Day 80: Reclaim AI - 100 AI Tools Course

AI scheduling for Google Calendar

Tool Information

  • Category: productivity
  • Difficulty: expert
  • Pricing: Free / $10/mo
  • Official Website: https://reclaim.ai

About Reclaim AI

## Reclaim AI: The Ultimate AI Calendar Assistant for 2025 ### Introduction: What is Reclaim AI and Why It Matters in 2025 In 2025, time is the most valuable currency, and Reclaim.ai is one of the most powerful tools to help professionals reclaim it. Reclaim is an AI-powered calendar and time management platform that automatically schedules and protects your time for focus work, tasks, meetings, habits, and breaks. It integrates directly with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook, acting as an intelligent layer on top of your existing calendar to turn it into a true productivity engine. Reclaim matters because it solves the modern productivity crisis: too many meetings, too little focus time, and constant context switching. Instead of manually blocking time or fighting for availability, Reclaim uses AI to proactively and reactively schedule time based on your priorities, habits, and availability. It’s not just a scheduler; it’s a personal time manager that learns your patterns and defends your calendar. ### Core Purpose: The Primary Problem It Solves Reclaim.ai solves the problem of **calendar chaos**. Most professionals face: - Overbooked days with no time for deep work - Tasks that never get scheduled or completed - Habits (exercise, breaks, lunch) that get sacrificed when meetings pile up - Constant rescheduling and manual time blocking Reclaim’s core purpose is to **automatically schedule and protect time** for what matters most: focus work, tasks, habits, and breaks. It turns your calendar from a reactive log of meetings into a proactive plan for your priorities. ### How It Works: Technical Explanation Made Accessible Reclaim works by connecting to your Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook and analyzing your existing schedule. It then uses AI to: - **Understand your availability** (free vs. busy time) - **Learn your preferences** (when you prefer to work, meet, and take breaks) - **Automatically schedule time** for tasks, habits, and focus work - **Defend that time** by rescheduling or moving lower-priority items when conflicts arise Technically, Reclaim: 1. Syncs with your calendar and task systems (Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do, etc.) 2. Uses rules and AI to determine the best times to schedule items 3. Creates and moves events on your calendar to maintain your priorities 4. Provides a unified interface (web, mobile, browser extension) to manage everything The result is a calendar that feels like it’s working for you, not against you. ### Step-by-Step Getting Started Guide 1. **Sign Up and Connect Your Calendar** - Go to [reclaim.ai](https://reclaim.ai) and sign up with Google or Microsoft - Grant Reclaim access to your calendar and (optionally) tasks - Reclaim will sync your existing calendar and start analyzing your schedule 2. **Set Up Your Focus Time** - Navigate to the Focus Time feature - Define how many hours per day or week you want for deep work - Choose preferred days/times and buffer rules (e.g., no meetings 30 minutes before/after) - Reclaim will start automatically blocking and defending this time 3. **Connect Your Tasks** - Link your task system (Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do, etc.) - Mark important tasks as high priority or time-sensitive - Reclaim will automatically schedule time to work on these tasks 4. **Define Habits and Breaks** - Set up habits like exercise, lunch, breaks, or meditation - Specify frequency (daily, weekly) and duration - Reclaim will schedule and protect these blocks, rescheduling them if your day gets busy 5. **Configure Scheduling Links** - Create scheduling links for 1:1s, team meetings, or client calls - Customize availability, duration, and buffer times - Share the link instead of manually coordinating times 6. **Review and Adjust Settings** - Explore settings for time zones, notifications, and team defaults - Adjust how aggressively Reclaim reschedules or defends time - Use the planner view to see how your week is being shaped 7. **Use the Mobile App and Integrations** - Install the Reclaim mobile app (iOS/Android) - Connect to Slack, email, or other tools you use daily - Use the browser extension to quickly add tasks or schedule time from anywhere ### Key Features Deep Dive - **AI Scheduling for Focus Time**: Automatically blocks and defends time for deep work, ensuring you have uninterrupted blocks for high-value work. - **Task Scheduling**: Turns your to-do list into a calendar by scheduling time to work on tasks, with smart rescheduling when priorities change. - **Habits & Breaks**: Automatically schedules recurring habits (exercise, lunch, breaks) and protects them like meetings. - **Scheduling Links**: Create branded links for others to book time with you, with customizable availability and buffer rules. - **Connected Calendars**: Manage multiple calendars (work, personal, team) in one place with improved categorization and filtering. - **Travel Timezone Support**: Automatically adjusts for travel and different time zones, keeping your schedule in sync. - **Team Features**: Team-wide defaults, shared scheduling links, and improved Slack integration for collaborative time management. ### Best Practices and Pro Tips - Start with a small number of high-priority tasks and habits to avoid overwhelming the system. - Use Focus Time as a non-negotiable block; treat it like an important meeting. - Regularly review and adjust your habits and task priorities as your workload changes. - Leverage scheduling links for recurring 1:1s and client meetings to reduce back-and-forth. - Use the planner view weekly to see how your time is being allocated and make adjustments. ### Current Pricing Breakdown Reclaim offers a free plan with core features and paid plans starting around $10/month per user. The free plan is great for individuals testing the tool, while the paid plans unlock advanced features like: - More advanced AI scheduling rules - Enhanced team features and admin controls - Priority support and additional integrations The value proposition is strong: for the cost of a few coffees per month, you gain hours of reclaimed time and reduced scheduling friction. ### Real User Experiences Users report reclaiming 5–10 hours per week by automating focus time and task scheduling. Common use cases include: - Managers using scheduling links for 1:1s and reducing meeting setup time - Developers protecting focus time for coding and reducing context switching - Remote workers using habits and breaks to maintain work-life balance ### Comparison with Top 3 Alternatives - **Reclaim vs. Clockwise**: Reclaim offers deeper task and habit integration, while Clockwise focuses more on meeting optimization. - **Reclaim vs. Reclaim vs. Google Calendar + manual blocking**: Reclaim automates what would otherwise require constant manual effort. - **Reclaim vs. Microsoft Outlook Scheduling Assistant**: Reclaim provides a much richer AI layer for tasks, habits, and focus time beyond basic meeting suggestions. ### Recent Updates: What’s New in 2024–2025 - **Outlook Calendar support** (2025): Full AI scheduling now available for Outlook users. - **Custom Branding for Scheduling Links** (2025): Teams can now brand their scheduling links with logos and colors. - **Improved Travel Timezone Support** (2025): Better handling of travel and different time zones. - **New Task Filters** (2025): Enhanced organization and sorting of tasks within Reclaim. - **Reclaim Recapped 2025**: A year-in-review feature that analyzes your calendar data to show time spent, meeting patterns, and focus streaks. - **Catch-Up Time & LunchBuddy** (2025): New features that automatically schedule daily catch-up blocks and lunch breaks. ### Future Outlook: Where Is This Tool Heading? Reclaim is moving toward a more personalized, adaptive AI calendar that deeply understands your context and workflows. Expect: - More advanced AI that learns from your behavior and suggests optimal schedules - Deeper integrations with task managers, email, and communication tools - Enhanced mobile and desktop experiences with a dedicated app and browser extension - Greater team and organizational features for enterprise use In 2025 and beyond, Reclaim is positioned to become the central nervous system of your workday, not just a calendar add-on.

Key Features

  • AI Scheduling for Focus Time: Automatically blocks and defends time for deep work based on your preferences and availability.
  • Task Scheduling: Turns your to-do list into a calendar by scheduling time to work on tasks and rescheduling them as priorities change.
  • Habits & Breaks: Automatically schedules recurring habits (exercise, lunch, breaks) and protects them like meetings.
  • Scheduling Links: Create branded links for others to book time with you, with customizable availability, duration, and buffer rules.
  • Connected Calendars: Manage multiple calendars (work, personal, team) in one place with improved categorization and filtering.
  • Travel Timezone Support: Automatically adjusts for travel and different time zones, keeping your schedule in sync.
  • Team Features: Team-wide defaults, shared scheduling links, and improved Slack integration for collaborative time management.
  • Reclaim Recapped 2025: Year-in-review feature that analyzes your calendar data to show time spent, meeting patterns, and focus streaks.
  • Catch-Up Time & LunchBuddy: Automatically schedules daily catch-up blocks and lunch breaks that reschedule as your day fills up.

Use Cases

  • A software engineer uses Reclaim to automatically block 3–4 hours of Focus Time each day for coding, ensuring they have uninterrupted time for deep work despite a busy meeting schedule.
  • A manager creates Scheduling Links for 1:1s with their team, allowing direct reports to book time without back-and-forth emails, while Reclaim protects Focus Time around those meetings.
  • A remote worker sets up Habits for daily exercise and breaks, and uses Catch-Up Time to automatically schedule two 30-minute blocks each day to clear email and miscellaneous tasks.
  • A consultant uses Reclaim’s task scheduling to turn their client project to-do list into a calendar, ensuring time is blocked for research, writing, and client calls.
  • A team lead configures team-wide defaults and shared Scheduling Links in Reclaim, standardizing availability and buffer rules across the team for consistency and efficiency.
  • A frequent traveler uses Reclaim’s improved travel timezone support to keep their calendar in sync when working across different time zones, avoiding scheduling conflicts.
  • A product manager uses Reclaim Recapped 2025 to analyze their year’s meeting patterns, focus streaks, and time spent, then shares their Work Personality and key wins on LinkedIn.
  • A freelancer uses custom-branded Scheduling Links to present a professional booking experience to clients, while Reclaim automatically schedules time for client work and personal habits.

Pro Tips

  • Start small: Begin with 1–2 Focus Time blocks and a few key habits to let Reclaim learn your patterns before scaling up.
  • Treat Focus Time like a critical meeting: Decline or reschedule non-essential meetings that conflict with it to build the habit.
  • Use Scheduling Links for recurring meetings: Replace manual coordination for 1:1s, standups, and client calls with branded links.
  • Regularly review your Reclaim Recapped report: Use the insights to adjust your habits, meeting load, and focus time allocation.
  • Leverage Catch-Up Time and LunchBuddy: Let Reclaim automatically schedule daily catch-up and lunch blocks to prevent burnout.
  • Customize your Scheduling Links branding: Use your logo and colors to present a professional, consistent booking experience to clients and colleagues.

Limitations

  • Calendar dependency: Reclaim only works with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook, so users of other calendar systems are out of luck.
  • Learning curve: New users may need time to understand how to configure rules and trust the AI to schedule and reschedule effectively.
  • Limited control over exact timing: While Reclaim chooses optimal times, some users may want more manual control over when blocks are placed.
  • Team features require paid plans: Advanced team and admin controls are only available on higher-tier plans, which may be a barrier for small teams.

Alternatives

  • Clockwise - Focuses on meeting optimization and calendar cleanup; less emphasis on task and habit scheduling compared to Reclaim.
  • Google Calendar + manual blocking - Free but requires constant manual effort to block time and reschedule; lacks AI automation.
  • Microsoft Outlook Scheduling Assistant - Built into Outlook but offers basic meeting suggestions without deep task/habit integration.
  • Fantastical - Strong calendar interface and natural language parsing but less AI-driven automatic scheduling of tasks and habits.

Integrations

  • Google Calendar
  • Microsoft Outlook Calendar
  • Google Tasks
  • Microsoft To Do
  • Slack
  • Dropbox
  • Browser Extension (Chrome, Edge, etc.)

Practice Prompts

Try these prompts to practice using Reclaim AI:

  • Create a Focus Time block of 2 hours per day, Monday–Friday, with a 15-minute buffer before and after, and enable automatic rescheduling if a meeting conflicts. - Teaches how to set up and protect Focus Time; expected outcome is a recurring Focus Time block that moves when meetings are added.
  • Connect your task list, mark 3 high-priority tasks, and set Reclaim to schedule time for them this week with a 30-minute buffer after each block. - Teaches task scheduling and prioritization; expected outcome is time blocks on the calendar for the high-priority tasks.
  • Create a Scheduling Link for 30-minute 1:1s with custom availability (9–5, with a lunch break), buffer rules, and your team’s branding, then share it with a colleague. - Teaches advanced Scheduling Links setup; expected outcome is a branded link that colleagues can use to book time without manual coordination.
  • Design a weekly rhythm where Reclaim schedules 3 hours of focus work, 2 hours of client work, 30 minutes of exercise, and 30 minutes of catch-up time each day, adjusting dynamically as meetings change. - Teaches advanced workflow design; expected outcome is a dynamic weekly schedule that automatically adapts to maintain the desired time allocation.

Try It Yourself

Practice using Reclaim AI with interactive prompts. Copy the practice prompts and try them in your favorite AI chatbot:

Quiz

Question: Which of the following is a key differentiator of Reclaim.ai compared to basic calendar tools like Google Calendar or Outlook's built-in scheduling assistant?

  • It only works with Google Calendar and not Outlook.
  • It provides a simple interface for manually blocking time but does not automate rescheduling.
  • (Correct) It uses AI to automatically schedule and protect time for tasks, habits, and focus work, and dynamically reschedules when conflicts arise.
  • It focuses exclusively on meeting scheduling without any support for tasks or habits.

Explanation: The correct answer is that Reclaim uses AI to automatically schedule and protect time for tasks, habits, and focus work, and dynamically reschedules when conflicts arise. This is the core differentiator: Reclaim acts as an intelligent layer that turns your calendar into a proactive productivity engine, automatically managing and defending time for your priorities, rather than just being a passive log of events or a basic meeting scheduler.

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