iCalendar Displaying Incorrect Alert/Travel Time Information

Question

Level 1

9 points

iCalendar Displaying Incorrect Alert/Travel Time Information

It all started when I realised my MacBook wasn't updating my iCloud calendar with new events/changes. Eventually after a few reboots and signing in and our of iCloud I fixed my iCloud Calendar syncing from my MacBook again. I have it setup on both my MacBook and my iPhone. However it's still not working correctly, If I create an event on my MacBook using the calendar app, as an example: I create an event, and set the travel time to 30 minutes, and I set an alert for 15 minutes before the travel time. It displays perfectly as described above on my MacBook... If I then check my Calendar on my phone or in the iCloud web browser, it shows a travel time of 30 minutes, and an alert 45 minutes before the travel time... It keeps COMBINING both the alert before time, and the travel time E.G. 15 + 30. It doesn't matter how I try and create or organise the event on my MacBook the alert is completely wrong when it reaches my iCloud account/iPhone. However, when I try to create an event under the same conditions from my Phone, it displays as expected on all devices including my MacBook. It's driving me insane, I heavily rely on organising my Calendar via my Macbook and right now I can't because my alerts/travel time warnings are all WRONG.

I have tried removing my account from my MacBook and re-signing in which fixed my non-sync problems originally. I have also tried signing out and removing all data from here: (Found in an old forum thread)

Delete everything in ~/Library/Calendars.

Delete the folders in ~/Library/Containers/ that contain either Calendar or iCal

Delete the plist files in ~/Library/Preferences/ that contain either Calendar or iCal.

Delete the com.apple.ical.savedState file from ~/Library/Saved Application State/ folder.

The ~/Library notation means your user Library that is in your Home folder, not the main Library in the root of your hard drive.

Yet once everything syncs back to my Calendar once I've signed back in and I try again, it still continually calculates my alert time all wrong again. There was nothing wrong with it a few weeks ago. I'm fast losing patience with Apple products, I don't trust that if this isn't working then what else is now messed up across my calendars. I consider myself technically proficient but there's little to no support for a variety of bugs across the native iOS applications.

MacBook Pro 15", macOS 10.15

Posted on Feb 23, 2020 6:49 PM

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Answer 1

i_rina

Community Specialist

Feb 26, 2020 11:29 AM in response to KenKenco

Hello KenKenco,

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities. I understand that there is incorrect alert and travel time information on your calendar and will do what I can to help.

Since this is using iCloud, try all the steps here you haven't done already: If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars, or Reminders won’t sync

Also, make sure the region and time zone is correct on both devices:

Cheers.

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Answer 2

KenKenco Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 2, 2020 10:28 PM in response to KenKenco

I'd like to add that any travel times set with reminders on my iOS device or using the iCloud web application work as expected and sync everywhere correctly.

It seems to be only linked to my MacBook Pro running OS Catalina v10.15.4.

I'm just going through the calendar on my phone now and correcting all the incorrect alert time calculations. I shouldn't have to but I have no choice *sigh*.

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Answer 3

KenKenco Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 2, 2020 10:02 PM in response to i_rina

Hi i_rina,

Sorry for the long delay in replying. I needed a break from technology (I work in IT it's hard to escape). I have checked all of the things outlined in all your links already but I did it once more for you. It didn't solve anything.

The problem is as follows. An example: I create an event on my MacBook Pro scheduled on Monday the 6th of April at 10:00am. I set a reminder 15 minutes before the event, and 1 hour before the event.

This syncronises completely fine with my iOS device showing the exact same details.

Back on my MacBook. If I then add a travel time of 1 hour to the event; it shows a travel time of 1 hour, and a reminder 15 minutes before the event, and 1 hour before the event (Which is correct!).

However, when I check my iOS device. It shows that the event has a 1 hour travel time, and a 1hr and 15 minute reminder before the event, and a 2 hour reminder before the event.

Do you understand how once it syncs to iCloud it "adds" on the travel time to the alert time? It should show "a travel time of 1 hour, and a reminder 15 minutes before the event, and 1 hour before the event" like it did on my MacBook, and how it always used to before OS Catalina. I have tested it multiple times and the problem also shows up on the iCloud web browser. So when the MacBook registers a travel time it's incorrectly calculating the originally set alert times that should be used before travel begins against iCloud some how.

The only thing I haven't done is re-install Mac OS and possibly roll back to Mojave (Before I started having issues)... Which I honestly think I'm going to do... It's driving me nuts I have done literally everything. You're welcome to suggest fixes but the chances are I've already done them. I submitted a bug report to Apple but I don't expect anything back from them. I won't lie I won't be buying a Mac again I'm not impressed with their OS as a whole given the price point.

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iCalendar Displaying Incorrect Alert/Travel Time Information

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