How to Sync Apple Calendar to Google Calendar (3 Ways That Work)

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By Matthew Simpson

Google Calendar can’t sign in to iCloud, so there is no switch that keeps Apple Calendar and Google Calendar fully in sync in both directions. You have three built-in options, and the right one depends on what you need:

  • To see your Apple (iCloud) events inside Google Calendar: make the iCloud calendar public, copy its link, and add it in Google Calendar with Other calendars > + > From URL. Google keeps checking the link for changes, but you can’t edit those events in Google.
  • To move your events into Google once: export the calendar as an .ics file on a Mac and import it in Google Calendar under Settings > Import & export. The copy doesn’t update afterward.
  • To keep everything in one place with two-way sync: add your Google account to the Calendar app on your iPhone or Mac and make a Google calendar your default. New events then live in Google and show up everywhere. If you only need your iPhone and iPad to match, iCloud alone does it; see how to sync iPhone and iPad calendars.

These steps were checked in October 2026 against Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, Apple’s iCloud.com and Mac Calendar guides, and Google Calendar Help for the web version of Google Calendar.

Contents

Which method should you use?

Method Direction Stays updated? Can you edit in Google? Best for
1. Public link (subscribe) iCloud to Google Yes, with a delay No Seeing personal events next to work events in Google
2. Export and import Apple to Google No, one-time copy Yes, the copies Moving to Google Calendar for good
3. Add Google account to Apple Calendar Both ways Yes Yes Using one calendar app on iPhone or Mac for everything

If you’re switching to Google Calendar permanently, combine Methods 2 and 3: import your old events once, then make Google your default calendar so every new event lands in Google.

Before you start

A few terms come up in every method:

  • Apple Calendar is the Calendar app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It can show calendars from several accounts at once, such as iCloud, Google, and Exchange.
  • iCloud calendar is a calendar stored in your Apple Account and synced through iCloud. Only iCloud calendars can be published with a public link. A calendar stored on one device or in another account doesn’t have that option.
  • .ics file (also called iCalendar or iCal format) is the standard file type calendars use to exchange events.
  • Subscribing means Google reads a calendar from a link and checks it for changes. Importing means Google copies events from a file one time.

You’ll also need a computer for parts of Methods 1 and 2. Google’s help pages say you must use a computer web browser to add a calendar by subscription, and Google Calendar imports files on a computer.

Method 1: Show your iCloud calendar in Google Calendar

This method publishes a read-only link to one iCloud calendar and adds that link to Google Calendar.

Privacy warning: a public calendar link works for anyone who has it. Apple describes it as a read-only version “that anyone can view.” If your main calendar has private appointments, create a separate iCloud calendar that holds only the events you want Google to see, and publish that one instead.

Step 1: Copy the calendar’s public link on your iPhone (iOS 27)

  1. Open the Calendar app.
  2. Tap Calendars at the bottom of the screen to see your list of calendars.
  3. Find the iCloud calendar you want to share and tap the info button (the small “i”) next to it.
  4. Turn on Public Calendar.
  5. Tap Share Link, then choose Copy, or send the link to yourself in Messages or Mail so you can open it on your computer.

Step 1 (alternative): Copy the link on iCloud.com

If you’re already at your computer, you can do this in a browser instead. Apple notes that Calendar on iCloud.com requires a tablet or computer.

  1. Go to icloud.com/calendar and sign in with your Apple Account.
  2. In the sidebar, hold the pointer over the calendar you want to share and select the share button that appears next to its name.
  3. Turn on Public Calendar.
  4. Select Copy to copy the link.

Apple notes that only the calendar’s owner can share a calendar publicly. If you joined someone else’s calendar, ask the owner to publish it.

Step 2: Add the link in Google Calendar (computer)

  1. Open calendar.google.com in a web browser and sign in to the Google account you want to use.
  2. On the left side, find Other calendars and click the + button next to it.
  3. Click From URL.
  4. Paste the link you copied from Apple.
  5. Click Add calendar.

The calendar appears on the left under Other calendars. Its events show in your Google Calendar on the web and, once added, in the Google Calendar app on your phone.

What to expect after you subscribe

  • It’s view-only. You can’t change or delete these events in Google Calendar. Make changes in Apple Calendar or on iCloud.com, and they reach Google later.
  • Updates are not instant. Google checks subscribed calendars on its own schedule, and Google’s help pages don’t give a fixed refresh time. Don’t rely on this method for last-minute changes.
  • It shows one calendar per link. Repeat the steps for each iCloud calendar you want in Google.
  • You can stop sharing at any time. Turn off Public Calendar in Apple Calendar or on iCloud.com. To remove the calendar from Google, hover over it under Other calendars and choose the option to unsubscribe or remove it.

Method 2: Copy your Apple Calendar events into Google once

Use this method to move your existing events into Google, for example when you’re switching to Google Calendar. The imported events become normal Google events that you can edit, but they no longer connect to Apple Calendar.

Step 1: Export the calendar on a Mac

According to Apple’s Calendar User Guide for Mac:

  1. Open the Calendar app on your Mac.
  2. Click the calendar’s name in the calendar list. If you don’t see the list, choose View > Show Calendar List.
  3. Choose File > Export > Export.
  4. Choose where to save the file, then click Export. You now have an .ics file for that calendar.

Repeat this for each calendar you want to move. The Calendar app on iPhone doesn’t offer an export command in Apple’s guide, so use a Mac for this step.

Step 2: Import the file into Google Calendar

Google’s import steps for a computer are:

  1. Open Google Calendar in a web browser.
  2. Click Settings (the gear icon) in the top right, then click Settings.
  3. In the menu on the left, click Import & export.
  4. Click Select file from your computer and choose the .ics file you exported.
  5. Choose which Google calendar should receive the events. By default, Google uses your primary calendar.
  6. Click Import.

Tip: import into a new, empty Google calendar instead of your primary one. If something looks wrong, you can delete that one calendar without touching your other events. Our guide on how to create a separate Google Calendar shows how to set one up first.

Import limits to know

  • Google says it works with import files of 1 MB or smaller. If your file is larger, export a shorter date range or split the file.
  • Google notes that guests and conference details are not imported with events.
  • Google suggests making sure your Google Calendar time zone matches the time zone of the app you exported from, so events don’t land at the wrong time.

Method 3: Use Google Calendar inside Apple Calendar

If your real goal is “one calendar I can use everywhere,” the most reliable setup is to add your Google account to Apple Calendar. This connection syncs both ways: events you create or change on your iPhone or Mac in a Google calendar appear in Google Calendar, and the other way around.

Add your Google account on iPhone (iOS 27)

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps, then tap Calendar.
  3. Tap Calendar Accounts, then tap Add Account.
  4. Tap Google and sign in with your Google email address and password.
  5. When asked which services to sync, make sure Calendars is on. You can turn off Mail or Contacts if you don’t want them.

Open the Calendar app and tap Calendars. Your Google calendars are listed under the Google account, and their events appear next to your iCloud events.

Make Google your default calendar

This step is what moves your day-to-day events into Google:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Calendar.
  2. Tap Default Calendar.
  3. Choose one of your Google calendars.

Apple says new events you create are added to the default calendar automatically. From now on, events you add on your iPhone go to Google and show up in Google Calendar everywhere.

Move a few existing events: open an event in the Calendar app, tap Calendar, and pick a Google calendar. Apple documents this as moving an event to another calendar. For a large number of old events, Method 2 is faster.

Add your Google account on a Mac

Google’s instructions for Apple Calendar on Mac:

  1. Open the Calendar app.
  2. Choose Calendar > Settings from the menu bar. On older macOS versions this is called Preferences.
  3. Click the Accounts tab.
  4. Click Add (the + button) at the bottom left, select Google, then click Continue.
  5. Follow the sign-in steps on the screen.
  6. Back on the Accounts tab, use Refresh Calendars to choose how often your Mac checks Google for changes.

Google also notes that if you once used the Delegation tab in Apple Calendar to sync Google calendars, you need to turn that off for the account sync to work.

Shared Google calendars not showing up?

By default, Google sends your own calendars and Birthdays to Apple devices. Calendars that other people share with you may not appear until you select them. Google’s help points to its Calendar sync page at google.com/calendar/syncselect. Sign in, check the calendars you want on your Apple devices, and click Save.

What doesn’t carry over

Google lists a few features that don’t work when you use Google calendars in Apple Calendar: email notifications for events, creating new Google calendars, and Room Scheduler. Apple also notes that for Google accounts, the calendar color is set by the server, so changing it on your iPhone may not stick.

Troubleshooting

Google won’t accept the iCloud link

Make sure you copied the whole link and that Public Calendar is still on. Apple’s sharing links usually start with webcal://. If Google rejects the link, try replacing webcal:// with https:// and adding it again. Also check that you’re using Google Calendar in a computer web browser, not the phone app.

The Public Calendar switch is missing

The calendar probably isn’t an iCloud calendar. It may be stored only on your device or in another account such as Google or Exchange. It’s also missing if you’re not the calendar’s owner. Create a new iCloud calendar (in the Calendar app, tap Calendars, then Add Calendar), move the events you want into it, and publish that one.

My subscribed calendar in Google isn’t updating

Wait a while before troubleshooting. Google refreshes subscribed calendars on its own schedule. The same delay applies to other feeds, such as a Canvas calendar added to Google Calendar. If changes never arrive, check that Public Calendar is still on. If you turned it off and on again, the link may have changed. Copy the link again, remove the old calendar in Google, and add the new link.

Google says “Processed x of y events” or “temporarily unavailable”

According to Google, “Processed x of y events” means some events couldn’t be read; re-export from your calendar app and try again. “Google Calendar is temporarily unavailable” during an import usually means the file is too large; export a shorter date range. If you see “Processed zero events,” check your calendar first, because Google notes this can happen when the events were already imported.

Imported events are at the wrong time

Open Google Calendar Settings and check your time zone. Google recommends making it match the app you exported from, then exporting and importing again. Delete the wrong copies first, which is easy if you imported into a separate calendar.

Google events don’t appear on my iPhone

Go to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts, tap your Google account, and make sure Calendars is on. In the Calendar app, tap Calendars and check that the Google calendars are selected. If updates are slow, tap Fetch New Data in Calendar Accounts and check the schedule there.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a built-in two-way sync between iCloud and Google Calendar?

No. Apple and Google don’t offer a direct two-way link between an iCloud calendar and a Google calendar. The built-in two-way option is Method 3, where your events live in Google and Apple Calendar shows them. Paid third-party sync services exist, but they require giving another company access to both accounts.

Can I add an iCloud calendar from the Google Calendar app on my phone?

No. Google’s help says you must use a computer web browser to add a calendar by subscription. After you add it on a computer, it shows up in the app.

Will deleting an event in Google delete it from Apple Calendar?

It depends on the method. With Method 3, yes, because both apps show the same Google calendar. With Method 1, you can’t delete the iCloud events from Google at all. With Method 2, deleting an imported copy in Google doesn’t affect the original in Apple Calendar.

Do these steps work on an iPad?

The iPad Calendar app and Settings app use the same general layout as iPhone, so the steps are similar. Labels can differ slightly between iPadOS versions.

Can I share my calendar with someone who uses Google Calendar?

Yes. Publish the iCloud calendar (Method 1, Step 1) and send them the link. They can add it in Google Calendar with From URL. They’ll see it as read-only.

Next step

If you use a Mac, see our guide on getting Google Calendar on your Mac for more on the Mac setup. For the official instructions, see Apple’s guide to sharing iCloud calendars on iPhone, Google’s help on subscribing to a calendar by URL, and Google’s help on importing events.

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