Google Sync Calendars: Shouldn't they be "On" by Default?

The ease of sharing and subscribing to other calendars is one of the most useful features we've gained in our transition, but one thing I haven't understood:

Why are Google Calendars toggled "off" in Google Sync by default?

This is especially annoying among employees because we have three separate calendars we subscribe each to. It's not just that, though. The process of making a calendar appear through Google Sync is a bit convoluted, and since new calendars are off by default, this process must be done each time a new calendar is added.

Here's what I've posted on our help desk site as instructions. Keep in mind that Seton Hill has issued iPads to all full-time students and faculty, so this is an issue we see quite commonly with the iPad.

Want to select which of your Google Calendars show up on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch?

• On the device itself, open Safari and go to m.google.com/sync
• Tap "Sign in with your Google Account"
• You should now see a Google login page. Enter your e-mail address as the username and leave the password blank. Click the button to continue.
• You should now see the Griffin's Lair login page (if you weren't logged in already). Enter your username and password, then click the button to log in.
• You should now see a page that says "Google Sync" and "Manage devices". Each device that you have configured for e-mail and calendars should appear here. Tap the row for the device you'd like to configure.
• Here you should see a list of all of your calendars. Check the boxes for any calendars you'd like to have on your device, then tap the "Save" button at the bottom.

That'll turn them on, although you may need to kill the "Calendar" app and restart it for them to show up. Rebooting the device will do it, but you can do it more quickly by:

• Double-tap the home button.
• A row along the bottom with some of your apps will appear here. If you don't see the "Calendar" app, scroll to the right until it's visible.
• Tap and hold the app's icon until it becomes wiggly, then tap the red "-" icon (just like you do to delete apps).
• Double-tap the home button to go back to normal.

The practical result is that most users don't bother getting or keeping their calendars set up properly. Just imagine sending these instructions to someone who is in no way "tech savvy." The problem is so easily solved, though. Just have calendars show up through Google Sync by default. After all, they can be hidden on the client itself, anyway.