Why put pollen in your calendar
If you have hay fever, the useful question is not what the pollen count is right now, but which days this week suit the long walk, the outdoor dinner or the run. You already decide those things in your calendar, so that is where a pollen forecast helps most.
Below are three ways to keep pollen in view, from free alerts on your phone to a 5-day pollen forecast in Google Calendar as color-coded events, with a comparison at the end. This is general information, not medical advice: talk to your doctor or allergist about treatment.
Way 1: Pollen alerts on your phone, outside the calendar
In August 2017 Google added pollen levels to its mobile search results and said the Google app could remind you when the pollen count in your area is particularly high. On Pixel phones, the Pixel Weather app shows a pollen card with an outlook for the coming days; it reached the US in April 2025.
Both are free, but they live outside Google Calendar: you see an alert or a card, not an event on the day you are planning. We could not find a current Google help page for the Google app’s pollen reminders, so check whether the option still appears for your account and region.
Way 2: An automation that adds a calendar event (US only)
Automation services can turn a pollen reading into a calendar event. On IFTTT, the Weather Underground service has a trigger called Current pollen count rises above: it fires when the local count goes above a level you set on a 1 to 12 scale, and IFTTT notes that it is available only in the USA. Paired with IFTTT’s Google Calendar action, it can add an event when the count crosses your level.
You get one event when the count is high, based on a single local count rather than a forecast for your own allergens. We have not tested this applet ourselves, so check IFTTT’s current trigger page before you rely on it.
Way 3: A 5-day forecast as color-coded events
Pollen Calendar writes a pollen forecast for up to 5 days (you choose 1 to 5) into Google Calendar as all-day events, only for the allergens you pick from 12: grasses, birch, alder, hazel, ash, oak, olive, pine, cottonwood, ragweed, mugwort and juniper. You set your location, by city or exact coordinates, and your allergens in the Google Calendar sidebar on a computer; the events then show on your phone too.
Each event is colored by the worst level among your allergens: green for low, yellow for moderate, orange for high and red for very high, or one fixed color if you prefer. The title lists your allergens worst first, such as “🟠 Pollen: Grasses High, Birch Moderate”, and the event details list every reported species with its Universal Pollen Index (UPI) value and whether it is in season.
A fresh forecast arrives every morning, with a Sync now button, and days when none of your allergens reaches a low level get no event. Events are marked free and never trigger reminders, and Pollen Calendar only changes the events it created. The forecast comes from the Google Maps Platform Pollen API, which covers more than 65 countries but not every region; where there is no data, Pollen Calendar says so and creates no events.
It costs CHF 9.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial and no card needed.
See what Pollen Calendar shows for your allergens →
Compare the three ways
| Phone alerts | IFTTT automation | Pollen Calendar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In your calendar | No | Yes: one event when the count is high | Yes: one event per day with pollen for your allergens |
| Your own allergens | No | No: one overall count | Yes: pick from 12 |
| Looks ahead | Pixel Weather: the coming days | No: the current count | Up to 5 days |
| Where it works | Depends on your phone and region | USA only | 65+ countries, not every region |
| Cost | Free | Needs an IFTTT account | CHF 9.99 a year after a 7-day free trial |
Pollen count today, or the next five days?
Most people search for the pollen count today, often for their own city. That number tells you about this afternoon; it does not tell you whether Saturday looks better for the long walk.
Pollen Calendar answers both in the place you already plan: today’s event shows the current forecast for your location, and the days after it show when the count for your allergens is expected to go down. Set your city once, or another city before a trip.
A forecast, not medical advice
Pollen Calendar is an informational tool, not medical advice. A pollen forecast helps you plan your week; it does not replace the guidance of your doctor or allergist.
