Choose calendars and use the day agenda

Pick the calendars to watch

In Settings, step 3, click Load my calendars and tick the ones to watch. Next Up sees the same calendars Google Calendar lists under "My calendars" and "Other calendars". Use a calendar's colour swatch to change its colour in Next Up; it doesn't change it in Google Calendar.

The Focus day agenda

Choose a calendar under Focus day agenda to show today's events on the left as a timeline, with a line at the current time and the past dimmed. It's great for a time-blocking or "zones" calendar, and it doesn't need to be ticked above.

Under Behaviour you can show calendar colours on agenda events, show a faint border (and pick its colour), and show or hide the current-time line.

How many timers, and how far ahead

Timers to show sets how many events get a timer: the next event gets the big one, and each one after it gets a smaller timer underneath (up to six in total). Look ahead (hours) sets how far into the future Next Up looks — 48 hours by default.

Filter events

Ignore all-day events and Ignore events I've declined are both on by default, so holidays and meetings you've said no to don't take over the timer.

Extra details

Under Behaviour, turn on Show start and end times under the progress bar, or Show the Alerts card on the main page for a summary of when each alert starts.

Related guides

Set when you're warned in Set up alerts, colours and sounds, and place the agenda beside a narrower timer in Arrange the layout and choose a theme.