Syncing Google Calendar with Apple Calendar: A Complete Guide

Add google calendar to apple calendar help us stay organized and on top of our schedules. But juggling multiple calendar apps across devices can be a hassle. Luckily, it’s easy to sync add google calendar to apple calendar so all your events automatically appear in both places. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the steps to connect Google Calendar to Apple Calendar on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. We’ll also cover tips for customizing and troubleshooting calendar syncing.

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Introduction

Having your calendars in sync across devices is extremely convenient. You can add an event on your iPhone while you’re out and about, and then have it automatically appear on your Mac at home. No more calendar confusion!

Syncing offers several benefits:

  • Access all your events in one place on each device.
  • Changes made on one device sync almost instantly to others.
  • Choose which Google calendars to display in Apple Calendar.
  • Customize how often calendars refresh with new information.
  • Share calendars easily for coordination with others.
  • Leverage the strengths of each calendar service.

The process requires just a few minutes of setup. We’ll provide step-by-step instructions for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Then we’ll answer frequently asked questions about customizing and troubleshooting calendar syncing. Let’s get started!

Syncing Google Calendar with iPhone/iPad

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Scroll down and tap on Calendar.
  3. Tap on Accounts.
  4. Tap Add Account.
  5. Tap Google.
  6. Enter your Google Account email and password and tap Next.
  7. Tap Save to confirm adding the Google Account.

This will start syncing your Google calendar data to the Apple Calendar app on your iPhone or iPad. It may take a few minutes for all your events to copy over the first time you set this up.

By default, syncing is bidirectional, so any changes you make on your iPhone/iPad will update Google Calendar as well. If you want to limit syncing to just one direction, you can customize options in the Settings app.

Syncing Google Calendar with Mac

  1. Open Apple Calendar on your Mac.
  2. Click on Calendar in the top menu bar.
  3. Select Preferences.
  4. Click on the Accounts tab.
  5. On the left side of the Accounts tab, click the + button to Add an account.
  6. Choose Google as the account type.
  7. Sign in with your Google username and password.
  8. Click Add Account.

Your calendars will now appear alongside your iCloud calendars in Apple Calendar on your Mac. It may take a few minutes for recent events to sync the first time.

By default, your Apple and Google calendars will stay automatically synced going forward. To customize sync options, click the account under Accounts and adjust refresh frequency or which calendars sync.

Customizing Syncing

Once you link, you have various options for customizing sync behavior:

Adjusting refresh frequency

The calendars will refresh automatically in the background by default. To change how often this happens:

  • On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Calendar > Accounts, tap your Google account, then choose a Refresh option.
  • On Mac: Click Calendar > Preferences > Accounts, select your Google account, then choose a Refresh Calendars option.

Selecting which Google calendars sync

You can choose exactly which of your calendars get synced to Apple Calendar:

  • On iPhone/iPad: In the Calendar app, tap Calendars at the bottom, then turn on/off your Google calendars.
  • On Mac: In Calendar, go to File > New Calendar Subscription and select the Google calendars you want.

Syncing in one direction only

To have Google Calendar sync into Apple Calendar but NOT vice versa:

  • On iPhone/iPad: Turn off Contacts and Calendar under Google account settings.
  • On Mac: Uncheck “Share my calendars with Google” under the Google account advanced options.

This makes your Google Calendar read-only on Apple devices. Changes made in Apple Calendar will not sync back.

Troubleshooting

Here are solutions for some common issues with syncing Google Calendar to Apple Calendar:

Events not syncing

  • Check that syncing is turned on for your Google account in Apple Calendar settings on each device.
  • Try manually refreshing the calendars.
  • Toggle syncing off and then on again.
  • Ensure you have an internet connection on your devices.

Duplicate events showing up

  • Check for duplicates accidentally created in each calendar app.
  • Make sure you only have one Google account linked.
  • Try turning sync off and back on to resync.

Sync seems one-way only

  • Verify syncing is bidirectional in calendar account settings on each device.
  • Make sure you select the shared calendar when creating events for proper syncing.
  • Check that sharing is enabled under Google account advanced settings.

Stuck on “Refreshing…”

  • Try force quitting and relaunching the Calendar apps.
  • Sign out and back in to your Google account.
  • As a last resort, unlink and relink the account.

Conclusion

Syncing Google Calendar and Apple Calendar keeps your schedule up to date across all devices with just a few minutes of easy setup. Choose what works best for your needs in terms of refresh frequency, shared calendars, and single or bidirectional syncing. Refer to the troubleshooting tips above if you encounter any issues getting your calendars to work together seamlessly. With your Google and Apple calendars connected, you can stay on top of every event!

FAQ

Why sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar?

The main benefits of syncing Google and Apple calendars include:

  • Access to all your calendar events in one place on any device.
  • Changes made on one device automatically update others.
  • Share calendars seamlessly between platforms.
  • Leverage the best features of each calendar service.
  • Less calendar confusion from duplicate/missing events.

What are the prerequisites to sync?

To sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar, you need:

  • iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
  • Google account added to your Apple device(s).
  • Google Calendar app with events added.
  • Apple Calendar app set up on your devices.
  • Internet connection for syncing across devices.

Does calendar syncing work across platforms?

Yes, you can sync your Google Calendar to Apple Calendar across combinations of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The calendars will stay updated with your most recent events on all platforms.

Can I select which Google calendars sync to Apple?

When linking your Google account, you can choose exactly which Google calendars get synced. For example, you may want your personal calendar but not work calendar events in Apple Calendar.

What if I have multiple Google accounts?

You can link multiple Google accounts to Apple Calendar separately. The events from each account will appear grouped together for easy differentiation.

How often do calendars sync by default?

After the initial sync, Google Calendar and Apple Calendar will stay synced in the background automatically going forward. On both platforms, this background sync typically happens every 15-30 minutes by default.

Can I make Google Calendar read-only in Apple Calendar?

Yes, you can have changes sync from Google Calendar into Apple Calendar but not vice versa. On iPhone/iPad, turn off Contacts and Calendar syncing under Google account settings. On Mac, uncheck sharing with Google in account options.

Summary Table of Syncing Workflows

WorkflowiPhone/iPadMac
Add Google AccountSettings > Calendar > Accounts > Add AccountCalendar > Preferences > Accounts > + Add Account
Customize SyncingSettings > Calendar > [Google account]Calendar > Preferences > Accounts > [Google account]
Change Refresh RateTap account, choose Refresh optionChoose Refresh Calendars option
Select CalendarsCalendar app > CalendarsFile > New Calendar Subscription
One-way SyncTurn off Contacts/Calendar syncUncheck calendar sharing with Google

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