How to Sync Work and Personal Calendars

Easily sync your work calendar with your personal calendar as well as your iPhone or Android calendars.

Read on to get all your calendars — across all of your devices! — working in perfect harmony. You’ll learn:

How to sync your work and personal Google calendars
How to sync Google Calendar with Outlook
How to sync Outlook calendar on iPhone
How to sync Outlook calendar on Android

Are your appointments not appearing on your various calendars, causing you to miss meetings or arrive late? As work increasingly happens outside the 9-5 workday with hybrid work and more flexible schedules, it’s more important than ever to stay organized by keeping your various calendars in sync.

Fortunately, calendar syncing issues are relatively easy to resolve. This guide will walk you through how to sync your work calendar with your personal calendars and mobile devices so you always know when you’re supposed to be where.

How to sync your work and personal Google Calendars

If you use Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) at work and Google Calendar for your personal life, the easiest way to sync them up is by using Personal Calendar Sync from Clockwise. It automatically syncs events from your personal Google Calendar account to your work calendar, so you never miss a doctor’s appointment or an important delivery.

Since it’s common for a work calendar to be a shared calendar that’s visible to colleagues, Personal Calendar Sync leaves the details out, so that personal information stays personal. For every personal event, your work calendar will simply display a time block labeled “Busy (via Clockwise)” — no further details are needed. Clicking into the event will only show you the event details, not anyone else.

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Clockwise personal calendar sync — Sync your work and personal calendar effortlessly

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Here are a few other need-to-know details about the sync:

If a synced event changes time or duration on the connected personal calendar, your work calendar will automatically reflect the change
Personal calendar events sync for the whole day on any day where you have working hours, so if you have any working hours Monday-Friday, we will sync all personal events Monday-Friday for the entire 24-hour period (but not any events on weekends)
Events with a “Free” availability set will not sync
Only events on your primary calendar will sync, so if you have additional shared calendars layered with your primary personal calendar, you would need to duplicate events to your primary calendar if you want them to carry over

Sync your personal calendar with Clockwise

Head to Your Ideal Day within the Clockwise web app.

You'll add your other calendar's email in the Do you want to sync events from another calendar? Section.

Boom! You’re done.

sync work and personal outlook calendar on ios or andriod

How to sync Google Calendar with Outlook

Maybe you use Outlook at work and Google Calendar at home, or vice versa. In this section, you’ll learn how to get both of your calendars to match up, without having to manually input events twice. It comes down to two processes:

1) Get Google Calendar to display Outlook events

2) Get Outlook to display Google Calendar events

How to get Google Calendar to display Outlook events

Want your events in Outlook to sync with Google Calendar without needing a calendar sync app? To do this, simply grant your Google account access to your Office 365 account.

First, get the link to the specific calendar in Outlook that you want to transfer:

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sync google calendar with outlook — Source: Microsoft

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1. Open Outlook on the web
2. Click the gear icon to open Settings
3. Click Calendar > Shared calendars
4. Scroll down to the Publish a calendar section
5. In the first drop-down menu, select the calendar you want to sync with Google Calendar
6. In the second drop-down menu, select Can view all details
7. Copy the ICS link to your clipboard

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Next, paste the link into Google Calendar by following these steps:

merge google calendar with outlook — Source: Online Tech Tips

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8. Open Google Calendar (on the web, not the Google Calendar mobile app)
9. On the left navigation, click the + icon next to Other calendars
10. Select From URL
11. Paste the the address that you just copied from Outlook
12. Click Add calendar

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That’s it! Now you’ll be able to view your Outlook calendar in Google Calendar.

How to get Outlook to display Google Calendar events

When you subscribe to Google Calendar from Outlook’s platform, events from Google Calendar (or rather, the specified calendar in Google Calendar) automatically transfer over to Outlook.

Note that “subscribing to” and “importing” a calendar are two different things. An imported calendar will only give you a “static snapshot” of what’s in Google Calendar — meaning that Outlook won’t regularly check Google Calendar for changes. What you want to do is subscribe, so that everything’s kept up-to-date!

First, get the link to the specific calendar in Google Calendar that you want to transfer:

13. Open Google Calendar (on the web, not the Google Calendar mobile app)
14. On the left navigation, click My calendars to reveal your calendars (if they aren’t already visible)
15. Next to the calendar you’d like to sync, click the three dots to open Options

sync outlook with google calenda — Source: Mixmax

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16. Click Settings and sharing
17. Scroll down to the Integrate calendar section
18. Copy the Secret address in iCal format to your clipboard (Note: using this address gives access to this calendar from other applications without making it public)

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Next, paste the link into Outlook by following these steps:

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19. Open Outlook on the web
20. On the left navigation, click the calendar icon
21. Click Add calendar
22. Click Subscribe from web
23. Paste the address that you just copied from Google Calendar
24. Customize your settings, including giving your calendar a name, color, and charm if you prefer
25. Click Import

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You’re all set! Your calendar from Google Calendar will now be visible in Outlook.

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How to sync Outlook calendar on iPhone

Do you use Outlook and the calendar app that comes pre-installed on your iPhone? Luckily, there’s a way to get Outlook events to appear in your iOS calendar. That means that you don’t need to download the mobile app for Outlook to stay on top of your schedule while you’re on the go.

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sync outlook on iphone — Source: Microsoft

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1. On your iPhone, tap Settings > Apps
2. Scroll down and select Calendar
3. Select Calendar Accounts > Add Account > Outlook.com
4. Log into your Outlook account
5. Toggle on Calendars

Easy, right? Now you’ll be able to view and manage your Outlook events straight from your iPhone’s default calendar app.

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How to sync Outlook calendar on Android

Want to access your Outlook calendar from your Android, without needing a third-party app? Look no further.

Although it depends on the device’s manufacturer, most Android devices come with Google Calendar as the default calendar app. If that’s the case for you, all you need to do is sync Outlook with Google Calendar.

The section above — “How to get Google Calendar to display Outlook events” — will walk you through, step-by-step.

If you have trouble with this method, you can always download the Microsoft Outlook app from the Google Play Store. Follow the instructions under “How to sync Outlook Calendar with Android” in this article if you need to use the Outlook app.

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Going forward

Here’s what we covered:

To connect your work calendar and personal calendar, download Clockwise. Clockwise not only syncs your calendars, but it also uses AI to help you design your ideal day, automating time management and scheduling.
To get Google Calendar to display Outlook events, add your Outlook calendar’s link to Google Calendar.
To get Outlook to display Google Calendar events, subscribe to Google Calendar in Outlook.
To view Outlook events on iOS Calendar, add your Outlook account in your iPhone’s settings.
To view Outlook events on your Android’s pre-installed Google Calendar app, add your Outlook calendar’s link to Google Calendar.

It’s not uncommon for someone to have multiple calendars in different programs and across multiple devices. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a streamlined experience managing your calendar and tasks. Simply sync your personal calendar with your work calendar to stay on top of your schedule, without the constant need for micromanagement. Note that features such as color coding, time zone syncing, and event reminders may not be carried over across apps.

Save time managing your calendar by downloading Clockwise, an AI-powered calendar assistant that rapidly calculates the best time for meetings, tasks, and deep work — all based on your preferences. Click here to try it for free!

Continue reading for more options to sync your Outlook calendar.

About the author

Alyssa Towns has written productivity and time management content for Clockwise for several years. Early in her career, she dove into time management strategies to effectively manage her workday calendar and 10+ C-Suite officers' calendars across various organizations. She uses her training in change management to write time management, the future of work, and career content that helps people change their behaviors and habits. In addition, she writes about artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology for G2's Learn Hub. When she isn't writing, Alyssa enjoys trying new restaurants with her husband, playing with her Bengal cats, adventuring outdoors, or reading a book from her TBR list.