How to sync Google Calendar: complete guide

This guide covers syncing Google Calendar with another Google account, with Outlook, and with Apple Calendar on a Mac or iPhone. Each section has step-by-step instructions, and there's a troubleshooting list at the end. If you manage a lot of calendars, a tool like Caltsu can do the syncing for you.

If you have more than one account, share a schedule with a team, or use different calendar apps on your phone and computer, you'll need to sync Google Calendar at some point. Below are the most common ways to do it.

Before you start

Have these ready:

The login for each Google account you're using.
The login for any other app you're syncing with, such as Outlook or Apple Calendar.
A decision on one-way or two-way. One-way means you can only view the events. Two-way means you can edit them from either side.

Tip: If you juggle several work and personal accounts, turn on two-step verification on each of them.

Use this when one Google account should be able to see a calendar owned by another.

Sign in to the Google account that owns the calendar.
On the left, under "My calendars," hover over the calendar, click the three-dot menu, and choose Settings and sharing.
Under "Share with specific people," click Add people.
Type the email address of the person you want to share with.
In the permissions dropdown, choose "See all event details" for view-only access, or a higher level if they need to make changes.
Click Send. The other person gets an email invitation.

Warning: Watch the permission level. Don't pick "Make changes and manage sharing" unless you want the other person to have full control of your calendar.

How to import a calendar from one Google account to another

Use this if you want a one-time copy of events in another account. It won't keep the calendars in sync.

Sign in to the Google account you want to export from.
Click the three-dot menu next to the calendar, then Settings and sharing, then Export calendar.
A .zip file downloads. Open it to get the .ics file inside.
Sign in to the other Google account and open Google Calendar.
Next to "Other calendars," click the + icon and choose Import.
Choose the .ics file, pick the calendar to add it to, and click Import.

Note: This imports a snapshot. Changes made afterwards won't carry over between the accounts, so it's best for backups or a one-time move.

How to sync a Google Calendar with Outlook

This section covers getting your Google Calendar to show up in Outlook.

A. Add Google Calendar to Outlook (view-only)

Open Google Calendar, click the three-dot menu next to your calendar, and go to Settings and sharing.
Under "Integrate calendar," copy the "Secret address in iCal format."
In the Outlook desktop app, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Internet Calendars > New.
Paste the URL, click Add, and give the calendar a name.

B. Set up a two-way sync (recommended)

Google and Outlook have no built-in two-way sync between them. For that you need a separate tool.

Pick a sync tool that supports two-way sync between Google and Outlook, such as Caltsu.
Connect your Google and Outlook accounts to it.
Choose which calendars to sync, and check the tool supports the direction you want. Caltsu, for example, only syncs two-way.
Start the sync and watch the first run to confirm the events land where you expect.

Warning: The iCal URL gives Outlook a read-only copy of your calendar, and Outlook can take hours to refresh it. For a real sync, use a dedicated tool.

How to sync a Google Calendar with Apple Calendar

A. On a Mac (Calendar app)

Open System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS), then Internet Accounts.
Click Google, sign in, and allow access to your calendar.
Open the Calendar app. Your Google calendars now appear in the sidebar.
Check or uncheck calendars to show or hide them.

B. On an iPhone or iPad

Open Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts > Add Account > Google. On iOS 17 and earlier, the path is Settings > Calendar > Accounts.
Sign in and make sure the Calendars toggle is on.
Open the Calendar app to see your Google events.

Apple Calendar syncs two-way with Google by default, so you can edit events on any device.

Troubleshooting and tips

Common problems and fixes

Events missing?

Make sure the right calendar is switched on in the app.
Check whether the event is sitting in a different calendar under the same account.

Duplicate events?

This usually means you added the same calendar twice, for example once by iCal URL and once by signing in to Google. Remove one.

Updates slow?

iCal subscriptions refresh on the other app's schedule, not when you make a change. Sign in to the account directly, or use a sync tool like Caltsu, for faster updates.

Permission errors?

Ask the calendar's owner to check the permission level they gave you.

Quick tips

Give each calendar its own name and color so you can tell them apart.
Only sync the calendars you use. Fewer calendars means less clutter and faster syncs.
Test with a fake event before you rely on the sync for real meetings.

A note on security and privacy

Connect apps through Google's sign-in screen (OAuth) when you can. The app then never sees your password.
Grant the lowest sharing permission that does the job.
Review which third-party apps can access your Google account every so often. Open your Google Account's linked apps page and select Access to your Google Account.

What to expect

Once you've done this, you should have:

Your calendars showing in the app or account you want them in.
Changes arriving within seconds for a two-way sync tool, or on a delay for an iCal subscription.
Fewer missed meetings.

Check your work

Create a test event in one calendar and confirm it shows up in the other. Then edit it and delete it, and confirm those changes carry over too.
Look once more for duplicate events and confirm the permissions are what you intended.

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