Google No Longer Sending SMS Messages on Calendar

General Chit Chat
1

I just received the following from Google:

"Important Announcement about SMS notifications in Google Calendar
Starting on June 27th, 2015, SMS notifications from Google Calendar will no longer be sent. SMS notifications launched before smartphones were available. Now, in a world with smartphones and notifications, you can get richer, more reliable experience on your mobile device, even offline.

"To receive notifications on your smartphone, either configure the calendar app that came with your device or install Google Calendar for Android or iPhone. For more information on how to configure notification defaults, check out the Help Center.

"Please note: Please note: This change will not affect Google Drive for Work, Google Apps for Work (paid edition), Education and Government customers.

  • The Google Calendar Team"

Ok, on the surface, this is quite logical and reasonable giving the pervasiveness of smartphones, and that Google does not want to spend resources because of that. But, what came to my mind is, what about people, because of circumstance (eg. low income) that cannot have a smartphone, but yet rely on their SMS/Calendar service? Could Google be taking a possible bad publicity hit from this, be viewed as being callous to the poor?

2

Hi Greg,

Mmmmm … sounds like their cutting back like @sil says.

I’ve never used the google phone verification either - if ever, I just give them a phone booth and log on at the local cafe and wait for their ‘response’.

3

@oldgeek It’s been confirmed on slashdot:

no commentors as of yet.

4

There have been many times that I will use Google Calendar and will have an alert of an event sent to my phone via SMS, for I have an old flip phone. I find it useful. But, like I said, I am quite in the minority any more and I can see that Google sees little in keeping the service going.