💡 Note: On macOS, Beside currently supports Google Calendar only for upcoming-meeting detection & meeting prep.
🧠 What is meeting auto-detection?
Beside helps you never miss a meeting and be ready in time.
When your Google Calendar is connected, Beside finds upcoming meetings, prepares context, and reminds you when it’s time to join.
⚙️ How auto-detection works
After you connect Google Calendar, Beside continuously:
Scans your calendar for new or updated events
Detects meetings that include a video link (Zoom, Meet, Teams, etc.)
Extracts key details like title, participants, time, and platform
Sends a pre-meeting notification with Join and Meeting Prep
When the call starts, auto-records the meeting
ℹ️ Without a calendar connection, Beside can still auto-start recording when it detects a call on your Mac (e.g., Meet/Zoom/Slack/FaceTime), but you won’t see the meeting in Upcoming or receive pre-meeting prep.
✅ Detected vs Not detected meetings ❌
✅ Meetings with video links from: Zoom · Google Meet · Microsoft Teams · Webex · Around · Whereby · GoToMeeting · BlueJeans, and other major platforms.
✅ Invites where you are: the organizer, attendees, optional attendees.
❌ All-day events (no specific time)
❌ Calendar blocks like “Focus time” or “Lunch”
❌ In-person meetings (unless you start them manually)
❌ Events marked as Free or Out of Office
❌ Declined meetings (unless you change your RSVP)
⏰ Detection timing
Beside checks for meetings:
Continuously while the app is open
Every 5 minutes when running in the background
Meetings appear in Upcoming:
As soon as they’re added to your Google calendar
Up to 30 days in advance
Until 1 hour after they end (then move to Past Meetings)
🔔 Meeting notifications
When a meeting is detected, Beside will automatically:
Display it in your Upcoming Meetings list
Send a notification 5 minutes before the start (customizable)
Offer a one-click Join button
Open Meeting Prep with contextual details (participants, prior notes, recent topics)