How to sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar on iPhone and Mac

Add your Google account to the built-in Calendar app on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You get two-way sync, no extra apps needed.

To sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar, add your Google account inside the built-in Calendar app’s account settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then turn on Calendars for that account. That gives you two-way sync, no third-party apps or paid tools.

This works because Google Calendar speaks the same standard sync protocol Apple Calendar already supports. You are not exporting a file or copying a one-time link. You are connecting the live account, so changes flow in both directions.

Add your Google account on iPhone or iPad

1. Open Settings, scroll to Apps, and tap Calendar. On iOS versions before 18, Calendar sits directly in the main Settings list instead.
2. Tap Calendar Accounts, then Add Account.
3. Choose Google and sign in with your Google email and password. Approve any two-factor prompt.
4. On the next screen, leave the Calendars toggle on. You can switch Mail, Contacts, and Notes off if you only want the calendar.
5. Tap Save.

Open the Calendar app and give it a minute. Your Google events appear next to any iCloud calendars. To pick which sub-calendars show, tap Calendars at the bottom of the screen and check the ones you want.

Add your Google account on a Mac

Open the Calendar app, then from the Calendar menu choose Settings (called Preferences on older macOS). Click the Accounts tab, press the + button, pick Google, and sign in. Once the account connects, tick Calendars in the list of services. Your Google calendars then show in the left sidebar, grouped under the account name. Untick any you want to hide.

Make new events sync both ways

Adding the account already enables two-way sync. The catch is where a new event gets saved. When you create an event on your iPhone or Mac, check the calendar field in the event editor. If it points to your Google calendar, the event syncs up to Google and shows on every device. If it points to an iCloud or On My Mac calendar, it stays local.

To make Google the default on iPhone, open Settings, go to Calendar, tap Default Calendar, and pick a calendar under your Google account.

Fix Google events that do not show up

Most missing-event problems come down to four checks.

1. Account toggle. Confirm Calendars is on for the Google account in your device settings.
2. Sync selection. In a browser, sign in to Google and open the sync settings page at calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect, check the calendars you want on your Apple devices, and save. Calendars left unchecked here never appear in Apple Calendar, even when everything else is right.
3. Calendar list. Inside the Apple Calendar app, open the Calendars list and make sure the calendar is ticked, not hidden.
4. Refresh. On iPhone, pull down in day or list view to force a sync. On Mac, choose View, then Refresh Calendars.

If a shared or subscribed Google calendar still will not appear, it may not be eligible for the sync selection list. Copy its secret iCalendar address from that calendar’s settings in Google Calendar, then add it on Mac under File, then New Calendar Subscription. That route is read-only, so events show but you cannot edit them from Apple Calendar.

Where ClaroCal fits

Apple Calendar is a fine place to see everything at a glance. It is a thinner tool when you want to actually plan the hours of your day. If you keep Google Calendar as your hub, ClaroCal reads those events and builds a realistic, time-blocked plan around them, then reflows it when something moves. To be clear, ClaroCal connects to Google Calendar, not Apple Calendar directly, so once your events live in Google, ClaroCal can plan your day around them. See how to plan your day for the method, or the pricing page for the free hourly-sync tier.

Last reviewed June 2026.