Apple has changed the way calendars sync in Mavericks. Here’s how to sync your Apple Calendar App with an existing Google calendar.
You can’t use an iCloud based calendar to sync with Google. You need to start from Google and go the other way. Apple can see the gmail calendar but not the other way round.
Introduction
You might be wondering why someone would want to even use a Google calendar now that Apple Calendar does everything… You can share your Apple Calendar with other people. You can subscribe to other people’s Apple Calendars. You can even allow other people to edit your calendars. So why would you even bother with a Google calendar any more?
Well… The Apple calendar does not allow you to embed a calendar in a website. (Like I have done for our church calendar here.) So if you ‘publish’ your calendar, the other person has to view your calendar from within their Apple calendar app. They cannot look at it in a web browser.
The simplest way to have a calendar published on a website but editable in Apple Calendar is to use a Google calendar. Using this method the calendar info is hosted by Google, not Apple, but the calendar is viewable and editable in Apple Calendar.
Adding a google calendar to Apple calendar is the easy in OS X Mavericks. There are no .ics files or messy webcal:// addresses needed. All you need is your google email address and password.
1. CREATE YOUR GOOGLE CALENDAR
1. If you don’t already have a Google calendar, this previous article of mine describes how to set up a Google calendar. You can then embed that Google Calendar in any website according to Google’s instructions here.
2. ADD YOUR GOOGLE CALENDAR TO APPLE CALENDAR
Here’s how to add the Google calendar to Apple calendar app. A number of people can do this so that they can all edit the same calendar if you want.
1. On your Macintosh go to ‘System Preferences’ and Click on ‘Internet Accounts’.
(This is different to previous versions of OSX where you did it from within Calendar settings. )
2. In System Preferences find ‘Internet Accounts’
2. Click on ‘Google’ to add your Google account.
3. Enter your Gmail settings for the account that has the Google calendar. You will need your Google email address and password. (The ‘Name:’ can be anything.)
4. Click ‘Set Up’ and then make sure ‘calendars’ is selected.
All the calendars from that Gmail account will now appear in your Apple Calendar. You can ‘connect’ to multiple Gmail accounts and multiple calendars. You can turn them on and off by checking or un-checking the checkbox next to the calendar.
The Gmail calendars will now appear alongside your iCloud calendars – toggle their visibility with the checkbox.
If you do not see this window, click on the ‘Calendars’ button on the top left of your Calendar app window.
When you edit your Gmail calendar in the Apple calendar app the changes will automatically be uploaded to the Google account calendar. If the Google calendar is published on a website, the changes will automatically go from the Apple Calendar to the Google calendar and then to the website.
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ical, google cal, iphone, what a mess…How to sync your Google calendar with OS X and iPhoneHow to access your gmail contacts from Apple Contacts app.Google Calendar iOS appHow to install Google File Stream and Google Teamsjean christophesays:March 14, 2014 at 12:11 pm
Hello, Yes, very née, but the account in pref keeps saying “a secure connection hash”t been able to be established”… And nothing happened !
Thanks to help !
ReplyAnnoyedsays:April 4, 2014 at 1:16 pm
Same thing, on 10.9.2
ReplyDsays:July 14, 2014 at 10:50 am
Did you ever figure out how to setup your google calendar on your mac? Mine also kept saying “a secure connection hasn’t been able to be established” :-/
ReplySarahsays:October 2, 2014 at 2:21 pm
I had this problem. I fixed it by going to my Gmail account, Security settings and changing Account permissions: Access for less secure apps to “Enabled” – hope that helps!
saharsays:August 6, 2015 at 7:47 am
hi I have forgotten my google password where do I go to reset
Waynesays:August 6, 2015 at 2:08 pm
gmail.com
Thomas Slomkasays:May 8, 2014 at 10:02 am
Nice article. Your method works well. Have you been able to get your iCloud calendars to sync up to a Google calendar?
Imagine you have two iCloud Calendars, Two Exchange Calendars and you manage all of them using the desktop app Apple Calendar. You also have all of them synced up to your iPhone and iPad. Now all you want is to display all of them on a web page so folks can see your availability…. This use to be possible pre-Mavericks by publishing each of the calendars to Google and then publishing the Google calendar to the web.
If you can solve that you’ll make a lot of folks happy.
ReplyWaynesays:May 9, 2014 at 3:49 am
No I haven’t found a way to do this. I did look long and hard. Hence this solution I described where you have the master calendar in Google, and you can share this to the web and to iCloud. But iCloud won’t share to Google. Apple doesn’t have much love for Google.
Wayne – amazing! Who’d of thought I’d find you. Anyway – maybe you can help. I’ve just upgraded to Mavericks, and have lost all my iCal data, now that they have put me on to Calendar. Do you know of any way I can get it back, and then import it into Calendar?
ReplyChawn Crawleysays:June 3, 2014 at 3:16 pm
Wayne,
Great write-up and thanks for getting it out there! I’ve been using Google calendar for quite some time in order to keep track of work and family. Honestly, my usage isn’t terribly elaborate or complex, but I’m still working to simplify things more. Currently, I’m using Fantastical to punch in fast entries from my mobile devices and things are just fine there.
Only trouble I have is figuring out what app I should be running on the OSX side. Fantastical is there but it only works in the menu bar.
Since I’ve no use (that I’m aware of now) for posting my calendar to my website, do you recommend sticking with Google or maybe rolling back to a strait iCal system?
Thanks,
Chawn
ReplyDean Linnellsays:July 9, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Thanks for the article. I’m not sure if I’m understanding this correctly but here’s what I want to do: My wife uses iCal and has our whole family’s schedule in there and it’s synced with my iCal. Works great. However, I’ve just switched to Android and have begun using Google Calendar. I want all our activities to sync from her iCal to my Google Calendar. How do I go about this? If I can’t see my family’s activities in my Google Calendar I’m pretty well screwed. Help!!
ReplyJoanne Scottsays:July 27, 2014 at 4:56 am
I have the exact same issue with my husbands android syncing to our iCal on our Mac at home. Hope someone can help us out with this…
ReplyJoanne Scottsays:July 27, 2014 at 5:10 am
My husband just uploaded an app called “smooth sync” for cloud calendar for $1.99 and he can now view all of our family iCalendars!
ReplyDoro Schmitt
says:
Google Calendar App For Macbook Pro
August 5, 2014 at 4:54 am
As in the other websites, too: THIS IS NOT A SYNC!!!!!!
This is how i can use my google calender in my iphone. A sync would be having the same data in both calendars. I openend 1000 sites now where everybody talks from syncing but it’s all shit
ReplyTHsays:November 5, 2014 at 6:43 am
Agree,
This is not synching. Updating the calendar on my iPhone and having the update show up on my Google calendar is synching.
ReplyWaynesays:November 6, 2014 at 3:48 am
You can update the calendar on your iPhone and the update shows up on the Google calendar. I’m not sure how that’s not a sync. And if you want more than one calendar, just make another Google calendar. I guess what this post is attempting to describe is a work-around for the fact that Apple prevent you from syncing with Google calendar.
You can’t use an iCloud based calendar to sync because Apple don’t want to play nicely with Google. You need to start from Google and go the other way They are doing to Google what Microsoft did to Apple in the 90’s when Apple could read PC floppy disks but Microsoft wouldn’t read Apple disks. It’s a shame Apple didn’t learn from that experience! Thankfully Google try to play nicely with everyone.
AGsays:November 19, 2014 at 3:59 pm
It isn’t syncing because all you’re doing is updating a Google calendar on an iDevice. Syncing would be updating an iCal and having those changes appear on a Google calendar either on the same device or on another.
My wife uses iCal on her iPhone, while I now use Google calendar on Android. Changes on one do not appear on the other. I wish they did.
ReplyJeromysays:December 26, 2014 at 2:39 pm
I have tired the google calendar settings to allow less secure apps, but still no dice on getting my gmail calendar to work on Ical. anyone have any other ideas?
ReplyH25says:January 8, 2015 at 8:59 pm
I was able to sync the two by adding the account through iCal preferences and syncing my Gmail account as indicated above. My appointments made in Google Calendar showed up, but there were some “triangle + !” error messages that were annoying. I went through google help and followed this link https://www.google.com/calendar/syncselect — my correct info was already selected so I just saved it and the errors went away! My google calendar events all show up in iCal now–but as posters said, not the other way around. It seems like you have to export/import iCal into Google Calendar, but I haven’t fully looked into that.
ReplyLlind asays:January 25, 2015 at 1:22 pm
Nice idea but I do not have an Internet accounts button on my System preferences file or on my IMAC. Now What?
ReplyCarosays:January 29, 2015 at 11:20 am
Thanks a lot for the advice! That is exactly what I need it.
ReplyM³says:February 4, 2015 at 8:17 am
To the author of this article: Are you really that stupid? You’re questioning the use of google calendar.. Every argument you use for using Apple calendar is also available in google calendar. The only difference is that with a google calendar you can do all of those things on EVERY device you want. You can share, view, edit ,… with everyone on every device. And now you’re making some workaround because of the incapabilities of the apple calendar… I think it’s time for you to throw away those blinkers…
ReplyWaynesays:February 6, 2015 at 1:07 am
I’m sorry, I think you’ve completely misunderstood the article (or not read it). It’s not questioning the use of Google calendar at all, it is actually telling you how to use google calendar, step by step.
ReplyMohammedsays:February 27, 2015 at 2:33 am
Great help, thanks.Is there an easy way to get my ical events to show up in my google calendar?
ReplyWaynesays:February 27, 2015 at 11:17 am
No way that I know of except to copy them across in Calendar app. Apple can see gmail calendar but not the other way round.
ReplyWernersays:April 13, 2015 at 9:53 pm
Actually, Apple doesn’t have much love for anyone except Apple, and isn’t playing nicely with anyone except Apple. It is not a matter of Apple not learning from that past experience with Microsoft: it is a matter of Apple making every deliberate choice to trap users in an exclusively Apple environnement. The only way to teach them is to go to that conclusion: if you have made a step out of the Apple environnement (to free – as in freemind or freespeach – OS and soft for instance), then do the full walk toward an exclusively not Apple environnement … at least untill they act more friendly to others !!!
Replyjrsays:May 9, 2016 at 9:15 am
And Google isn’t locking everyone into Google apps to make money off the advertising (even the accounts they promised wouldn’t be checked, e.g., schools, paid business accounts)? Once Google claimed to believe in, “[F]irst, do no evil”. Now, not so much. IMHO: They’re both after user’s money, however they can get it. The only reason I use either is to avoid M$.
Traceysays:May 2, 2015 at 10:49 am
I am trying to import to google calendar from iCal, unfortunately when I do this, nothing happens. I get right to import calendar, and up pops a window once this has been done and a small window appears IMPORT CALENDAR. Nothing has been imported.
I have also tried to sync in ical, but I cannot find the URL or server settings that is supposed to show under ICal – Preferences – Account Information.
Does someone have an answer? My Mac computer is a 10. version.
ReplyJodysays:November 18, 2015 at 7:20 am
Great! Quick and to the point and worked immediately. Other articles were confusing and didn’t offer the right solution. From a new Mac user…thanks!!
ReplySarahsays:November 23, 2015 at 12:37 pm
This doesn’t work for me. I can “see” my Google calendar, but I can’t switch to it or see any of the events on it. It is blank, essentially.
ReplyJim Whitstonsays:June 20, 2016 at 5:33 am
The quote from Wayne on 27 Feb “Apple can see gmail calendar but not the other way round.” needs to be in bold somewhere in the main article. I have sweated blood trying to get my ical stuff to show in Android……
ReplyJansays:June 29, 2016 at 9:20 pm
Google Calendar For Mac Dashboard
I loathe the Apple calendar!! So hard to add anything, and then it arbitrarily tries to slot what you’ve written into its self-determined time zones.
I love my Google calendar — so user friendly. But the pc it is on is dying so I’ll have to somehow follow these complicated instructions and set it up on my Mac. I’m actually regretting my decision to get a MacBook. Wish I’d stuck with a new pc but too late now…..
ReplyKlaus Sauersays:August 22, 2017 at 5:49 am
Google Calendar App For Mac Desktop
hi, that works allright if you are working from a mac or ios device, but not if you are accessing your calender through a website. regs Klaus
Replyleasays:January 23, 2019 at 6:03 pm
I tried to do this, I’d edit in ical (under google account) but it wont upload on gmail’s calendar . pls help!
ReplyArnaud Gauthiersays:May 29, 2019 at 10:59 am
Simply use One Calendar on your Android phone… and setup your icloud account in there… works like a charm. I tried all the other methods… but this is the best. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=biz.codespark.xcalendarapp
ReplyMustapha Fawazsays:May 30, 2019 at 4:53 pm
Hi, Thanks for the article. Every even that I create on Google calender appears on my mac. But no event created on my mac appears on google calendar. Do you have any idea why? THanks
ReplyMustapha Fawazsays:May 30, 2019 at 4:59 pm
I finally figured it out. You need to select the calendar from the left side. So, first, click on your gmail (email) account, then any even created will be synched with Google calendar.
ReplyTrevor Plowmansays:August 10, 2019 at 9:13 am
Excellent, thanks, stopped working in Safari for some reason, but can now manage all my google calendars from the Mac calendar. Very clear article, thanks.
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Apple often faces criticism for the slow development of its iOS apps. Unlike Android, where all Google frequently updates its stock apps through the Play Store, the iOS apps only get the update treatment annually.
Both Google and Microsoft have stepped into fill the gaps here. Both have a rich portfolio of apps offering that directly rivals Apple’s approach. In the past, we have already compared built-in iOS apps with either Google’s or Microsoft’s apps and often concluded that Apple doesn’t match up to competition.
In this post, we are going to compare yet another iOS app, Apple calendar with Google’s offering. Are we going to end up with the same conclusion or did Apple pay extra attention to the calendar app? Let’s find out.
App Size
Apple Calendar is a part of the whole iOS package that comes by default on every iPhone. The entire suite takes around 13GB-14GB space on the phone. Google Calendar weights around 215MB in size.
Download Google calendar for iPhone
Also on Guiding Tech
9 Best Google Calendar Tips to Use in 2018
Read More
User Interface
As you may have observed Google doesn’t follow UI guidelines set by the rival platforms. The company develops a design language and sticks to it on all platforms.
It recently unveiled Material Design 2. And it has updated both Android and iOS calendar app with the new UI rules. There is a big colorful button at the right corner of the app.
By default, the app showcases the Schedule screen with all the upcoming and current events in one screen. I have some complaints though. The app is using a hamburger menu, which is fine on the Android platform but looks out of place on iOS.
Apart from adding a new event, all the options sit uncomfortably at the top.
Apple's Calendar adopts a white theme with red fonts and accent. The first bottom tab is Today which displays all the events in the day category. The Calendar tab lets you choose from different iCloud and device calendars. With Inbox, you can confirm and reject meeting invites.
Apple also ignored the ease in reachability and implement all the remaining options like adding a new event, search events and month calendar at the top. It's a chore to stretch and use those options with large screen bearing iPhones.
Add a New Event
Google Calendar For Macos
Adding a new event is as straight forward as it should be for a calendar app. Both Google and Apple give several options to choose from in the event menu.
Google calendar lets you select time, day, location, another notification on top of default one, guests, colors and so on. You can also add notes and attach a file from Google Drive, which is neat.
One can also opt to go with reminders if he wants something similar to task management service. It’s pretty basic though but works for me as the service is directly integrated into the calendar app itself.
Apple calendar gives all the above options excluding the file attachment support. In the future udpate, I would appreciate the ability to add files to an event from iCloud and other third-party cloud storage providers.
Apple doesn’t support reminders functionality in the calendar. For that, you will have to use the built-in Reminders app.
Also on Guiding Tech
How to Integrate Google Calendar with Windows 10 Calender App
Read More
Widget Support
Both the apps support the widget functionality and it works as expected. Apple calendar shows the current and upcoming event in the widget panel.
You can tap on the little date icon to directly go to the calendar area. And a tap on the event will take you to event details.
Google calendar shows the events for today and tomorrow. Unlike Apple, you can’t tap on it to go to the calendar page. You can only select the event to see the details.
Aesthetically speaking, I found Google’s widget more appealing than Apple’s.
Unique Features
In 2015, Google acquired Timeful, a smart scheduling app. And after a year, the company added Goal functionality to the app. The aim is to let the user build a health routine, whether it’s exercise, or developing a skill or meditation.
You can select an activity and add the number of times and routine period you can commit in a week. You won’t be able to choose a particular time though. You can only select from Morning, Afternoon, and Evening.
Google Calendar For Mac Dock
After that, the app will find a suitable time for you and add the activity accordingly to the calendar. After adding the Goal to the app, it will ask if you want to adjust the timings.
Give it a shot. You might get habituated to complete personal goals.
Moving to Apple calendar, the app lets you add the travel time during an event.
For example, a certain meeting is due at 7.00 pm tomorrow, and the travel route will take an hour to reach there. So, you can add 1 hour travel time while adding an event and the app will automatically block the 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm time for travel.
Also on Guiding Tech
#productivity
Click here to see our productivity articles page
Should You Switch?
Google Calendar For Mac 2018
When it comes to UI, I’m siding with Apple as it looks and feels native compared to Google calendar. Google’s offering strikes back with a built-in Reminder and Goals functionality.
Finally, if you are someone who usually switches between Android and iOS, then go with Google calendar for its excellent cross-platform availability. As it uses the same UI across devices which will make you feel right at home.
Next Up: Do you meditate a lot? Headspace and Calm are two of the best apps for meditation. Read the post below to see the detailed comparison between the two.
Google Calendar For Macbook Pro
Read NextHeadspace vs Calm: Which Is the Best Meditation AppAlso See#productivity #google calendar
Did You Know
Apple facilities are powered by 100% renewable energy.
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