Notion Calendar

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Notion has rebranded its acquired Cron app as Notion Calendar, a polished Google Calendar client aimed at power users with features like fast keyboard-driven workflows, smarter scheduling links, and tight integration with Notion databases. Commenters are split: some praise Cron’s UX and see a serious attempt to compete with tools like Fantastical, Amie, and Motion, while others are put off by requirements such as Google-only backend support, broad OAuth permissions, lack of offline or end‑to‑end encryption, and Notion’s existing performance and lock‑in issues. The release also reignites broader questions about calendar app design, native vs web-based productivity tools, and whether incremental calendar improvements justify switching from established setups.

Product identity & platform limits

  • Notion Calendar is essentially the rebranded Cron app, still acting as a polished Google Calendar client.
  • Requires a Google account; no Notion-account login, no CalDAV, iCloud, or MS365 support, which makes it a non-starter for some.
  • Some users expected cross‑platform expansion (e.g., Android) after the acquisition but see only integration/rebranding so far.

UX, features & migration issues

  • Many former Cron users praise its speed, keyboard‑driven UX, and “just right” event creation flow vs Google Calendar’s clunkier dialogs.
  • Highlighted strengths: quick joining of meetings, smart join buttons in notifications, clear participant handling, time‑zone handling, and availability sharing that can partially replace tools like Calendly.
  • Several report a rough migration: Cron “disappeared” or auto‑updated without clear notice, broke scheduling links, and hit sign‑in rate limits or SSO errors, causing missed meetings and frustration.

Notion integration & strategy

  • Calendar currently sits on top of Google Calendar but can link to Notion pages and open Notion databases with dates as calendars.
  • Some find the integration limited: calendar events show few properties; database → calendar views don’t default to “items assigned to me.”
  • Opinions split: some see calendar as a logical step toward a fuller project‑management/Workspace‑style suite; others think Notion should prioritize bug fixes and core polish instead.

Offline, data ownership & security

  • Lack of true offline mode in Notion (and by extension Calendar) is a recurring complaint, especially for flights and poor connectivity.
  • Users want local data they can tinker with, export easily, or self‑host; several recommend local‑first or markdown‑based alternatives.
  • Concerns about Notion not being end‑to‑end encrypted and about long‑term data lock‑in and policy changes.

Performance & core Notion experience

  • Mixed reports: desktop performance can be good with solid connectivity, but mobile apps and the marketing page are described as slow or laggy.
  • Some find Notion’s UX slick and powerful for structured data + notes; others experience it as clunky, unintuitive, or a “UX circus.”

OAuth permissions & trust

  • The Google OAuth prompt alarms some users: requested scopes include broad directory access and the ability to delete calendars/contacts.
  • Discussion notes that these coarse scopes are driven largely by Google’s API design, but still discourage adoption.

Broader calendar ecosystem & unmet needs

  • Thread references a wave of calendar products (HEY, Amie, Motion, others) and ongoing desire for:
    • Whole‑year / multi‑month overviews for planning.
    • Smarter task scheduling that respects context and reduces context switching.
  • Several commenters, satisfied with existing tools like Google Calendar or native apps, see limited benefit in switching to Notion Calendar.