You can sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar by adding your Google account in Settings on iPhone and iPad, or in Calendar settings on Mac. Events sync two-way as long as you save new items to your Google calendar. The setup takes under two minutes on any Apple device.
This guide walks you through the exact steps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, plus how to push iCloud events to Google Calendar, troubleshoot common sync issues, and understand the limitations.
Key facts
- Sync type: two-way when saving events to your Google calendar
- Sync speed: near real-time on device; up to 24 hours for webcal feeds
- Past events: up to 1 year of history
- Works on: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch (view-only)
How do I sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar on iPhone?
Adding your Google account to iOS gives you a true two-way sync. Events you create or edit in Apple Calendar appear in Google Calendar and vice versa, as long as you save them to a Google calendar (not iCloud or "On My iPhone").
- Open Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts > Add Account > Google.
- Sign in to your Google account and complete verification.
- Enable Calendars (you can disable Mail and Contacts if you only want calendar data). Tap Save.
- Open the Apple Calendar app. Tap Calendars at the bottom to show or hide specific Google sub-calendars.
Choose which Google Calendars sync to your iPhone
By default, iOS syncs only your primary Google Calendar. If you have multiple calendars (work, personal, shared), visit calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect in a browser and check the ones you want on your iPhone. Changes take effect after the next sync cycle.
iOS supports a maximum of 25 Google Calendars per account. If you have more than 25, prioritize the ones you check most often and access the rest through the Google Calendar web app.
Does this work on iPad?
Yes. The steps are identical to iPhone. Go to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts > Add Account > Google, sign in, and enable Calendars. Your Google events appear in the Apple Calendar app on iPad with full two-way sync.
Set your default calendar
When creating a new event, tap Calendar and choose your Google calendar. To make this automatic, go to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Default Calendar and select your Google calendar. This prevents new events from being saved to iCloud by mistake.
Want your calendar events in one workspace?
Once Google Calendar is on your iPhone, you can go further by syncing those events into a database where meetings, tasks, and notes stay connected automatically.
How do I sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar on Mac?
This connects your Google Calendar to the Calendar app on your Mac.
- Open the Calendar app > Calendar menu > Settings (or Preferences on older macOS) > Accounts > + > Google.
- Sign in and ensure Calendars is checked (you can leave Mail off).
- Choose a refresh interval if needed. The options are Push, Every minute, Every 5 minutes, Every 15 minutes, Every 30 minutes, Every hour, and Automatically. For near real-time sync, select Every 5 minutes or Push if available.
- Close Settings and check the Google calendars you want shown in the sidebar.
Alternative route: Open System Settings > Internet Accounts > Google, then toggle Calendars on. Same end result.
How do I add Apple Calendar events to Google Calendar?
You can make your iCloud (Apple) calendar appear in Google Calendar by sharing a public iCloud calendar link and adding it to Google Calendar. Updates can take up to 24 hours to appear because Google fetches subscribed calendar feeds on its own schedule, with no manual refresh option.
This method is one-way and read-only. You can see iCloud events in Google Calendar, but you cannot edit them from Google. For true two-way editing across devices, add your Google account to iPhone or Mac instead (see the sections above).
Step 1: Get a public iCloud calendar link
- On a Mac or at iCloud.com, open Calendar and select the calendar you want to share.
- Click the Share icon next to the calendar name, turn on Public Calendar, and copy the
webcal://link.
Step 2: Add the link in Google Calendar
- Go to Google Calendar on the web. In the left sidebar, click Other calendars > + > From URL.
- Paste the
webcal://link and click Add calendar. It will appear under "Other calendars."
Privacy note: iCloud's "Public Calendar" creates a read-only link. Anyone with the link can view the calendar, so avoid publishing calendars that contain sensitive information.
For most people, the two-way account method (adding Google to iPhone or Mac) is simpler and more reliable. If you're comparing both ecosystems, see Google Calendar vs. Apple Calendar.
Troubleshooting: Google Calendar not syncing with Apple Calendar
If your Google Calendar events are not showing in Apple Calendar, work through this checklist before removing and re-adding your account.
Why is my Google Calendar not syncing with my iPhone?
- Check the Calendars toggle. Go to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts > Gmail and make sure Calendars is turned on.
- Check calendar visibility. Open the Calendar app, tap Calendars at the bottom, and make sure the Google calendars you want are checked.
- Force a refresh. In the Calendar app, swipe down on the event list to trigger a manual sync.
- Check Fetch settings. Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts > Fetch New Data. Make sure your Google account is set to Fetch (not Manual), and choose a frequency like Every 15 minutes.
- Check Background App Refresh. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and make sure it is enabled for Calendar.
- Update iOS. Older iOS versions can have sync bugs that Apple has since patched. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Remove and re-add the account. If nothing else works, go to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts, delete the Google account, restart your device, and add it again.
Why aren't shared Google Calendars showing on my iPhone?
Shared calendars and secondary calendars are not enabled by default on iOS. Visit calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect in a browser, check every calendar you want on your iPhone, and save. After the next sync cycle, those calendars will appear in the Calendar app under your Google account.
Remember the 25-calendar limit: iOS syncs a maximum of 25 Google Calendars per account. If you have more, deselect calendars you rarely check.
Limitations and things to know
| Limitation | Details |
|---|---|
| 1-year past events | Apple Calendar only syncs approximately 1 year of Google Calendar history |
| 25-calendar limit | iOS syncs a maximum of 25 Google Calendars per account |
| Cannot create Google sub-calendars | New Google calendars must be created in the Google Calendar web app |
| Color mapping | Google Calendar colors may not match Apple Calendar colors exactly |
| Apple Watch | View-only; shows the next 7 days of synced events |
| Notifications | Google email reminders do not sync to Apple Calendar; only popup alerts work |
| Webcal feed delay | iCloud-to-Google subscriptions can take up to 24 hours to update |
Tips for managing synced Google and Apple calendars
- Color-code calendars so Google and iCloud calendars are easy to tell apart. On Mac, Control-click a calendar in the sidebar, choose Get Info, and pick a color. On iPhone, tap Calendars, then tap the info icon next to a calendar to change its color.
- Use time zone support when traveling. On iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Time Zone Override to display events in a specific time zone regardless of your current location.
- Show and hide calendars quickly from the sidebar on Mac or the Calendars list on iPhone to declutter your view when you need to focus.
- Set default alert times to get consistent notifications. On iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Default Alert Times. On Mac, open Calendar > Settings > Alerts.
Conclusion
You now know how to sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, plus a one-way option from iCloud to Google. The two-way account method is the most reliable approach for most people. If events stop syncing, the troubleshooting checklist above covers the most common fixes.
Go further: connect your calendar to a workspace
Now that Google Calendar is accessible on all your Apple devices, you can take it one step further. If you use a workspace app like Notion to manage projects, notes, and tasks, 2sync can sync your Google Calendar events into a Notion database automatically. Meetings become pages, edits flow both ways, and everything stays connected without manual copy-paste.
- See tasks next to meetings. Calendar events and project tasks appear in the same database, so you plan your day in one view.
- Two-way updates. Change the time in your calendar or your workspace and the other updates automatically.
- Granular control. Map only the fields you care about and filter what syncs by calendar, status, or any property.
For a full walkthrough, see our guide on how to sync Notion with Google Calendar. If you're wondering how this compares to Notion's built-in calendar, see 2sync vs. Notion Calendar.
Sync your calendar with your workspace
Connect Google Calendar to a Notion database in minutes. Two-way sync, field mapping, and filters included.
FAQ
Can I sync Apple Calendar (iCloud) with Google Calendar two-way?
Not natively. You can add iCloud to Google Calendar as a public, read-only feed (one-way), and updates can take up to 24 hours to appear. For editable, two-way sync, add your Google account to iPhone or Mac using the steps in this guide.
Do I need the Google Calendar app on iPhone?
No. Adding your Google account to iOS syncs events into the built-in Apple Calendar app. The Google Calendar app is optional and does not merge with Apple Calendar.
My events aren't showing on iPhone. What should I check?
In Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts > Gmail, make sure Calendars is turned on. In the Calendar app, tap Calendars and check the ones you need. Also verify your Default Calendar is set to your Google calendar.
Will edits in Apple Calendar sync back to Google?
Yes, as long as the event is saved to a Google calendar. Events saved to iCloud or 'On My iPhone' calendars will not sync back to Google.
How do I get alerts for every event?
On iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Default Alert Times. On Mac, open Calendar > Settings > Alerts to set default notification preferences.
Can I connect Google Calendar to a workspace like Notion?
Yes. Notion is a popular workspace app for managing projects, notes, and databases. It does not have a built-in two-way calendar sync, but you can use 2sync to keep Google Calendar events and Notion pages aligned automatically with field mapping and filters.
Why is my Google Calendar not syncing with my iPhone?
The most common causes are the Calendars toggle being disabled in Settings, calendar visibility being unchecked in the Calendar app, or Fetch settings being set to Manual. Check each of these first, then try removing and re-adding your Google account.
How do I choose which Google Calendars sync to my iPhone?
Visit calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect in a browser while signed into your Google account. Check the calendars you want on your iPhone and save. iOS supports a maximum of 25 Google Calendars per account.
Can I see Google Calendar on Apple Watch?
Yes. Google Calendar events synced to Apple Calendar appear on Apple Watch in view-only mode. You can see the next 7 days of events, but you cannot create or edit events from the watch.
Does Apple Calendar sync with Google Calendar automatically?
Yes, once you add your Google account to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, events sync automatically in both directions. The sync happens near real-time on the device, though the exact timing depends on your Fetch or refresh interval settings.
How often does Google Calendar sync with Apple Calendar?
On iPhone and iPad, sync frequency depends on your Fetch settings (every 15, 30, or 60 minutes, or manually). On Mac, you can set the refresh interval in Calendar > Settings > Accounts, with options ranging from every minute to every hour.
Related content
- How to share a Google Calendar: collaborate with family, teams, and clients.
- How to cancel a Google Calendar event: tidy up invites and notify guests properly.
- 7 best calendar apps for Mac: alternatives to Apple Calendar including Fantastical, BusyCal, and more.
- 10 best calendar apps: compare Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, and others.
- 5 best Notion calendar templates (free): build a calendar database ready to sync.
- How to sync Notion with Todoist: if you track tasks outside your calendar.
- Sync Gmail and Google Contacts with Notion: keep meetings and email context together.
