Getting Started

Set up Next Up with a personal Google account

Setup takes about five minutes and you only do it once. You add a small read-only script to your Google account, connect Next Up to it, and choose which calendars to watch.

Before you start

  • Download Next Up for personal accounts (next_up_personal.html), save it somewhere it can stay, and double-click it to open it in Chrome — see Download and open Next Up. Using a work or school account? Follow the Google Workspace guide instead.
  • Make sure Chrome is signed in to the Google account that has your calendar.
  • Want to look around first? Click Try a demo first to see Next Up with sample events.

Click Start setup (or Settings) and work through the three numbered steps.

Step 1: Create your calendar bridge

A file on your computer can't sign in to Google by itself, so you add a small script to your own Google account that passes your events to Next Up.

  1. Click Copy script.
  2. Open a new Apps Script project and rename it Next Up bridge (click "Untitled project" at the top).
  3. Select all the starter code, paste the script over it, and press Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on a Mac) to save.
  4. Click Deploy → New deployment, click the gear icon next to "Select type" and choose Web app.
  5. Set Execute as: Me and Who has access: Anyone.
  6. Click Deploy, then Authorize access and pick your account.
  7. Copy the Web app URL (it ends in /exec).

Why "Anyone" is safe

"Anyone" means anyone can reach the script, not read your calendar. The script only answers requests that carry your personal key, and it refuses anyone signed in to Google as someone else. "Only myself" also works in plain Chrome, but browsers that block third-party cookies, such as Brave and Safari, can't connect with it.

About the "unverified app" warning

When you authorize, Google says "Google hasn't verified this app". That's expected for a script you made yourself. Click Advanced → Go to Next Up bridge (unsafe), then Allow. The script can only read your calendars, and you can read every line of it before you paste it.

Step 2: Connect

  1. Paste the Web app URL into Your Web app URL.
  2. Click Get my key. Your script opens in a new tab and shows your personal key.
  3. Copy the key and paste it into Your personal key. Treat it like a password.

Step 3: Pick your calendars

  1. Click Load my calendars.
  2. Tick the calendars to watch. The colour swatch changes a calendar's colour in Next Up only — not in Google Calendar.
  3. Optionally choose a Focus day agenda calendar to show today's timeline beside the timer.
  4. Click Save.

The status pill in the header turns to Connected and your next event appears.

Related guides

Next, choose when you're warned in Set up alerts, colours and sounds. If something doesn't connect, see Troubleshoot common issues. To add a second Google account, see Use several Google accounts.