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Comment by cromka

4 days ago

What's annoying to me is that I have to use DavX for calendar synchronization and some apps still add events to the (apparently default) Google calendar even after I disabled Google Calendar app.

You get a general feeling that Android is half assed if you don't use a Google account. Adding tasks using Gemini voice assistant? Sure, but only if you use Google Tasks. And so on.

I moved to Android from iPhone and am actually considering going back for those very reasons. Super annoying to see these limitations, iOS was much more provider-agnostic.

6 comments

cromka

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n8cpdx  4 days ago

I just tried to move to Android because it's more open. Was not prepared for the "open" OS to not have basic support for self-hosted calendars. Yes, contacts and calendar are a core OS level feature in 2026.

Yes DAVx5 exists, but Google Calendar was buggy with local calendars and DAVx5 actually didn't work reliably afaict.

Calendar.app is totally seamless with synology on iOS. Same with contacts.

Android was working overtime to make sure I use Google for everything. iOS isn't perfect but I don't have to jump through crazy hoops to be in control of my data.

  • thewebguyd  1 day ago

    This is something I appreciate about Apple/iOS (and by extent, macOS as well). They still provide a "neutral" calendar app & mail app (and even reminders can sync with other services). Apple offers email, but they don't really try to convince you to use it or force you into it (at least, they didn't used to). It's just "whatever service you use, we don't care but here's some nice native apps to use with those services"

    Android OOTB, especially on Pixels, just sort of assumes you are using Google for everything. There's no "Calendar" there's only Google calendar, there's no Mail app there's only Gmail, etc.

    iOS feels like an agnostic OS, however locked down, Android still feels purely like a Google product meant to push Google services.

  • xethos  3 days ago

    > DAVx5 actually didn't work reliably afaict

    I've been self-hosting it for several years, with the entire thing (ntfy / UnifiedPush for calendar event updates, Radicale for CalDav & CardDav) working perfectly once background "optimization" is disabled

    iOS was actually much worse - it happily synced to an ip address and port on the LAN, then failed silently and without error messages when using a VPN away from home.

    > tried to move to Android because it's more open

    At least we agree on this - AOSP is more open, but that's not what's on offer any more. Hell, Android Beam was AOSP, and super nice for transferring files. It's now "Google Share", with all the proprietary bullshit that implies, and NFC's utility crippled if you don't use Google Services.

    • cromka  3 days ago

      OK, but don't you have problems with apps that add events to calendar transparentny? These add events to Google calendar here, not my self-hosted synced with DavX. Something I can't fix at all.

      Also, do you use Gemini for adding calendar events and tasks?

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