“It works better in the app”

The monkey-punchers at Google never quite seem to finish any of their apps. There's always some useful bit of work left undone, or showstopping bug which remains unfixed, a thousand jagged edges as yet unsolved by the greatest minds of their generation.

I wanted to subscribe to an events calendar. I had a URl. I had my Google™ Pixel® phone running the latest Android© 17 with an updated calendar app. Is it possible to click on a calendar link and add it to my phone?

No.

Here's what Google has to say about the matter:

Really?!? I mean, fucking really????

This isn't the most complex software engineering task known to humanity. Add a + button. Pop open a text entry field. Validate. Save. Done. I'm sure even the shitty Gemini model can vibe code that in a couple of months, right?

Anyway, I opened calendar.google.com on my phone (using desktop mode), added the calendar, and it magically appeared in the app.

This is just pathetic.

In fairness, this isn't only a Google problem. Many companies want a permanent presence on your homescreen and think you're too thick to use your browser's bookmarks feature. Maybe they're right. Maybe an app is the only way to increase the engagement KPI sufficiently so Quinn in the leadership squad can hit their OKRs and get a bonus.

So they build an app. Or, rather, they half-arse it. I've lost count of the number of times I've been told "it's easier if you use our app" only to be unceremoniously punted back to the web when I try to do anything outside of the app's narrow strictures.

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