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# Google Calendar: How to Connect Gmail, Chat, and Meet
- URL: https://www.jeffsu.org/newsletter-254/
- Published: 2026-07-03T09:03:03.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-03T09:03:02.000Z
- Description: #254
- Author: Jeff
- Tags: #newsletter, Google Calendar

*Want to see these tips early?* [*Subscribe to the newsletter*](https://www.jeffsu.org/newsletter/?utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=post&utm%5Fcampaign=beginning)*!*

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Hey friends, this week I've got 3 of my favorite Google Calendar features that connect it to Gmail, Chat, and Meet, so you're not copy-pasting between apps all day. Let's dive right in! 😁

### Tip #1: Create an event straight from an email

You get an email that's obviously going to turn into a meeting, so you:

- open Google Calendar...
- ...create a new event...
- ...retype the subject line as the title...
- ...and re-add everyone who was on the thread.

**Here's a much faster way:**

1. Open the email in its own window (not the reading pane)
2. Click the **three-dot menu** at the top right of the email
3. Select **Create event**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2026/07/image-2.png)

And that's it! Calendar opens with the title, description, and everyone from the email already filled in.

### Tip #2: Turn a Google Chat message into a task on your calendar

Someone pings you an action item in Google Chat: "can you send the deck by Thursday?" You swear you'll remember it, then you ~~forget~~ get distracted by something that's totally not your fault and it's buried under 40 messages by lunch.

**So here's what to do instead:**

1. Hover over the message and click the **three-dot menu**
2. Click **Add to Tasks**
3. Open the new task and add a **due date**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2026/07/image-1.png)

Now it lands on your Google Calendar with a checkbox you can tick off from the day view. No toggling between Chat, Tasks, and Calendar.

💡 **Pro tip:** The due date is what puts it on your calendar. Skip it and the task just sits in your list.

### Tip #3: Lock down your meeting before it starts

**Heads up:** this one's for Google Workspace accounts.

Back when I was a PMM at Google, I gave a lot of presentations, and nothing derails one faster than someone accidentally sharing their screen over yours in front of the whole room 😩. The old fix was scrambling through Meet's settings mid-meeting.

**Here's how to prevent it from the invite:**

1. Open the event in Google Calendar and click **Edit**
2. Next to Google Meet, click the **Video call options** gear
3. Turn on **Host management**
4. Optional: add a **co-host** so a teammate can help run the room

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2026/07/image.png)

Now only you and your co-hosts can share a screen. No surprises.

#### Free workaround

On a personal account you can still control this, just not ahead of time. Once the meeting starts, open **Host controls** (the shield icon) and turn off screen sharing for everyone but you.

### ⌨️ Google Calendar keyboard shortcuts

- **C** \= Create a new event
- **E** \= Open a selected event's details
- **T** \= Jump to today
- **X** \= Switch to your custom (4-day) view
- **G** \= Go to a specific date

Try one of these this week and let me know how it goes! 😁

---

**Whenever you're ready, here are some other ways I can help you:**

💻 [The Workspace Academy:](https://academy.jeffsu.org/workspace-academy?utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=post&utm%5Fcampaign=footer) Never lose a file, task, or note again with my CORE workflow for Google Workspace. Adopted by over 10,000 Googlers.

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