Chronos Calendar gets Google Calendar sync, new languages and more in massive update

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

We told you about Chronos Calendar a few weeks ago and we hope you grabbed it then. The super smooth calendar app was free at the time and has since been bumped up to $1.99 for new users.

We gushed at the time about the clear and easy to read calendar replacement, which allows you to create, edit and delete appointments as it syncs directly to your Microsoft Account. While some opined that it wasn’t “Modern UI” enough, others complained about the lack of Google Calendar support as they need it for work.

Well, although the app still looks the same as before (something we’re okay with), we can now cross off Google Calendar support as a missing feature as that has been pushed out with version 1.8.6.0, which just went live today. In addition, a whole bunch of other additions and fixes have been implemented, making the app even more robust. Those changes include:

  • Google Calendar Sync.
  • Italian and German language support.
  • Welcome cultures South Africa, Argentina, Romania, New Zealand, Mexico, Venezuela.
  • Private / public added in event for editing.
  • Lock symbol in tile and in event when private.
  • Alarm bell symbol when reminder enabled in tile and in event.
  • Switch for showing private / reminder symbols.
  • Selector in general options for default reminder time.
  • Now it remembers all offline changes create/update/delete and sends them on next sync.

We’re also told Israeli culture will be added in the next update. Not too shabby and even if you didn’t lock in that free price, we encourage to at least give the app a trial, if you’re looking for a more customizable and powerful calendar app for your Windows Phone device.

Pick up Chronos Calendar v1.8.6.0 here in the Store. Windows Phone 7.x and 8 are both supported. Thanks, Matt C., Shahid M., and Daniel K. for the tips!

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

52 Comments
  • one of the best apps windows phone has to offer thank goodness i got it when i was told, still though for 2 bucks its a great deal.
  • 1000%
  • I had stopped using it because of the missing Google calendar (for work). Time to get it back...
  • What an amazing calendar. I will heartily recommend this to anyone who's after a more advanced alternative, but sadly the design just isn't for me.
  • I feel the same way. The functionality is incredible and I love the double wide tile, but the in-app design could be a lot better
  • I'm with you guys. The app design could be better in a lot of ways. I don't have a suggestion on anything in particular, but I feel that the overall design could be better.
     
    I uninstalled last week after using it for a while. I will give it another try in the upcoming days.
  • i feel the design is ok for me, 
  • Same here, I like the design too. No complaints about it.
  • I strongly dislike the look of the app, and believe they should have made more effort to "Modernize" it. But it works great and has a lot of really nice features as well as simplicity in the everyday use that I keep using it... worth the $2 if you ask me.
  • Agree, it looks and feels bad. The developer surely doesn't know about "less is more" :)
  • the design is ok, for me
  • One of my favorite apps. Unlike some I love the look.
  • I absolutely love how advanced, customizable and gorgeous this app is. However, I have Simple Calendar pinned as a double wide tile on my start screen for just one reason. It displays the appointment locations below the subject, unlike Chronos which displays it in the same line after the subject. In my case, subjects are often long resulting in the locations getting cut off, and Simple Calendar's tile tells me which conference room I need run to, without having to open the app.
  • Does this app support multiple and shared calendars?
  • I moved away from Google recently, so I can't speak for that, but I am now able to use all calendars my live-account can access. Seems to be read only for other's calendars, but I haven't researched it.
  • Best calendar ever.  The lack of a decent alternative to the built-in WP7/8 calendar was always one of my biggest complaints about the platform, mainly because the built-in calendar is so short on features compared to the many calendar apps available on other platforms.  Chronos went a long way towards bridging that gap when it was first released, and with this current update, it's just about on par with my old Android calendar app of choice, Jorte.  Great job.
  • All its missing now is a SEARCH FUNCTION - so i can recall when i did what when
  • Its there already. Settings->Search text
  • Thanks. This saves me from having to give Effectual a try
  • Can it also link to Facebook?
  • Link Facebook to your Microsoft account, you can get calendar that way.
  • I don't know if it's supposed to, but this app never updated daily without me going into it.
  • That's not a problem in the app but the system. I have the same problem and just wait for the next WP update.
     
  • I love this app. This is one of the must have apps for WP8
  • Meh. Until its in sync with my Phone Calendar, which is synced to my Company's Exchange calendar, I can't make any real use of it
  • It does sync with phone calendar. Choose Windows Phone under calendar type in settings.
  • I believe it is only one way. it reads from the Exchange calendar, but it cannot create an entry. This was a problem when I was using it. I found myself having to go back into the regular calendar. If I remember correctly it also had issues creating entries in my second hotmail account.
  • This app is beautiful in its own way. Don't care much about it not being metro, but the pinned calendar is beautiful. Reminds me of pre-90s progs design.
  • technically, it is metro, if one uses the term properly. It uses decent fonts, appears (from screenshots) to have little "chrome" (details that add nothing to the UX or UI; decorative areas or areas to give a certain appearance.), shows content decently.
     
    Now if one means "Modern UI", then no, it is not for the most part, from the looks of it. But thats not the most important thing.
  • This app is beautiful in its own way. Don't care much about it not being metro, but the pinned calendar is beautiful. Reminds me of late-90s progs design.
  • I wish it had an option to switch to an alternative metro design. Would be a complete wp8 calendar then.
  • This is an outstanding calendar for WP8. My wife likes the ease of use as well as the double wide tile with the appointments. Looks like artwork.
  • Tried it for a while and loved it, except for the look. Then I tried True Calendar 8 and it is everything this is, but with a more "modern UI" look.
  • The guy behind this app has promised that his next project is the design
    I like that its not all Metro. I get a little tired of all black with small boxes. It to simple and looks to much like something from my old C64.
  • Yes, anything that is NOT Metro is good.  Hate the childish blocks and lack of functions in most all metro silliness.
  • Love for this app is much. Keep it up. A must have app. Strange with the naming since it used to be called Almanackan in the Swedish store. Had to buy the app now and get a English name :/
  • I can't get the background pic to work.
  • I did it this way. In the Chronos calendar, click the settings button, General tab, tap "Live tile" link, tap wide icon in the middle. That should open your pictures hub. Select a pic, center it, tap the check button.  Did you do it differently?
  • I don't understand, when I scan the QR code with my ATIV S, it displays the message saying this app is not available for my device, so I couldn't download it, but I'm using version v1.8.6.0 already.....
  • im having the same problem also. when u go to wp store and search for it manually the search dosent yield any results. also wen u try rhe link it shows that the app is no longer published. maybe the app is having problems going live. hopefully it should be rectified soon.
  • am having the same problem. I am trying to reinstall but it says my family has blocked it or something, which is weird, cos I don't have a family setup on WP8.
  • I got the message saying it is not available for my device or location. The previous version was available, but has now disappeared from the store. I'm in Singapore.
  • Definately the app has aproblem. currently its unavailable in many marketplace like India. hopefully it will be fixed later.
  • Cannot be updated in Thailand too.
  • Here in Czech Republic Its also unavaiable to buy full Version.Hope will update soon. Anyway, Is It possible to add Record to shared calendar?
  • The app is unavaileble for WP7.X in Norway too. Got the old version thou...
  • From the developer's Facebook page:
     
    "SORRY PEOPLE! The app is not available for a couple of days! Found a bug with the auto tile updater! Need to fix it!!! If you downloaded the update and use the built-in calendar change the sync day span to 90 or more instead of 30 days!!! Otherwise the later 30 days and forward gets filled with the same event!
    You can also deactivate the built-in and reactivate it to clear the duplicate events! SORRY! Will fix it and send a new version ASAP!"
  • Hi! Same problem here. Uninstalled with a view to reinstalling before I saw this blog entry. The other problem I was having was it was not loading entries from the past, despite the date 'range' thingy being set correctly. Finally, any alternative to the cream background and possibly a 'week' view like the truely beautful Week View8?
     
     
    Th
     
     T
  • Not available in India! :(
  • I downloaded when it was free but now i can't get the update says not available in India
  • This app did not work for me. It had sync problems in my case, especially with a shared room calendar which I use the most. Even after a couple of re-installs the sync problems persist. Didn't like the look of the app also, but that's a personal taste I guess. I did however like the many settings you could configure. Very robust, so kudos to the developer for that. But hey, if syncing doesn't work the app is not usable for me at all. I've been using Week View 8 ever since, and not lookin back. I'm glad Chronos works for a lot of other people!
  • Absolutely love this because of the tile showing the next few appointments and the ability to add a photo... but the live tile doesn't update. I have to open the app in order to get the tile to show an update schedule.