminder does not fire, check muted Calendar notifications, Focus mode on the phone or computer, the wrong calendar or Google account, and whether you are looking at desktop or the phone. If meetings live on another of your Google calendars, Resync writes private Busy holds onto this calendar so occupied time shows up. Those holds are created with no event notifications. It currently syncs Google calendars only.

Event notifications vs Tasks reminders

People searching for Google Calendar reminders usually mean one of two things. Help documents them on different pages.

Kind	What it is	When it fires
Event notification	A timed alert on a calendar event. Help calls this a notification or an email, not a Reminder type.	At the lead time you set on the event, or the Event notifications default for that calendar.
All-day event notification	A separate default from Event notifications. Each calendar you own has its own.	The all-day default, unless that event's Notifications override it.
Google Tasks	A to-do with a date. Help documents Tasks separately from event notifications. Turn on the Tasks calendar to see them.	At the scheduled date and time. No time: 9 AM. Deadline: 9 AM on the deadline day in your local time.
Google Keep reminder	Keep reminders migrate to Google Tasks. You no longer get reminder notifications from Keep.	After migration, from Calendar or Tasks on a device that allows notifications for that app.

Event notification

What it is: A timed alert on a calendar event. Help calls this a notification or an email, not a Reminder type.
When it fires: At the lead time you set on the event, or the Event notifications default for that calendar.

All-day event notification

What it is: A separate default from Event notifications. Each calendar you own has its own.
When it fires: The all-day default, unless that event's Notifications override it.

Google Tasks

What it is: A to-do with a date. Help documents Tasks separately from event notifications. Turn on the Tasks calendar to see them.
When it fires: At the scheduled date and time. No time: 9 AM. Deadline: 9 AM on the deadline day in your local time.

Google Keep reminder

What it is: Keep reminders migrate to Google Tasks. You no longer get reminder notifications from Keep.
When it fires: After migration, from Calendar or Tasks on a device that allows notifications for that app.

Help says your calendar-level settings determine notifications for new events, unless you customize them for a specific event. Those settings are personal to your account. No one else can change them, including people you share the calendar with.

Google Calendar Help also documents that Google Keep reminders migrate to Google Tasks. You no longer get reminder notifications from Keep. To receive those notifications on a mobile device, Help says to install Calendar or Tasks and allow notifications for that app.

If alerts still fail after you set them, the diagnosis list is in Google Calendar notifications not working? Fixes.

Google Calendar Help steps checked Nov 6, 2026. Cited from Change Google Calendar notifications, Create & manage tasks in Google Calendar, and Learn about Google Keep reminders in Google Tasks.

Set, change, or stop on a computer

Desktop notifications are a computer Help flow. Important: you need to open Calendar in a web browser, like Chrome or Safari. If you're asked to let calendar.google.com show notifications, you need to allow it.

One event

On your computer, open Google Calendar.
Click the event, then Edit event.
Next to Notifications, choose a notification or an email. You can change how far in advance the alert fires.
To add another type, click Add notification.
To stop that alert, click Remove.
At the top, click Save.

Default for a calendar you own

On your computer, open Google Calendar.
At the top right, click Settings menu Settings.
On the left, under Settings for my calendars, click the calendar you want to change.
Under Event notifications and All-day event notifications, add, edit, or Remove notification. Choose a notification or an email, and how far in advance.

Desktop notifications for all events

On your computer, open Google Calendar.
At the top right, click Settings menu Settings.
On the left, under General, click Notification settings.
Click the Notifications drop-down and select how you want to receive notifications.
To adjust snoozed notifications, turn on Desktop notifications, then click Show snoozed notifications. Help says you can get snooze notifications only on Chrome.
Click the box next to Notify me only if I have responded Yes or Maybe if you want that limit.

Help says you can get event notifications by email, as desktop notifications, or as alerts. Email arrives in your inbox. Desktop notifications pop up outside your web browser when Calendar is open. Alerts show up within your Google Calendar window.

Google Calendar Help steps checked Nov 6, 2026. Cited from Change Google Calendar notifications.

Android

Google Calendar Help for Android says any changes you make on your phone also sync with your computer notifications. You can change default notifications for events that happen once and events that last all day, and you can get them on your device, by email, or both.

For a specific calendar

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Calendar app.
At the top left, tap Menu.
At the bottom, tap Settings.
Select one of your calendars, then a notification.
Select No notification to remove it, choose when you want the notification, or select Add a notification or Add another notification.

If you have more than one account or calendar, do these steps for each one.

For just one event

Open the Google Calendar app.
Select an event, then tap Edit.
Tap Add notification, set how and when you want to get notified, then tap Done.
To delete the notification, tap Remove.
Tap Save.

For sound and vibration: Menu → Settings → General, then Calendar notifications. The Calendar settings page lists Calendar notifications, Tasks notifications, and Tasks overdue notifications.

To turn off notifications only on your phone, Help documents the Android Settings app: Notifications → App notifications → Calendar. You still get them on your computer and through email. Settings can differ on each device. Help does not document battery optimization or Do Not Disturb as Calendar notification steps.

Google Calendar Help steps checked Nov 6, 2026. Cited from Change Google Calendar notifications (Android) and Change Google Calendar settings (Android).

iPhone and iPad

Google Calendar Help for iPhone and iPad documents the same idea: phone changes sync with computer notifications. You can change defaults for events that happen once and events that last all day.

For a specific calendar

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Calendar app.
At the top left, tap Menu.
At the bottom, tap Settings.
Select one of your calendars.
Select Add another notification.

For just one event

Select the event, then tap Edit.
In the Notifications section, tap a notification to change or remove it, or tap Add another notification.
At the top right, tap Save.

To turn notifications off for a calendar: swipe left on a notification and tap Delete. Do this for each account or calendar.

If another calendar app is sending the same alerts, Help says to open the Settings app and turn off notifications for that other app. Those steps might differ for your device. Help does not name an iOS notification-permission label or a Focus menu for the Google Calendar app. Check generally that the device allows the Calendar app to show notifications, and that Focus is not silencing them.

Google Calendar Help steps checked Nov 6, 2026. Cited from Change Google Calendar notifications (iPhone & iPad).

One event vs calendar defaults

If later events on that calendar have no alert, the calendar default is empty. If only one event is silent, that event's Notifications were removed. Restore Event notifications under Settings for my calendars, or add a notification on that event.

All-day event notifications are a separate default from Event notifications. Each calendar has its own. An event can also override that default.

Help says event guests get notifications based on their own settings. Your defaults do not change anyone else's alerts. On a computer, Notification settings includes Notify me only if I have responded Yes or Maybe. If that box is on and you have not responded, or you responded No, you may get no alert for that invite. Maybe still counts. That RSVP is in the Google Calendar tentative: Maybe RSVP, show as tentative, and workarounds guide.

A time zone mismatch can make a reminder fire at the wrong clock hour. Setup is in the Google Calendar time zone: set up & fixes guide.

Working hours warn invitees. They do not create events, so they do not fire event notifications. That difference is in the Google Calendar working hours: set up & fixes guide. A time block can have its own notification. Setup is in the Google Calendar time blocking: block focus time on computer and phone guide.

Google Calendar Help steps checked Nov 6, 2026. Cited from Change Google Calendar notifications.

Why reminders might not fire

Use this table when an alert is missing, muted, or fires on one device but not another. If the event is missing on calendar.google.com, fix the invite or sync problem first.

What you see	Likely cause	Fix
Muted notifications	That calendar has No notification, Event notifications were removed, or the phone's Calendar app notifications are off.	Open the event and add a notification or an email. Restore Event notifications for that calendar. On Android: Settings app → Notifications → App notifications → Calendar. You still get computer and email alerts if those stay on.
Focus mode or Do Not Disturb	Windows Focus, macOS Focus, or iPhone Focus can hide an alert Calendar and the browser are allowed to send. Help does not name those operating-system menus.	Confirm Calendar notifications and the site permission first. Then check the computer's or phone's own Focus or Do Not Disturb settings. Help only documents Calendar and the browser.
Wrong calendar or Google account	Notification settings are personal to the signed-in account. A hidden calendar, or a meeting on a work account, will not notify a personal account.	Check the account in the top right on calendar.google.com. Turn that calendar on in the left list. Repeat Event notifications for each calendar you use.
Works on desktop, silent on the phone	The Calendar app has no notification for that calendar, or the device muted Calendar. Android Help says a phone mute still leaves computer and email alerts on.	In the app: Menu → Settings → the calendar, then add a notification. Check app notifications in the device Settings. Confirm the event on calendar.google.com.
Works on the phone, silent on the computer	Desktop notifications are off, the browser blocked calendar.google.com, or Calendar is not open. Help says desktop notifications pop up outside the browser when Calendar is open.	On a computer: Settings → General → Notification settings. Allow calendar.google.com if asked. In Chrome: Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications, then add calendar.google.com. Keep Calendar open.
Notify me only if I have responded Yes or Maybe	That box is on and you have not responded, or you responded No. Guests get notifications from their own settings.	On a computer: Settings → General → Notification settings, then the Notify me only if I have responded Yes or Maybe box. Open the event and respond Yes, No, or Maybe.
Reminder at the wrong clock hour	The primary time zone, the event time zone, or the device time zone does not match the zone you expected.	On a computer: Settings → Time zone → Primary time zone. Open the event and check Time zone next to the time. See the time zone guide if every event is off, not just the alert.
Looking for Tasks or Keep reminders	Event notifications are not Tasks. Help documents Tasks separately, and documents Keep reminders migrating to Google Tasks.	Turn on the Tasks calendar. A Task with a time notifies then; a dated Task without a time notifies at 9 AM. For meeting alerts, use Notifications on the event.
Meeting lives on another Google calendar	Notifications fire for the account and calendar where the event lives. Seeing both accounts in one app view does not copy alerts to the other account.	Open the account that owns the event, or add that calendar if your admin allows it. Resync can write a Busy hold on this calendar; that hold has no event notifications.

Muted notifications

Likely cause: That calendar has No notification, Event notifications were removed, or the phone's Calendar app notifications are off.
Fix: Open the event and add a notification or an email. Restore Event notifications for that calendar. On Android: Settings app → Notifications → App notifications → Calendar. You still get computer and email alerts if those stay on.

Focus mode or Do Not Disturb

Likely cause: Windows Focus, macOS Focus, or iPhone Focus can hide an alert Calendar and the browser are allowed to send. Help does not name those operating-system menus.
Fix: Confirm Calendar notifications and the site permission first. Then check the computer's or phone's own Focus or Do Not Disturb settings. Help only documents Calendar and the browser.

Wrong calendar or Google account

Likely cause: Notification settings are personal to the signed-in account. A hidden calendar, or a meeting on a work account, will not notify a personal account.
Fix: Check the account in the top right on calendar.google.com. Turn that calendar on in the left list. Repeat Event notifications for each calendar you use.

Works on desktop, silent on the phone

Likely cause: The Calendar app has no notification for that calendar, or the device muted Calendar. Android Help says a phone mute still leaves computer and email alerts on.
Fix: In the app: Menu → Settings → the calendar, then add a notification. Check app notifications in the device Settings. Confirm the event on calendar.google.com.

Works on the phone, silent on the computer

Likely cause: Desktop notifications are off, the browser blocked calendar.google.com, or Calendar is not open. Help says desktop notifications pop up outside the browser when Calendar is open.
Fix: On a computer: Settings → General → Notification settings. Allow calendar.google.com if asked. In Chrome: Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications, then add calendar.google.com. Keep Calendar open.

Notify me only if I have responded Yes or Maybe

Likely cause: That box is on and you have not responded, or you responded No. Guests get notifications from their own settings.
Fix: On a computer: Settings → General → Notification settings, then the Notify me only if I have responded Yes or Maybe box. Open the event and respond Yes, No, or Maybe.

Reminder at the wrong clock hour

Likely cause: The primary time zone, the event time zone, or the device time zone does not match the zone you expected.
Fix: On a computer: Settings → Time zone → Primary time zone. Open the event and check Time zone next to the time. See the time zone guide if every event is off, not just the alert.

Looking for Tasks or Keep reminders

Likely cause: Event notifications are not Tasks. Help documents Tasks separately, and documents Keep reminders migrating to Google Tasks.
Fix: Turn on the Tasks calendar. A Task with a time notifies then; a dated Task without a time notifies at 9 AM. For meeting alerts, use Notifications on the event.

Meeting lives on another Google calendar

Likely cause: Notifications fire for the account and calendar where the event lives. Seeing both accounts in one app view does not copy alerts to the other account.
Fix: Open the account that owns the event, or add that calendar if your admin allows it. Resync can write a Busy hold on this calendar; that hold has no event notifications.

Check the account in the top right. Switch accounts on the web is one account per tab. In the Calendar app, add another account and turn that calendar on. Setup for viewing both is in the How to use Google Calendar with multiple accounts (see them together, and keep them from double-booking) guide.

Android Help for Tasks matches the 9 AM timing for dated Tasks without a time. Turn on the Tasks calendar to see those items.

Google Calendar Help steps checked Nov 6, 2026. Cited from Change Google Calendar notifications, the Android page, the iPhone and iPad page, and Create & manage tasks (Android).

When Resync helps

Use Event notifications, All-day event notifications, desktop or Chrome notifications, email versus on-screen alerts, Notify me only if I have responded Yes or Maybe, Android or iPhone calendar defaults, or Tasks when this calendar should ping you. Resync does not change those settings, send reminders, or fix a silent phone. It does not sync Outlook, Apple Calendar, or iCloud.

Use Resync when meetings live on another of your Google calendars and this one looks free. If meetings live on another of your Google calendars, Resync writes private Busy holds onto this calendar so occupied time shows up. Those holds are created with no event notifications. It currently syncs Google calendars only. $1.50/month or $9/year after a 30-day free trial, no credit card required.

If meetings live on another of your Google calendars, Resync writes private Busy holds onto this calendar so occupied time shows up. Those holds are created with no event notifications. A meeting on a work account still will not notify a personal account unless that calendar is added there, or a hold is written there.
Holds are titled Busy. Description, location, attendees, and conference data are left empty, so source meeting details stay on the source calendar.
Each hold occupies the time. Resync does not copy the source title onto the hold, and it does not copy event notifications from the source.
If a source event moves, Resync updates the hold. If the event is cancelled, marked free, declined, or is a working-location event, Resync does not keep a hold.
Resync looks 90 days ahead when it reads source events. It watches source calendars with Google push notifications and updates holds when those events change. A polling fallback also runs about every 5 minutes. Read-only calendars cannot be mirrors. Resync currently syncs Google calendars only.
If you delete or edit a hold, including adding reminders to it, Resync records that and does not recreate it for the same source event on that mirror.
If the source event is Private, the hold is Private. Otherwise the hold uses default visibility.

Set up Resync

Sign in with GoogleOpen Resync and sign in with the Google account you want as your primary account. You land on setup.
Connect another Google accountChoose Connect another Google account and finish Google's permission screen. Resync needs at least two Google accounts before you can start.
Start syncingWhen a second account is connected, setup shows bidirectional mirroring as the intended default: real events on either side become private busy blocks on the other. Choose Start syncing to open the dashboard.
Mark sources and mirrorsIn Sync configuration, turn on Source to read busy time from a calendar and Mirror to receive Busy holds. A calendar can be both. Read-only calendars cannot be mirrors because Resync needs write access to create holds. Holds are written with no event notifications, so they do not fire reminders on the mirror.

FAQ

How do I set reminders in Google Calendar?

People usually mean event notifications. On a computer, open the event, click Edit event, next to Notifications choose a notification or an email, set how far in advance, and click Save. To change the default for later events, open Settings → Settings for my calendars → that calendar → Event notifications or All-day event notifications, then Add notification. In the Google Calendar app, open the event, tap Edit, then Add notification (Android) or Add another notification (iPhone). Calendar-level settings determine notifications for new events unless you customize one event. Google Calendar Help does not document a separate Reminders type next to Event and Task.

How do I turn off Google Calendar reminders?

For one event on a computer: Edit event, next to Notifications click Remove, then Save. For a calendar you own: Settings → Settings for my calendars → that calendar, then Remove notification under Event notifications and All-day event notifications. On Android, open Menu → Settings → the calendar, then No notification for each alert, or turn off Calendar in the Android Settings app under Notifications → App notifications. On iPhone, swipe left on a notification in that calendar's Settings and tap Delete. Phone-only mute still leaves computer and email alerts on. Changes on the phone also sync with computer notifications.

What is the difference between Google Calendar event notifications and Google Tasks reminders?

Event notifications are timed alerts on a calendar event. You choose a notification or an email, and how far in advance. Google Calendar Help documents Tasks separately. A Task with a date and time notifies at that time. A dated Task without a time notifies at 9 AM. A Task with a deadline notifies at 9 AM on the deadline day in your local time. Turn on the Tasks calendar to see those items. Google Keep reminders migrate to Google Tasks. You no longer get reminder notifications from Keep. To receive those on a phone, Help says to install Calendar or Tasks and allow notifications for that app.

Why are my Google Calendar reminders not firing?

Open the event and confirm it still has a notification. Check Event notifications for that calendar, then Settings → General → Notification settings. Allow calendar.google.com if the browser asks, and keep Calendar open for desktop notifications. On a phone, check that calendar in the Calendar app and the device's app notifications. Windows Focus, macOS Focus, or iPhone Focus can hide an alert Help already allowed. Help does not name those operating-system menus. A meeting on a work account does not notify a personal account. A wrong time zone can make the alert fire at the wrong clock hour.

Why do Google Calendar reminders work on my computer but not my phone?

Each device has its own mute. Android Help says if you turn off notifications only on your phone, you still get them on your computer and through email. In the Calendar app, Menu → Settings → the calendar still needs a notification. Then check Android Settings → Notifications → App notifications → Calendar, or on iPhone check that the Calendar app may show notifications and that Focus is not silencing them. Phone changes also sync with computer notifications, so removing the calendar default on the phone can silence the computer too. Confirm the event on calendar.google.com first. A missing event is a sync or invite problem, not a reminder setting.

Does Resync send Google Calendar reminders?

No. Resync does not change Calendar notification settings, send reminders, or work with Outlook, Apple Calendar, or iCloud. If meetings live on another of your Google calendars, Resync writes private Busy holds onto this calendar so occupied time shows up. Those holds are created with no event notifications. Holds are titled Busy. Description, location, attendees, and conference data stay empty. $1.50/month or $9/year after a 30-day free trial, no credit card required.

Google Calendar time zone: set up & fixes

How to use Google Calendar with multiple accounts (see them together, and keep them from double-booking)

Google Calendar tentative: Maybe RSVP, show as tentative, and workarounds

Google Calendar working hours: set up & fixes

Google Calendar time blocking: block focus time on computer and phone

Google Calendar not syncing? How to fix it on iPhone, Android, and desktop

Google Calendar invite not showing up? Fixes

Connect the Google calendars you want to keep aligned, then mark sources and mirrors on the dashboard.

Resync will ask Google for permission to:see your list of calendars; see events on the calendars you choose as Sources, to know when you're busy; and create, update and delete events titled "Busy" on calendars you choose as Mirrors. We never store event titles, attendees or locations. Privacy policy