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Google Calendar SMS Notifications Discontinued: What to Use Instead
Google removed SMS notifications from Google Calendar on January 7, 2019. Since then, Google Calendar notifications have been delivered on your phone, in your browser, or by email — not as SMS messages. And those notifications are personal to your account, not a built-in way to text your clients before appointments. If you want client SMS reminders, you need a separate reminder tool connected to Google Calendar.
What changed, what still exists, and what to use instead.
What actually happened — a simple timeline
Before January 2019 — Google Calendar had an SMS notification option. It was part of Google Calendar's own notification system — a reminder sent to you through your Google account settings, not a client-reminder workflow for appointment businesses.
January 7, 2019 — Google removed SMS notifications from Google Calendar. Google said that people who had been receiving SMS notifications would instead get in-app/browser/mobile notifications and email notifications.
Since 2019 — Google Calendar still has notifications, but the current supported notification types are delivered on your phone, in your web browser, or by email. Google also says notification settings are personal to your account and do not determine notifications for other people who have access to the calendar.
What Google Calendar notifications still do
| Notification type | Who receives it | Format | Does this text your client? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email reminder | Your own Google account | No | |
| Push / phone notification | Your own Google account | App / device notification | No |
| Browser / desktop notification | Your own Google account | Browser or desktop alert | No |
Google Calendar can still remind you. It does not automatically text the client who has the appointment with you.
What you need instead of Google Calendar SMS
If the goal is to text your clients before appointments, the job is different from Google Calendar's old SMS notifications. You need something that can read your Google Calendar events, resolve the client's phone number, send the reminder at the right time, and give the client a simple way to cancel.
That is where Etisia fits. It sits on top of Google Calendar and adds the client reminder layer Google Calendar never really had.
You keep using Google Calendar the way you already do. Etisia handles the appointment reminder workflow on top.
What you had vs what you need now
| Google Calendar SMS (before 2019) | Etisia SMS reminders | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets the message | You | Your client |
| Message type | Basic Google Calendar notification | Custom reminder text |
| Timing | Personal reminder timing | Appointment reminder timing |
| Cancellation link | No | Yes |
| Phone number handling | Your own account setup | Client number resolution workflow |
| Still available | No | Yes |
Setup steps
How to set it up
Choose your reminder message and timing
Pick a template, choose when reminders should send, and turn the workflow on.
Screenshot coming soon
Make sure client numbers can be resolved
Add contacts in Etisia or include the client's number in the event title so reminders can go out cleanly.
Screenshot coming soon
Clients start getting texts
Once the setup is done, reminders go out automatically and clients can cancel through the SMS link.
Screenshot coming soon
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most common Google Calendar reminder questions.
I still see "Notifications" in Google Calendar settings. Isn't that SMS?
No. Google removed Calendar SMS notifications starting January 7, 2019. Google's current help docs describe notifications on your phone, in your browser, or by email.
Did Google Calendar ever text my clients?
No. The old SMS feature was part of Google Calendar's own personal notification system. It was not a client reminder workflow for appointment businesses. Google's current notification settings are explicitly personal to your account.
What notifications does Google Calendar still support today?
Google Calendar still supports notifications on your phone, in your browser, and by email.
Does Etisia work with Google Workspace accounts?
Yes. Both personal Gmail and Google Workspace calendars are supported.
I type appointments into Google Calendar manually. Does this still work?
Yes. As long as the appointment is in Google Calendar and the client's number can be resolved, the reminder layer works.
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