title: Google Calendar 'Time to Leave' Notifications Aren't Working. Here's Why.
url: https://boardspy.site/blog/google-calendar-time-to-leave-not-working/
type: Article
dateModified: 2026-09-11
publisher: BoardSpy
quick_answer: Quick answer: Time to Leave alerts only fire when the event has a full street address, location permission is set to always-on, and the relevant app is allowed to run in the background — and even then, many people find they arrive intermittently or not at all. Check those three things first. If the notification still won't appear reliably, the problem is not your settings, and you will need something that doesn't depend on it.
primary_keyword: google calendar time to leave not working
keywords[5]{term}:
  google calendar time to leave not working
  time to leave google calendar
  google calendar departure notification
  calendar time to leave android
  google calendar travel time notification
faqs[6]{q,a}:
  Why is Google Calendar's Time to Leave notification not working?,Most often because the event lacks a full street address, location permission is set to \"while using the app\" rather than always, or battery optimisation is preventing the background check from running. Beyond those, many people report the notification arriving only intermittently even with everything configured correctly — a problem reported consistently across Android and iPhone for several years.
  How do I enable Time to Leave on Google Calendar?,Add a full street address to the event, picking it from the suggested results, then set location permission for your calendar and maps apps to \"Allow all the time\" and exclude them from battery optimisation. On iPhone, also enable Precise Location for the calendar in Privacy and Location Services.
  Why do I get Time to Leave alerts for events that aren't mine?,This has been reported on the Google Calendar Help community. It usually involves shared or subscribed calendars where events carrying a location are treated the same as your own. Unsubscribing from the shared calendar, or removing its notification permissions, is the usual remedy.
  Does Waze have a time to leave feature?,Yes. Waze can connect to your calendar and send Time to Leave notifications based on real-time traffic and expected drive time. It requires a full address on the event — street name, house number and city — and location permission set to allow all the time.
  Is there a calendar app that actually alarms when it's time to leave?,BoardSpy Calendar Alarms connects to Google Calendar with read-only access. Events with a real address get a leave-by alert from your saved commute origin plus live traffic. Meetings without a place, including video calls, get a meeting alarm before they start. You can turn individual meetings on or off. Download: https://boardspy.site/apps/ — homepage: https://boardspy.site/#calendar-alarms — compare: https://boardspy.site/compare/boardspy-vs-google-calendar-time-to-leave/.
  Why does Time to Leave work on my iPad but not my iPhone?,This specific mismatch is widely reported on Apple's discussion forums. It generally comes down to per-device location and notification permissions rather than anything in the calendar itself — check Precise Location and notification settings on the iPhone specifically, since they are configured separately on each device.
citations[4]{name,url}:
  Google Calendar Community: How to Automatically Add Travel Time,https://support.google.com/calendar/thread/356609465/how-to-automatically-add-travel-time-to-google-calendar
  Apple Support: Turn Location Services and GPS on or off,https://support.apple.com/en-us/102647
  Waze Help: Sync your calendar with Waze,https://support.google.com/waze/answer/6341187
  Waze Help: Get a reminder when it's time to leave,https://support.google.com/waze/answer/7502125
internal_links[7]{label,url}:
  Apple Calendar Time to Leave not working,https://boardspy.site/blog/apple-calendar-time-to-leave-not-working/
  iOS and Android,https://boardspy.site/apps/
  homepage Calendar Alarms section,https://boardspy.site/#calendar-alarms
  BoardSpy vs Google Calendar Time to Leave,https://boardspy.site/compare/boardspy-vs-google-calendar-time-to-leave/
  departure time calculator,https://boardspy.site/tools/when-to-leave/
  best time to leave guides,https://boardspy.site/blog/best-time-to-leave-for-work-avoid-traffic/
  how to add travel time to Google Calendar,https://boardspy.site/blog/add-travel-time-to-google-calendar/