Skip to main content

Google plans to make Inbox and Calendar think for you with Timeful acquisition

Timeful App
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Since the dawn of the computer – even before the personal computer – the trend has been that as time moves forward, computers do more for us, and we do less in return. Many Google apps are a great example of this, particularly its most recent email app, Inbox. Now, the strategic purchase of a time management calendar app called Timeful may have Google’s apps doing even more thinking for us.

Last year we spoke with the creators of Timeful, a combined to-do list and calendar app that went above and beyond what most of either type of app normally does. The app took to-do list items that its users had to do, along with things that they wanted to do, and neatly scheduled them around calendar events. It was a time management app without all the work normally involved therein.

Yesterday Google announced that Timeful would be “joining the Google family to help make getting things done in your life even easier.” The goal isn’t for Timeful to remain a standalone app, however. Instead, Google plans to roll Timeful’s functionality into its own apps.

“The Timeful team has built an impressive system that helps you organize your life by understanding your schedule, habits and needs,” director of product management Alex Gawley wrote in the announcement on the Gmail blog. “We’re excited about all the ways Timeful’s technology can be applied across products like Inbox, Calendar and beyond, so we can do more of the work for you and let you focus on being creative, having fun and spending time with the people you care about”

Considering how powerful Timeful already was, adding email to the mix seems like a perfect match. Google Calendar can already recognize appointments in emails, so it will be interesting to see how Inbox and Calendar will benefit from the new technology.

“Timeful is our attempt to do things better in the world,” co-creator Dan Ariely told Digital Trends last year. Now with the power of Google’s apps at their fingertips, the team may find that easier to do.

The Timeful app is still available in the App Store, but it won’t see further updates. An update on the Timeful website reads “you can continue to download and use the Timeful app, but moving forward the team’s attention will be on new projects at Google.”

Editors' Recommendations

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Which Google One subscription is right for you? Google’s paid plans explained
google drive application on samsung s7 screen

Google One gives you online cloud storage that works across Google Drive, Google Photos, and Gmail. If that sounds at all familiar, it's because Google One was previously known as paid storage for Google Drive, which has been around since 2018. Right now, with Google Drive, you can still get 15GB of free storage for your photos and files, but if you want more than this, you'll need to subscribe to Google One.

With six subscription tiers to choose from, each with a range of benefits, things can get confusing pretty quickly. We've done the hard work for you, and we'll take you through the cost and benefits associated with each tier, as well as explain how to get -- and how to cancel -- a Google One subscription.
Isn't Google One the same as Google Drive?
On June 1, Google capped unlimited free storage in Google Drive at 15GB. So if you want more storage, Google One is the solution. You can access Google One through the dedicated app or alternatively through your browser. It's worth noting here that you can't sign up for Google One if you have a Google business account. Business users will need a paid Google Drive subscription for Cloud storage, as Google One is only compatible with personal accounts.
How to sign up for Google One

Read more
Waze vs. Google Maps: Which one is right for you?
google v waze feat image

When you need to go somewhere, you naturally seek out the best route with the lightest traffic possible and fewest obstructions. Today's mapping and navigation apps are there for you. The two most popular apps for iOS and Android -- Google Maps and Waze -- deliver on that brief, presenting up-to-the-minute information, real-time turn-by-turn directions, and much more.

Google Maps and Waze are amongst the most popular navigation apps -- even among iPhone users -- because both are easy to use and consistently deliver accurate directions. So which one of these two Google-owned apps should you choose as your day-to-day driving navigation aid? Let's figure it out by looking at the two side-by-side, so you can see why of the two apps you prefer.
What is Waze?

Read more
How to share a calendar in Google
Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a great way to keep track of appointments, birthdays, events, and more. It’s a free service made available to every platform under the sun. But there may be a time when you need to coordinate with others, and that’s where sharing calendars come into play.

This guide shows you how to share a calendar in Google. It's quick and easy, but it must be done through the Google Calendar website, not the apps. Other users don’t necessarily need a Google account either, as they can access your Google Calendar using a shared link.
How to share a calendar in Google

Read more