but it isn’t.
A digital calendar is used by 70% of adults, and if you are thinking of installing a calendar into
your app, you need to be creative in what you present to the user.
Your in-app calendar should sync with the calendar from Google, Outlook, and Apple, enabling
you to form multiple tasks.
But you need to think out of the box and provide excellent User Expensive (UX) to the user. You
could also add some extraordinary features like voice recognition, text recognition, etc.
your app, and it’s different applications.
Steps on how to put a calendar in your application
1. Design
The first and foremost thing that a user sees is atheistic of the application. Your app must
have an intuitive design that grabs the attention of the user.
Avoid using colours that are too bright or dull. Use a simple and elegant design that is
acceptable for all age groups. You can design your calendar by using Sketch, Illustrator,
or Simple.
2. Programming language
If you want to build a calendar that seamlessly works on the application, you need to
choose the programming language wisely. For iOS users, you can create a calendar using
Swift or Objective-C, and for Android, you can go for Kotlin or JAVA.
3. Database
A database is used to build a space to store data by the users. Some of the applications
which you change for your calendar are MySQL, MongoDB, or PostgreSQL.
4. Framework
It provides a platform on which a developer will build your calendar. You can use
Express, NodeJS, Ruby on Rails, PHP and Laravel, and Python and Django.
5. Web server
You can test your application on Nginx to see if it performs well without any bugs.
6. APIs
API or Application Programming Interface enables the communication between two
applications.
The calendar uses RESTful API, which means it uses HTTP requests to use your data.
Google, Apple, and Microsoft have built their APIs, which help integrate the application
with other sources.
APIs that you use to build a calendar
Let’s talk about some popular APIs you can use to build your calendar.
1. Microsoft’s Outlook Calendar API:
It gives access to calendar groups, events, and it sends reminders to your mobile, desktop,
and web applications.
2. Google Calendar API:
It allows you to use client libraries in several programming languages like NET, JAVA, HP,
GO, Node, Python, NET, JAVA Script, and Swift. You can set calendar reminders, edit personal
calendars, and share your calendar through mobile and web applications.
3. Apple’s EvenKit Framework:
This API is for macOS and IOS devices that allow you to use calendars and schedule your events
and requirements.
4. Calendar API:
It uses RESTful API and can be accessed through Google client libraries or HTTP calls. Calendar API
enables you to schedule holidays, meetings, and events. You can even update and add events
automatically.
5. Super SaaS API:
It provides APIs and Webhooks that allow you to schedule payments, reports, and notifications.
You can easily integrate super SaaS API with your web application.
6. Cronofy API:
It helps to connect with multiple calendar accounts. Cronofy API only allows the required data to
be transported. It contains webhooks that are used for tracking changes. You can schedule your
tasks and set reminders through this API.
7. Funambol API:
It enables users to store data through a cloud platform. Funambol API can efficiently perform all
the activities present in an inbuilt calendar.
8. Events API:
It uses RESTful calls and allows users to create, edit, update, and delete information from the
private calendars. 31 Events API will send you an invite, and if you accept it, you get automatically
connected to the event.
9. Nylon Universal API:
It forms a secure and reliable connection to the user’s calendar. Nylon Universal API uses webhooks
to notify real-time changes to the user.
10. Calendarific API: It is one of the best API to obtain updated public and bank holidays on
your calendar. Calendarific API helps a further user schedule its events and meet in sync with
the public and bank holidays.
Tips to keep in mind before creating a calendar app
- Work on your UI and UX
If you want your app to create a good impression in your customers’ eyes, you must
create an excellent UX experience.
8 out of 10 people will pay you more if you provide them with a good customer
experience. Your app can build loyal customers just by providing excellent UI and UX.
- Connect with people
Millennials are more inclined towards apps that allow media sharing with other people.
Your calendar should have the facility to tag or send information to other people; a
seamless conversation between users will improve your application’s customer retention.
- Add a demanded feature
If you want people to use your app, you need to give them some solid reasons. Your
inbuilt calendar must have some advanced feature that separates you from your
competitor’s apps.
Some of these features can be scheduling, booking, view notifications, etc.; you can even
add voice and text recognition to give an edge to your competitor’s app.
- Speech recognition
50% of people prefer voice search, and it is one of the emerging features that should be
present in all the calendar apps. Many apps, like voice calendar and calendar, have
implemented speech recognition in the calendar app.
If you want to allow speech recognition in iOS applications, you can use Apple’s Speech
Framework, and for Android devices, you can use Google Assistant.
- Easy to use calendar app
Build a calendar app that can be easily used by a non-techie person and doesn’t require
many steps to perform any action in the app. Your inbuilt calendar should be comfortable
for all users regardless of their age.
Examples of the in-app calendar?
Many apps have an inbuilt calendar to ease multitasking. Some of the examples are:
1. Educational apps: The use of an in-built calendar is maximum in the education
industry. Online trainers and e-learning platforms use an in-built calendar to
schedule their lectures, exams, and doubt clearing classes. The work of an in-built
calendar is to remind users of the activity planned. Outlook and Google calendar
allows the student as well as a teacher to be updated.
2. Parking apps: Many parking apps like SpotHero have included a calendar in the
app feature to easily book parking spots. The app allows IOS users to sync their
application to iCalendar, and then you can schedule their date and time of booking
the parking spot.
3. Messaging apps: Telegram allows users to schedule the message they want to send
and at what time. The message will automatically be delivered to the recipient of the
message. This is great for organizing messages for office and personalized uses.
4. Rental and Real estate apps: Zillow and Zumper are real estate and rental apps,
respectively. They allow users to schedule a meeting with the real estate agent.
5. YouTube: You can schedule videos for your YouTube channel, and the video will get
posted at that particular time. YouTube has enabled this feature for the longest time,
and it is handy for YouTube creators.
6. Healthcare apps: Enabling a calendar is the best element for apps that deal with
fitness and healthcare. These apps allow you to schedule your medicine timings and your doctor’s
appointment.
NFC technology and Talos are one of the apps that will enable users to schedule their
doctor’s appointments and training sessions.
Many apps in the market will have an inbuilt calendar or ask you to sync your Google or Apple
calendar to perform the task.
Conclusion
Incorporating a calendar in your app will uplift its use. You can now add many advanced features
that have been mentioned, and follow these simple tips that will help you build a seamlessly
working calendar.
Contact the App-Scoop Vancouver Mobile App Developers for further details.
