[Donzo]

I used to love using the "remind me to" command. It was a fast and convenient way to set alarms. Recently, when I attempted to use it on iOS, I was hit with an alert that "reminders have been moved to the Calendar app," where it is far less convenient to set up a reminder.

Instead of just setting the alarm with my voice and then confirming it, I have to use a click wheel to set the time, and it takes like three more steps.

This is part of a larger trend I've noticed where large tech companies use their market share to bully their users into adopting their other applications. It baffles me how any one approves these ideas. Isn't it pretty short sighted to cripple your own product, to break features that users love to promote another unloved product? Isn't that arrogant? I hope this trend passes, but my guess is that it effectively drives adoption, so to hell with everything else, right?

[CaptSpify]

> This is part of a larger trend I've noticed where large tech companies use their market share to bully their users into adopting their other applications. It baffles me how any one approves these ideas. Isn't it pretty short sighted to cripple your own product, to break features that users love to promote another unloved product? Isn't that arrogant? I hope this trend passes, but my guess is that it effectively drives adoption, so to hell with everything else, right?

And this ecosystem thinking is why I'm shying away from Google products. I used to like them because each web-app had a different account tied to each one, and was standalone. And their android apps would let you pick and choose which app handled which jobs. But now they they are trying to move everything under one account umbrella, and force all of their apps to be the only one. No thanks Google, I chose android because you didn't do that.

[aviraldg]

I'd like you to give me one example where a Google app bypasses the intents system and uses another specific Google app for a task. One example.

[CaptSpify]

calendar

I used to be able to use other calendars. Now it ignores my other calendars, and insists on using google calendar.

[aviraldg]

I installed another calendar app just to test this: https://i.imgur.com/nlsHUGr.jpg

[not_inception]

I used to love using the "remind me to" command. It was a fast and convenient way to set alarms. Recently, when I attempted to use it on iOS, I was hit with an alert that "reminders have been moved to the Calendar app," where it is far less convenient to set up a reminder.

Instead of just setting the alarm with my voice and then confirming it, I have to use a click wheel to set the time, and it takes like three more steps.

This is part of a larger trend I've noticed where large tech companies use their market share to bully their users into adopting their other applications. It baffles me how any one approves these ideas. Isn't it pretty short sighted to cripple your own product, to break features that users love to promote another unloved product? Isn't that arrogant? I hope this trend passes, but my guess is that it effectively drives adoption, so to hell with everything else, right?

[nl]

Is that an iOS thing? On Android reminders through the Google Now interface seem to work fine.

[puddintane]

Yes he does mention it was on an iOS device in his post. It was a bit confusing at first but I'm absolutely sure he is talking about iOS with the scheduling reminders.

[zbuttram]

Seems like he means the Google app on iOS, so this would be the Google app telling him to use the Google Calendar app in theory.

[puddintane]

Nice to see he responded with that info.

It was however after my comment so I was in a point of limbo at that point.

[webkike]

I think that alternatively can't you just use the "set an alarm for" command? It works on android

[toxican]

"Set an alarm for..." was pretty much all I used Siri for and all I really use OK Google for now. On Android at least, the reminder notifications don't grab my attention at all, so I need an alarm.

[ryanmonroe]

Siri gave me the same response for a few days but apparently they've reverted that change because it has since started working normally again.

[Donzo]

I am referring to the Google Now app.

[zbuttram]

Siri does kind of do a similar thing, to her a reminder is in the reminders app, you have to actually say alarm or timer if you want an alarm or a timer in the clock app, might be something similar with Google Now?

[spankalee]

Shouldn't reminders be in the calendar app? I hated having event-type things spread around in multiple apps, when I have a personal event-database already. I really liked the change.

I don't use iOS, so maybe it's different there, but other than storing the data in Calendar, I didn't notice much a change in how reminders are set from voice.

Disclaimer: I work for Google

[Donzo]

Maybe they should be in the Calendar app. But here's the thing: I don't use the Calendar app. I use an analog calendar, the kind that hangs on the kitchen wall. My wife and I can share this calendar seamlessly. It works great for us.

In addition to the analog calendar on my kitchen wall, I also use the Google App for iOS. I came from Android, and it was really nice having some of the functionality that I once had on my HTC phone on my iPhone. One of the features that I was trained to use, that I really enjoyed, was the ability to set reminders from the Google App. I just said, "Remind to X at N." These reminders could be location based, such as "Remind me to get bread when I'm at Target." That was awesome.

Now, I just get this warning to move to the Calendar App, where I have none of this functionality.

See: http://doncodes.com/remind-me-to-get-bread.jpg

So, I'm fine with the Calendar App having reminders. Sounds like a good thing. But why break a feature that I love to force me into an app that I have but will never use?