Proton Calendar users are discovering something peculiar when they try to schedule events beyond December 2037. The calendar simply refuses to go any further. Want to add your mortgage payment due in 2040? Can’t do it. Need to remember when your passport expires in 2041? Not happening. Planning to track your retirement date in 2045? Proton Calendar has other ideas.
The culprit is something called the Year 2038 problem, a technical limitation where systems using 32-bit signed integers to store time can only handle dates between 1970 and January 19, 2038. After that, the integer overflows and everything breaks. This isn’t just theoretical anymore. Users importing calendars with future events are watching those entries vanish into the digital void.
Adding to the frustration, it seems Proton has known about it for months. Back in October last year, a user reported that his mom’s birthday (born in 1957) wouldn’t show up in the calendar, while his friend’s birthday (born in 1989) displayed just fine. When he contacted support, he learned this was expected behavior. Any event outside the 1970-2037 range is considered invalid.
Bart Butler from the Proton team acknowledged the issue in that same thread, explaining they’re using an unsigned 32-bit integer with plans to switch to a signed 64-bit integer. He said they just “haven’t gotten around to it yet”.
That was three months ago. Fast forward to January 2026, and users are still hitting the same wall.
The irony isn’t lost on anyone. Google Calendar handles dates spanning centuries without breaking a sweat. One user noted his father was born in 1923, and while Google Calendar lets him set up yearly birthday reminders, Proton Calendar’s range is far more restricted. These are free services managing what Proton’s paid premium tier can’t.
The fix itself isn’t complex. Migrating from 32-bit to 64-bit integers is well-documented, and many systems completed this transition years ago. For a privacy-focused company charging subscription fees, basic calendar functionality that works across a normal human lifespan shouldn’t be an edge case. Users tracking mortgages, pensions, passport renewals, or simply remembering when grandma was born deserve better than a calendar stuck in a time loop.
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Dwayne Cubbins
1405 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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