I'm very particular when it comes to software development and UI design. When working on CalAction, I wanted to make sure that the app not only provided useful features, but also had a clean user interface that's easy to navigate, and that all bugs were ironed out. It took me a lot of time, effort and many builds to get to the point where I now feel confident releasing the app to a wider audience.
After a successful beta testing phase, I'm happy to say that CalAction is now available for download on the App Store.
I'll repeat why I built CalAction in the first place, from last week's post:
Some time ago my wife came to me with a problem: she wanted to import a calendar file from the Gmail app into our shared iCloud calendar. The process however was not straightforward and involved a lot of steps, including downloading the .ics file, finding it in the Files app, and then importing it into the Calendar app. This was not ideal, especially for someone who is not very tech-savvy. I decided to create an app that would simplify this process, and thus CalAction was born.
To that end, CalAction offers multiple ways to import .ics files:
- Share Sheet: You can share an .ics file from any app that supports the share sheet, and CalAction will appear as an option to import the file directly into your calendar.
- Open file: You can open an .ics file directly, and CalAction will handle the import process for you.
- Paste: You can copy the contents of an .ics file to your clipboard, and CalAction will allow you to paste it in and import the events.
- URL: You can enter the URL of an .ics file or webcal link, and CalAction will fetch the file and import the events for you.
- QR code: You can scan a QR code that contains the URL of an .ics file, and CalAction will fetch the file and import the events for you.
CalAction however goes beyond merely importing the .ics file in your calendar. It also provides additional features that help you manage your imports more effectively.
- Duplicate detection: detects duplicate events and gives you the option to skip, replace or keep both events.
- Video call links: automatically detects video call links in the event details and adds them to the event, making it easier to join your meetings.
- Event creation: allows you to create new events directly within the app.
I'll also repeat what I said about the optional in-app purchase:
There's also a completely optional in-app purchase that allows for even more features, geared towards power users. This will include the ability for smart conflict resolution, auto-routing rules, bulk operations, and full calendar export which is useful for backup purposes or when moving to a different calendar service. The in-app purchase is not required to use the app, and all the core features are available for free. I purposefully decided against the idea of having these features as a subscription, as I believe in providing value to users without locking them into a recurring payment.
CalAction Pro offers the following additional features:
- Smart conflict resolution can find and resolve conflicts between events.
- Auto-routing rules can automatically route events to specific calendars based on rules you define.
- Bulk operations allow you to perform bulk operations on events, such as deleting or moving multiple events at once.
- Full calendar export allows you to export your entire calendar as an .ics file, which is useful for backup purposes or when moving to a different calendar service.
If you're interested in trying CalAction, you can download it from the App Store right here. I also created a promotional website that lists all the features and answers some frequently asked questions, which you can find here.
If you try it out, please let me know what you think! Leaving a review on the App Store would also be greatly appreciated, as it helps other users discover the app and provides valuable feedback for future improvements.