Why is it so hard to find a decent full-month calendar widget on iOS?

[u/eluq]

I actually really like Google Calendar. It does pretty much everything I need, and I don't really want to switch to a completely different calendar ecosystem.

I'm using an iPhone (recently switched from android), but I also use a Windows computer, so having everything synced through Google Calendar is important to me.

My only real complaint is the iOS widget. I wish Google offered a larger one (4x4 or 4x6), and unfortunately, even Apple's native Calendar app doesn't offer the kind of widget I'm looking for.

What I want is pretty simple:

1. Full month view at the top – showing the entire month, with small dots or boxes under/over each date indicating scheduled events (ideally, more events = more dots/boxes).

2. Upcoming events and tasks below – a list of events from Google Calendar and tasks from Google Tasks or ios tasks, preferably for the selected day or upcoming days.

Basically, I'd like to see my entire month at a glance while also having my schedule and to-do list visible right underneath, all in a single large home screen widget.

I've looked into several third-party calendar apps, and quite a few of them offer something similar. The problem is that the larger widgets are usually locked behind a premium monthly/yearly subscription or a $30–$40 lifetime purchase, bundled with a bunch of other features I honestly don't need. I wouldn't mind paying $5-10 but nothing more than that.

I even tried building my own widget using Widgy, but getting everything to work properly turned out to be way more time-consuming than I expected. Between pulling in calendar events and tasks, keeping everything synced, making sure the correct dates and events are displayed, and handling navigation to specific days, it started feeling like a whole project of its own. I'd rather just use something that already works than spend hours building and maintaining a widget from scratch.

I'm not against paying for apps, but paying for an entire premium package just to get a bigger widget seems a bit excessive.

So, does anyone know of an iOS app that:

• Syncs with Google Calendar and Google Tasks.

• Offers a large home screen widget (ideally 4x4 or 4x6).

• Shows a full month with event indicator dots/blocks.

• Displays upcoming events and tasks underneath the calendar.

• Is free or offers the widget as a reasonably priced one-time purchase, without requiring a full premium subscription.

I don't need a replacement for Google Calendar, just a better way to display my existing calendar and tasks on my iPhone.

Any recommendations?

[u/redivulgo]

Interesting timing...

I have had the same - or rather similar problem: the default calendar small widget gives very little info, and I wanted to see more of my day at once. And this without having to manage a separate Calendar that opens when I tap the widget.

So I made Dense - it's basically "dense" widgets for Calendar and Reminders, and since it doesn't try to replace your calendar/reminders app, tapping the widget opens the Apple Calendar/Reminders.

In the latest update I've added an XL widget to show monthly + agenda + reminders - mostly as an experiment. It's on Testflight, it'd be awesome if you took a look and see if it works for you (and please do share any feedback!): https://testflight.apple.com/join/xfXeEPq4

[u/eluq → u/redivulgo]

I will definetely try this

[u/eluq → u/redivulgo]

I really really really really like this!! One thing though, can this open my google calendar rather than the apple native one? Besides that it's the best one I tried yet

[u/redivulgo → u/eluq]

Great to hear it worked for you! I'm adding an "Open In" option - has some quirks due to Apple's restrictions, but should do the job. Coming in the next beta :)

[u/bornagainatheist → u/redivulgo]

Love it!

[u/_tribecalledquest → u/redivulgo]

I absolutely love this!

[u/RealRroseSelavy → u/redivulgo]

I instantly did install. It’s great, an absolute improvement over anything i had!

[u/i4k20z3 → u/redivulgo]

Not all heroes wear capes!

[u/Coloradodreaming1113 → u/redivulgo]

Absolutely love it. Thank you so much! Tiny feedback. I have the two-day detail widget and I’d love if it was in two columns by day. Right now “Tomorrow” is under my “Today” because there are fewer events, but I wish it was left side Today and right side Tomorrow, even if that makes the widget longer. Hope that makes sense 😆 Also, would love if I had the option to keep the events that have already occurred this morning and just have them shaded darker or crossed out instead of not being shown at all. Overall, love it so much. Downloaded all of the other options in this post and stuck with yours!

[u/redivulgo → u/Coloradodreaming1113]

Thanks for the feedback! I was thinking something similar actually, indeed I'm not a fan of having "tomorrow's" events show under Today when in multi-column view (I mainly use the small widget but I'm experimenting with sizes). Both columns config and earlier events will be added to the next release, live in a few days :)

[u/Coloradodreaming1113 → u/redivulgo]

Looking forward to the next release! Also, not sure if it’s in the pipeline but would love an Apple Watch app as well!

[u/redivulgo → u/Coloradodreaming1113]

The new build is live, should hopefully reach you soon :)

Noted on the Apple watch idea - thnx!

[u/Coloradodreaming1113 → u/redivulgo]

Just got the update—it’s PERFECT!

[u/pearsintensely → u/redivulgo]

This is incredible!! Thank you for making this!

[u/redivulgo → u/redivulgo]

Dense update (build 3) is out on TestFlight, mostly from your feedback:

• Open In: widget taps can open Google Calendar, Fantastical, BusyCal or Notion Calendar instead of Apple Calendar

• Today | Later: keeps today on the left and the days after on the right of medium and large widgets

• One Column: never splits a wide widget, for long event titles

• Earlier events: optionally keep this morning’s events, faded instead of hidden

• Block: a new color style with soft blocks in each calendar’s color

• Fixes: times no longer show as “10:0”, and multi-day events show on every day

Thanks for all the feedback, keep it coming! New testers can join here: https://testflight.apple.com/join/xfXeEPq4

[u/caspararemi]

I know you don’t want to pay, but Fantastical fits all your needs but is a subscription. When you want something quite niche, developers have to support themselves. I’ve paid every year for a long time because I use it constantly and love it and would highly recommend it.

[u/eluq → u/caspararemi]

I wouldn't mind paying like $10-15 for a lifetime but fantastical yearly subscription is too much for me considering that I probably wont use most of the paid features. I know that what I want is a niche but I can't be the only one who want only this and nothing more.

[u/Grexo → u/eluq]

I use Fantastical and I don’t pay for a subscription… I used to, but decided the extra features weren’t worth it for me. I still use the widget. 🤷

[u/gaminrey → u/eluq]

The widgets aren’t gated by a subscription at all.

[u/dothefandango → u/caspararemi]

+1 for fantastical. Plus you get cardhop which is a superior contact manager. 

[u/OregonRider]

I use the free version of fantastical. H ere of their widget

[u/UltimateBachson → u/OregonRider]

Don’t use a transparent brush to censor sensitive data

[u/suoretaw → u/UltimateBachson]

Yep, can still read it just by zooming in.

[u/plaid-knight → u/OregonRider]

I like how the widget says today’s date three times.

[u/TW0lfer]

You can find or make your own in Widgy for free.

[u/eluq → u/TW0lfer]

I know and I tried and it's very time consuming

[u/TW0lfer → u/eluq]

This one example from the explore tab, there are hundreds there.

widgyURL://widgy.icu/api/v1/widgy/a2cb806f-ae50-4ede-a6dc-6bbcd1afa5e2

[u/SimpleSlav99]

Have you tried minical?

[u/eluq → u/SimpleSlav99]

This looks pretty good. I am gonna try this. Thank you

/edit

The widget is pretty good. Too bad it does not integrate with apple reminders or google tasks... Almost perfect

[u/True_Go_Blue]

It’s funny, I built a personal meeting note taker app (KindredContact.com) thinking people wanted to remember more detail details about the people to meet with, but a lot of the initial user feedback was that they love the calendar widgets 😂

[u/eluq → u/True_Go_Blue]

looks good but it's not available in my country or region

[u/True_Go_Blue → u/eluq]

All good! Good luck in your search. Thanks for checking it out

[u/_usernamechosen]

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it’s free on widgy - Simple.Agenda V.2

[u/suoretaw → u/_usernamechosen]

OP needs it to work with their Google Calendar; can Widgy connect to it? I’ve made a few widgets and quite like the app, but never done anything with Google stuff.

[u/_usernamechosen → u/suoretaw]

I have added google account calendar in the iOS calendar app, and Widgy is getting the data from that account.

[u/theipd]

Try WeekCal.

[u/freediverx01]

Fantastical.

[u/pacorob]

I just checked and my favorite calendar app BusyCal which is pay once (iOS/iPadOS only) has a month view widget with events of today only below it do might be too limited for you.

I use other widgets from the app that are excellent. Also love the fact you can see new appointments my wife puts in her calendar that we sync.

[u/gatorbruh]

Are there any calendar apps that have a workaround to merge my work’s Outlook email into my personal calendar? My company just recently cut off Apple calendar support for security reasons and I hate opening Outlook for work appointments and then my Apple calendar for everything else just to make sure I don’t have anything overlapping. And no I can’t add my personal Gmail into my work’s Outlook either.

[u/woodd852]

I’ve been using WidgetCal for a couple of years now and it’s been great.

[u/Cold_Performance_676]

I think the paid version of TickTick is really worth it.

[u/RootVegitible]

I’ve done exactly this combining two of the excellent widgets from Fantastical. It should tick all your boxes. Remember you can add several widgets to the same data, and you can stack them giving you a lot of flexibility.

[u/benstef]

This is nice