Sharing your Google Calendar can transform how you coordinate with others. Whether you need to align schedules with family members, collaborate with coworkers, or let friends know when you’re free, Google Calendar makes it simple to stay connected. You can share your Google Calendar by going to Settings and sharing, selecting the specific calendar you want to share, and then choosing who gets access and what level of permissions they receive.
Many people don’t realize how powerful Google Calendar sharing can be for both personal and professional use. When you share a calendar with someone, you can decide if they only see when you’re busy, view all event details, or even make changes to your schedule. This flexibility helps maintain privacy while still enabling coordination.
The process takes just a few clicks, and once set up, it keeps everyone in sync automatically. No more double-bookings or missed appointments. You can even create and share group calendars for specific projects, teams, or family activities to keep related events organized in one place.
How To Share a Google Calendar
Sharing a Google Calendar makes it easy to coordinate schedules with coworkers, family, or friends. You can choose who sees your calendar and what level of access they have.
Who Can You Share a Google Calendar With?
You can share your calendar with:
- Specific people (via email address)
- Everyone in your organization (Google Workspace accounts)
- The public (view‑only)
You control whether others can:
- See availability only
- View event details
- Make changes
- Manage sharing
How To Share a Google Calendar with Specific People
Step 1: Open Google Calendar
- Go to calendar.google.com
- Make sure you’re logged into the correct Google account
Step 2: Open Calendar Settings
- On the left sidebar, hover over the calendar you want to share
- Click the three dots (⋮) next to it
- Select Settings and sharing
Step 3: Add People
- Scroll to Share with specific people
- Click Add people
- Enter their email address
Step 4: Choose Permission Level
Select one of the following:
- See only free/busy (hide details)
- See all event details
- Make changes to events
- Make changes and manage sharing
Step 5: Send Invitation
- Click Send
- The person must accept the invitation to see your calendar
✅ Your calendar is now shared.
How To Share a Google Calendar with Family or a Team
If you share calendars frequently, consider:
- Creating a new shared calendar instead of sharing your personal one
- Giving edit access to trusted members
Create a Shared Calendar
- In Google Calendar, click + next to Other calendars
- Select Create new calendar
- Name the calendar and click Create calendar
- Share it using the steps above
How To Share a Google Calendar Publicly
⚠️ Public sharing allows anyone with the link to see your calendar.
Steps:
- Open Settings and sharing for the calendar
- Scroll to Access permissions for events
- Check Make available to public
- Choose:
- See only free/busy
- See all event details
You can now share the public calendar link.
How To Stop Sharing a Google Calendar
- Go to Settings and sharing
- Under Share with specific people, find the person
- Click Remove (X) next to their name
Changes take effect immediately.
How To Share a Google Calendar on Mobile
Sharing permissions must be set on desktop or mobile browser. The Google Calendar mobile app has limited sharing controls.
✅ Tip: Use your phone’s browser in desktop mode if needed.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Recipient can’t see the calendar?
Make sure they accepted the invitation. - Wrong permissions?
Update access levels anytime in settings. - Events missing?
Check that the correct calendar is selected and visible. - Work account restrictions?
Some organizations limit external sharing.
Best Practices for Calendar Sharing
- Share details only with trusted people
- Use free/busy for professional contacts
- Create separate calendars for work, family, and projects
- Review sharing permissions regularly
Final Thoughts
Google Calendar sharing is flexible, secure, and easy to manage once you know where the settings are. Whether you’re planning events or coordinating a team, sharing the right way keeps everyone aligned.
If you’d like help with:
- Syncing shared calendars across devices
- Sharing calendars between Google and Apple
- Managing multiple calendars
Key Takeaways
- Google Calendar sharing offers customizable permission levels from view-only to full editing capabilities.
- You can share calendars with specific individuals or make them public for broader access.
- Creating separate shareable calendars for different aspects of life helps maintain organization and appropriate privacy boundaries.
Getting Started With Google Calendar
Google Calendar offers powerful features for managing schedules and sharing calendars with others. Before sharing calendars, users need to understand the basics of how the platform works and set up their primary calendar correctly.
Understanding Google Calendar Interface
The Google Calendar interface is designed to be user-friendly while offering robust functionality. At the left side of the screen, users will find two important sections: My Calendars and Other Calendars.
My Calendars contains calendars that belong to the user. This includes the primary calendar (usually named after the user’s email) and any additional calendars they’ve created. Users can create multiple calendars for different purposes such as work, personal, or specific projects.
Other Calendars shows calendars that have been shared with the user by others. This is where calendars from colleagues, friends, or family members appear after they’ve been shared and accepted.
The main viewing area displays events in various formats:
- Day view
- Week view
- Month view
- Year view
- Schedule view
Setting Up Your Calendar
Before sharing a calendar, users should properly set up their own calendar with accurate information. This process begins with accessing Google Calendar through a web browser or the mobile app.
To create a new calendar for sharing:
- Click the + next to Other calendars
- Select Create new calendar
- Enter a name and description
- Select a time zone
- Click Create calendar
Setting calendar preferences is important for effective sharing. Users can customize notification settings, working hours, and default visibility of events. These settings help ensure that shared calendars display information appropriately for all viewers.
For mobile users, the process is slightly different but equally straightforward. The Google Calendar app provides access to all the same calendars and sharing features as the web version, allowing users to manage shared calendars from any device.
Basics of Calendar Sharing
Google Calendar makes it easy to coordinate schedules with others. The platform offers flexible sharing options that allow users to control who sees their events and what level of access others have.
Sharing Your Calendar with Specific People
Sharing a calendar directly with specific people gives users precise control over who can access their schedule. To share a calendar with specific people, users need to access the Settings and sharing option by clicking More next to the calendar name.
From there, they can click “Share with specific people or groups” and add email addresses of individuals they want to share with. Google Calendar offers different permission levels for shared calendars:
- See only free/busy (hide details)
- See all event details
- Make changes to events
- Make changes and manage sharing
Each permission level determines what actions the recipient can take with the shared calendar. Users can also share individual events rather than their entire calendar when they want to limit what others can see.
Making Your Calendar Public
For broader visibility, users can make their calendar public so anyone can find and view it. This option is ideal for organizations sharing event schedules or public figures publishing their appearances.
To make a calendar public, users need to go to Calendar Settings and look for the “Access permissions” section. There they can check “Make available to public” and select the appropriate permission level.
Public calendars can be set to show:
- Only free/busy information (times only)
- All event details (full visibility)
When making a calendar public, it’s important to remember that anyone on the internet might find it. Users should avoid including sensitive information in public calendars, such as personal addresses or private meeting details.
Users can also generate a shareable link to their calendar that can be distributed via email or messaging platforms.
Managing Calendar Permissions
Setting up the right access levels for your Google Calendar is essential for maintaining privacy while enabling collaboration. Proper permission management ensures your calendar information is only visible to those who need it.
Understanding Access Levels
Google Calendar offers several permission levels for shared calendars. These range from basic viewing capabilities to full management rights.
The main permission levels include:
- See only free/busy (hide details): Others can see when you’re available but not event details
- See all event details: Viewers can see complete information but can’t make changes
- Make changes to events: Users can edit existing events but not settings or sharing options
- Make changes AND manage sharing: Full control to modify events, settings, and permissions
These options give you flexibility to control exactly how much information others can access. For team calendars, you might grant editing rights to team members while giving view-only access to other departments.
Adjusting Permissions for Individual Calendars
To modify who can view or edit your calendar, start by clicking the three dots next to the relevant calendar and select “Settings & sharing.”
From this menu, you can:
- Change default sharing settings for your organization
- Share with specific people by entering their email addresses
- Set public access levels if needed
- Revoke access for individuals who no longer need it
When sharing with colleagues, consider their specific needs. A project manager might need editing rights, while stakeholders may only need viewing access.
You can also adjust permissions for previously shared calendars by returning to the same settings area. This makes it easy to update access as team roles change or projects conclude.
Adding and Subscribing to Calendars
Google Calendar becomes more powerful when you connect it with other calendars. This feature helps you see all your important dates in one place, whether they’re from friends, colleagues, or public events.
Adding Other Calendars
To add someone else’s calendar to your Google Calendar, start by opening Google Calendar on your computer. Look for the “Other calendars” section on the left side of your screen and click the plus icon or Add other calendars option.
Google Calendar offers several options for adding calendars:
- Subscribe to a calendar: Enter the person’s email address if they use Google Calendar
- Create new calendar: Make a separate calendar for specific events
- Browse calendars of interest: Add public calendars like holidays or sports schedules
When someone shares their calendar with you, it appears in your notification area. You can choose to add it or decline. The shared calendar will display in a different color to distinguish it from your primary calendar.
Subscribing to External Calendars
Subscribing to external calendars lets you view events from other sources without manually adding them. To get a sharable subscription link from someone, ask them to access their calendar settings by clicking the three dots next to their calendar name.
The calendar owner can generate a public link that you can use to subscribe. This link works with various calendar applications, not just Google Calendar.
For public calendars like sports teams or TV schedules, Google Calendar provides a browsable directory. Select “Browse calendars of interest” from the Add other calendars menu to explore options.
You can customize how these subscribed calendars appear by:
- Changing the display color
- Modifying notification settings
- Choosing which events to show or hide
Organizing Events and Appointments
Google Calendar’s sharing features make coordinating events significantly easier. When multiple people have access to the same calendar, they can view availability and plan accordingly, reducing scheduling conflicts and improving time management.
Creating Events in Shared Calendars
To add an event to a shared Google Calendar, users simply need to click on the desired time slot and enter event details. The system will notify all calendar members about the new addition automatically.
When creating events, it’s important to select the correct shared calendar from the dropdown menu. This ensures the event appears on the intended calendar rather than a personal one.
Users can set up recurring events for regular meetings by choosing options like daily, weekly, or monthly repetition. This saves time when scheduling predictable events like team standups or monthly reviews.
Event visibility can be adjusted too. Options include:
- Public – visible to anyone with calendar access
- Private – only shows as “Busy” to others
- Default – follows calendar’s general settings
Managing Event Details in a Shared Environment
Effective event management in shared calendars requires clear communication through detailed event descriptions. Adding location information, meeting links, and relevant files helps attendees prepare properly.
Calendar users can use the “Add guests” feature to invite specific people, even if they don’t have access to the entire shared calendar. This functionality creates flexibility when organizing meetings with external stakeholders.
Event notifications and reminders can be customized for each participant. Some team members might prefer email notifications while others opt for mobile alerts 10 minutes before the start time.
For busy teams, the “Find a time” feature analyzes everyone’s availability automatically. This tool examines all calendars and suggests suitable meeting times, eliminating back-and-forth communications about scheduling.
Color coding helps differentiate between various event types in shared calendars, making visual scanning more efficient. Teams often establish color conventions for different activities like client meetings, internal discussions, or deadlines.
Resolving Common Issues
Sharing Google Calendar can sometimes hit a few bumps in the road. These issues range from permissions problems to event conflicts, but most have straightforward solutions.
Troubleshooting Sharing Errors
When Google Calendar won’t share properly, first verify you’re using the correct email address for the recipient. Many sharing problems happen because of simple typos or outdated contact information.
If the recipient claims they never received the invite, ask them to check their spam or trash folders. Google Calendar invites sometimes get filtered out by email systems.
For persistent issues, check the sharing settings:
- Hover over the calendar
- Click More Settings and sharing
- Under “Share with specific people,” verify permissions are set correctly
Another common issue involves editing rights. If someone needs to modify events but can’t, the calendar owner must grant editing privileges and the user may need to reconnect their Google Calendar account.
Handling Overlapping Events and Conflicts
When multiple people share calendars, overlapping events become inevitable. Google Calendar highlights conflicts with color coding, but users should still establish guidelines for scheduling.
Consider implementing these practices for shared calendars:
- Create a booking policy that establishes priority rules
- Use the “Find a time” feature when scheduling meetings with multiple participants
- Set up automatic notifications for calendar changes
For teams sharing calendars, check the auto-invite settings if events are unexpectedly appearing on everyone’s calendars. This setting sometimes causes confusion when calendar owners aren’t aware it’s enabled.
Time zone differences often create apparent conflicts. Ensure all users have their correct time zones set in their Google Calendar settings to prevent confusion about meeting times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Google Calendar offers many sharing options for coordinating schedules with others. These features allow for different permission levels and ways to share across multiple devices and platforms.
How can I share my Google Calendar with another person?
To share a Google Calendar with someone, first open Google Calendar on your computer. Find the calendar you want to share in the left sidebar under “My calendars.”
Hover over the calendar name and click the three dots that appear. Select “Settings and sharing” from the dropdown menu.
Scroll down to the “Share with specific people” section and click “Add people.” Enter the email address of the person and choose their permission level from the dropdown.
What steps should I follow to share my Google Calendar with my family?
Create a dedicated family calendar by clicking the “+” next to “Other calendars” and selecting “Create new calendar.” Give it a family-related name.
Once created, go to the calendar settings by clicking the three dots next to your family calendar. Select “Settings and sharing.”
Add each family member’s email address in the “Share with specific people” section. For family sharing, it’s typically best to give “Make changes to events” permissions.
How do I add someone to my Google Calendar using a mobile device?
Open the Google Calendar app on your mobile device. Tap the three-line menu in the top left corner.
Scroll down to find the calendar you want to share and tap on its name. Then tap on “Share with specific people.”
Tap the “+” icon to add a person and enter their email address. Select the appropriate permission level before tapping “Send.”
What is the procedure for sharing a Google Calendar on the desktop version?
Access Google Calendar from your web browser. Look for the calendar you want to share in the left sidebar.
Hover your mouse over the calendar name until three vertical dots appear and click on them. Select “Settings and sharing” from the menu.
Under “Share with specific people,” click “Add people” and enter their email address. Choose their permission level and click “Send” to share your calendar.
How can I sync my Google Calendar with a family member’s calendar?
Ask your family member to share their calendar with you by following the sharing steps mentioned above. Once they’ve shared it, you’ll receive an email notification.
Open the email and click “Add this calendar” to add it to your Google Calendar. The shared calendar will appear under “Other calendars” in your sidebar.
You can also ask for the shareable link to their calendar, which they can find in their calendar settings under “Get shareable link.”
What are the permissions required to share a Google Calendar and how can they be adjusted?
Google Calendar offers different permission levels when sharing. The basic levels include “See only free/busy,” “See all event details,” “Make changes to events,” and “Make changes and manage sharing.”
To adjust permissions, go to calendar settings and find the person under “Share with specific people.” Click the permission dropdown next to their name to change their access level.
For public or organizational sharing, you can also set general access permissions under “Access permissions” in your calendar settings. These settings control who can find and view your calendar.
