It can be challenging to find a suitable time for colleagues or friends to collaborate across different time zones in our remote world. Overlap by Moleskine Studio is one nifty app that solves this problem. It eliminates the need to constantly figure out the difference in time by taking everybody into account at once.
Available only for iPad, Mac, and iPhone, Overlap makes both real-time and asynchronous communication easy if the people in your crew are all Apple junkies.
What Is Overlap by Moleskine Studio?
Overlap is a free app that simplifies calculating local time across different time zones. The app syncs with your calendar so that you can plan your work or personal engagements better.
After you download the app, a few tips are displayed on the screen. These tips familiarize you with key aspects of the user interface.
Adding and Deleting Cities
To find overlapping times between collaborators, you first need to add their cities to the app.
To add a city, select the Plus icon at the top-right of the screen; enter the city’s name into the search bar.
Select their city. It will be displayed on the main screen, stacked horizontally. You can minimize the city by holding it for few seconds.
To view the details of a city, give it a tap. You can delete the city by hitting the Delete icon. The icon at the bottom-center of the details page takes you back to the home screen.
You can click the star icon to set the city as your favorite—this city is also now set as your main time zone.
Understanding the Time Zone on Overlap
On the home screen of Overlap, the number displayed on the left side of every city is the number of hours it is ahead or behind your main time zone. When you tap any city, the number of hours it is behind or ahead of GMT is displayed.
Customizing Your List of Cities
If you want to, you can change the display name of a city on Overlap’s home screen. For example, you can rename the city to refer to a client or a family member.
Along with this, you can also set the person’s availability and enter any notes for your meeting that you may need.
Understanding Color Settings on Overlap
Tap Now at the bottom of the screen to view the calendar and to select a date. From here, you can choose your preferred date and time to schedule a meeting in the future—tap Return to Now to bring yourself back to the current time.
You can integrate your other calendars into the app, as well. If you tap the three dots at the top right of the screen, both hidden and visible calendars will be displayed. Select the calendar that you would like to view and swipe down. The chosen calendar is displayed on top of the main screen.
Suggesting a Time to Meet
You can add multiple cities to Overlap. When scheduling a meeting, however, you may only need to consider a few. Ensure that all of the cities you want to include are maximized, and all of the others are minimized. Any city that is minimized will not be considered for the calculation of the overlapping time.
Tap the bottom of the screen to select a date; the Overlap by Moleskine app will return to the main screen. Swipe left or right anywhere on the screen to view the corresponding time in all cities.
The Overlap Graph at the bottom displays the time overlap between your selected cities.
Once you identify the best time overlap for all parties involved, tap the Share icon. The proposed time is sent via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Gmail, iMessage, or any other platform that you specify.
Changing Colors on the App
Overlap enables you to customize the colors on the main screen. If you pull down the main screen, you can see the colors on the top.
When you release the thumb, the colors are assigned to the cities. You can repeat the action to see other colors and select the combination of your liking.
By default, the color for the day is orange. Nighttime is blue. Available time is conveniently called out in green.
Download: Overlap for iPhone | Ipad | Mac (Free)
Finding a Convenient Time to Meet Has Never Been Easier
Currently, only iOS users can use this app. However, conveying the best time to meet through other channels will be more than enough to loop your Android-loving friends right in.
If your company plans on keeping things socially distant for the foreseeable future, Overlap by Moleskine Studio will be one extraordinarily helpful addition to your arsenal.