How to use Google Calendar: Schedule calls and meetings, share and sync calendars, and organize your time

Google Calendar is one of Google's most popular productivity tools. Here's what you need to know to schedule calls and share and sync your calendar.

• Google Calendar can be used for scheduling calls, sharing your schedule with others, and more.
• You can use Google Calendar to manage your personal productivity, or for business use.
• Calendar is part of Google's Workspace of productivity apps, alongside Google Meet and Drive. 

Google Calendar allows you to schedule meetings, share them with others, and even subscribe to other people's calendars.

It's one of the best services offered by Google, as it makes managing our busy lives simple, efficient, and collaborative. You can even have multiple calendars, all of which can be managed through a single interface. 

Google Calendar may be one of the most common go-to productivity tools for business and personal productivity alike, but there's a good chance you're only scratching the surface when it comes to getting the most out of it. 

Google Calendar is part of Google Workspace, a collection of productivity applications like Gmail and Google Drive. Google has recently added Gemini AI technology to Workspace to "create, connect, and collaborate like never before."

Here are some tips for using Google Calendar to do more, work faster, and be more productive.

How to create a new Google Calendar

1. Ensure you're signed into your Google account before navigating to the Google Calendars page on a web browser.

2. On the menu on the left-hand side of your screen, scroll down to Other calendars and click the + button.

3. Select Create new calendar.

4. Enter the name you want to use for your new Google Calendar, an optional description, and the time zone in which you want your calendar's events to appear. 

5. To configure the color label used on your calendar, hover your mouse over its name in the My Calendars list on the Google Calendars homepage, then click the three horizontal dots that appear. From there, you can assign a different color to differentiate your calendar's events from others. 

How to add Tasks to your Google Calendar on desktop

Since May 2023, Google Calendar has offered a feature called Tasks, which took the place of Google Assistant and Calendar Reminders. Here's how to use it:

1. Look for the Tasks button on the right-hand side of your screen and click on it. This should be the second icon down and will appear as a small blue circle with a diagonal white line and a yellow dot within it. 

2. In the tasks window, click on Add a task.

3. Type in the title and details of the task you wish to add to your list and then hit Enter on your keyboard. You can even include helpful links in the details section, like a Google Slides presentation or a YouTube video.

4. To edit the details of the task, like adding the date and time you wish to complete it or to add sub-tasks, simply click the task and adjust the text.

How to sync a Google Calendar with your iPhone or iPad

1. Open your iPhone or iPad's Settings app.

2. Scroll down to Calendar and select Accounts.

3. Scan the list of account types on the right and tap the Google logo. It will prompt you to sign in to your Google account.

4. Once you're logged in, you'll be taken to a page with your email address at the top and some options. On this page, you can choose which Google services — mail, contacts, calendar, and notes — you want to sync with your iPhone. If the calendar is the only thing you want to sync, turn off the others by swiping the sliders to the left. Make sure that Calendar is turned on.

7. Start the Calendar app.

8. At the bottom of the screen, tap Calendars.

9. If it's not already selected, find the entry for the Google Calendar you just added to your iPhone and tap it. You should see a checkmark, and the calendar entries should immediately appear on the calendar.

How to subscribe to a Google Calendar

One of the benefits of a Google Calendar is instant, immediate updates for everyone who can access it. By comparing multiple calendars, you can more easily make commitments and plan your schedule.

1. At the bottom-left, there should be a section titled Other calendars. Click the plus symbol (+) next to this title.

2. Select Subscribe to calendar from the pop-up menu.

3. You'll be brought to a new screen that's entirely blank except for a search bar labeled Add calendar. Click this search bar and enter someone's email address into the field, and then hit the Enter or Return key on your keyboard.

4. This may open a pop-up telling you that you don't have access to that person's calendar. Add a message to your request, and then click Request access. You'll now need to wait for that person to accept the request.

• Some people have their account set to allow anyone to subscribe. In this case, their calendar will be immediately added to yours, and you'll be brought to a page where you can edit the settings of that calendar.
• If you're trying to subscribe to someone who doesn't have a Google Calendar, you can still send them a request, but the email they receive will instead prompt them to make a Google account.

5. If you've been given the URL of a shared calendar, instead select From URL on the toolbar to the left, and enter it into the text field of this menu.

How to share your Google Calendar with others

If you're trying to arrange a meeting with someone, finding a spot that fits in both your schedules can be tricky. 

That's where calendar sharing comes in. If you use Google Calendar, you can share your calendar so anyone can see your exact schedule.

1. Find the calendar you want to share on the left side of the screen. If necessary, expand the My Calendars section to view all of your existing calendars.

2. Click on the three vertical dots next to the calendar you'd like to share and select Settings and sharing.

3. First, check that the time zone is set correctly on this page. This will make sure that anyone you send the calendar to will see all your events at the right time.

4. Scroll down. If you want to share the calendar with people who don't have Google accounts, click the checkmark next Make available to public. Just note that this makes the calendar available to anyone who has the link, not just people you share with.

5. Scroll down to Share with specific people and click Add people and groups.

6. A pop-up will appear and you'll be prompted to enter your contact's email address (or several, if you're sending to a group of people).

7. Once you've added all of the email addresses you want to share your calendar with, click on the drop-down menu next to each name and select the appropriate choice. Those are ordered according to how much (or how little) control and access they give the person you're sharing the calendar with, including: 

• See only free/busy (hide details)
• See all event details
• Make changes to events
• Make changes and manage sharing

How to cancel a meeting in Google Calendar

1. Click on the meeting you want to cancel.

2. In the pop-up window that appears, click on the trash can icon. 

3. If you wish to notify meeting attendees about the cancellation, click Send in the pop-up window that appears. If you don't wish to notify anyone, click Don't send. You also have the option to write a short note explaining the circumstances of the cancellation.

Dave Johnson, Jennifer Still, Meira Gebel, Chrissy Montelli, Ross James, and Devon Delfino contributed to previous versions of this article.