We’ve read articles and tech prognosis that SMS or text messaging is slowly becoming obsolete since everyone is almost always connected to the Internet anyway and there are a lot of free messaging apps out there. Well, Google seems to be of the same mind, in a way, as they announced that they are discontinuing sending SMS notifications for your Google Calendar alerts by the end of June. This will only apply for your personal accounts and not for Google Apps for Work, Education, and Government.
The reasoning for this change is because when SMS notifications first launched, phones weren’t that smart yet. The easiest way you could be reminded you have appointments is through a text message. But fast forward to 2015 and almost everyone who owns a mobile phone is using a smartphone, regardless of brand or platform. So Google said that since we have all these apps and notification systems, which gives you “richer, more reliable experiences”, then they can do away with sending you a text message every time you have a meeting or a date.
But if you use Google Apps for Work, Education, and Government, you will still be able to receive SMS notifications, but it also isn’t clear how long you will be able to do so. They are suggesting that if you want to get notifications, just download the Google Calendar app onto your smartphone or tablet and even your desktop.
The SMS notifications will still be available until June 27, but afterwards, you’d have to rely on your apps to bring you notification for all your appointments, reminders, your friends’ birthdays, etc. You’ll be able to customize your sound and vibration through the app’s settings. If you don’t have the Google Calendar yet, you can download it from the Google Play Store.
VIA: VentureBeat
