How to sync Google Calendar to iPhone

Google Calendar is a great way to keep your life organised while also sharing appointments and important dates with family or colleagues. It’s not a default on iPhone, though, so if you want those significant engagements to appear in the Apple Calendar app you’ll need to set up the sync option for your Google account.

In this article we show how to get Google Calendar working with your iPhone.

Use the Google Calendar app

If you’re not wedded to the Apple Calendar app, then there’s the simple option of downloading and using Google’s dedicated Calendar app.

This works with iCloud, Microsoft Exchange and others, plus it has a colourful design that’s friendlier and more interesting than the plain version offered by Apple.

While Google Calendar is in many ways nicer to use than the stock app on iPhone, it doesn’t have the same access levels as the Apple version. This means that if you want to create appointments directly from emails or messages then you’ll be taken to the Apple variant instead, as it remains the default.

Setting up the syncing option for Apple Calendar

Should you prefer to stick with Apple’s stock app, then there are a few quick steps needed to make Google Calendar appointments appear.

First, open the Settings app on your iPhone and select the Passwords & Accounts section.

In here, tap the Add Account option and on the next screen select Google. Enter the details for your Google (Gmail) account then tap the Next button.

You should now see a list of Google services that can be synced. These include Mail, Contacts, Notes and Calendars. Make sure Calendars is switched on, then tap Save.

With this done, you’ll want to make sure that the Google Calendar option is also enabled in the Apple Calendar app. To do this, open Apple Calendar and tap on the Calendars option at the bottom of the screen.

You’ll now see a list of the various Calendars available. Check that the circle next to your Gmail calendar has a tick in it, and tap it if this isn’t the case until you see one.

Tapping on the ‘i’ icon to the right of the Gmail account name will also allow you to give the Calendar a specific colour so that it can be easily differentiated from your others.

That’s it. You should now see your Google Calendar entries appear in the Apple Calendar app. For more ways to integrate your Google and Apple lives, read our How to move from Android to iPhone guide.