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.
CalAction is an iOS app that makes it easy to import .ics files into your calendar, either as a file, from a URL, from your clipboard or even from a QR code. The app is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical expertise. CalAction also tries to detect video conferencing links from Zoom, Teams, WebEx, Google Meet and Facetime and inserts them into the correct field in the calendar event, making it even easier to join meetings.
Another few features that I have implemented in CalAction include the ability to detect duplicates, so you won't end up adding the same event twice. The app also supports detecting overlap between events, which can help avoid scheduling conflicts. There's also the option to create a new calendar file from scratch and share it with others as a file or a QR code, making it easy to share events with friends or colleagues.
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.
To make the app feel a bit more personal, I added a few accent colors you can choose from, and I translated the app into multiple languages, including Dutch, French and German.
I'm happy to announce that CalAction is now in beta testing and can be downloaded from TestFlight. If you're interested in trying it out, feel free to download it and provide feedback if you have any. Also don't hesitate to share it with friends and family who might find it useful.
The TestFlight link is available right here: CalAction Beta on TestFlight.
After a short beta period, I'm planning to release CalAction to the App Store after which I'll share more details about the app and its features.