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Comment by 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.

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n8cpdx

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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  4 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?

    • xethos  2 days ago

      > don't you have problems with apps that add events to calendar transparentny?

      Not to be dismissive, but no, not at all. I'm not even sure which apps I'd want that add something to my calendar. A massage therapy place's app might do this, but I prefer the website when booking anyways. Beyond that, I'm not sure what types of apps would do this (though I'm confident you have examples that'll seem obvious as soon as they're listed).

      I could imagine gMail doing something like this with Google Calendar, but I avoid the panopticon for myriad reasons - not least of which was, last time I had an issue with my eMail services provider, I recieved an intelligent, issue-resolving response from support, within 24 hours

      > do you use Gemini for adding calendar events and tasks?

      No, and the most I'd consider is a locally-run LLM on something like a local Home Assistant with a few microphones around the home. I don't believe I'm a person of interest, but "We kill people based on metadata" has left me with little appetite for something so personal being run and controlled by for-profit, American entities.