How to Share a Calendar on iPhone, Outlook and Google (Step by Step)

Sharing a calendar with someone on iPhone, Outlook or Google takes under five minutes and makes every upcoming appointment visible to both parties in real time. The steps depend on which platform you use and whether the other person uses the same ecosystem, so this guide covers all three.

How to share a calendar on iPhone (iCloud)

iPhone's built-in Calendar app uses iCloud to share calendars with other people. Both you and the person you want to share with need an Apple ID.

Step 1: Open the Calendar app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap "Calendars" at the bottom of the screen.

Step 3: Tap the information icon (circle with i) next to the calendar you want to share.

Step 4: Tap "Add Person" and enter the Apple ID (email address) of the person you want to share with.

Step 5: Tap "Add". The other person receives an invitation by email and must accept it to see the calendar.

View-only vs. editable: By default, the shared person can view events but not edit them. To allow editing, tap the person's name in the sharing list and toggle "Allow Editing" on.

Shared calendars between iPhone users appear automatically in the Calendar app once the invitation is accepted. No additional app is needed.

What if the other person uses Android? iCloud calendar sharing only works between Apple ID holders. If the other person uses Android, they cannot access a shared iCloud calendar directly. In this case, use Google Calendar or Wuzzio instead.

How to share a calendar without iCloud

If you do not want to use iCloud, or the other person uses Android, two alternatives work well:

Option 1: Google Calendar (free, works on iPhone and Android). Create a calendar at calendar.google.com, go to Settings, click the three dots next to the calendar, choose "Settings and sharing", and add the other person's Gmail address under "Share with specific people". They receive an invitation and the calendar appears in their Google Calendar app or iCloud Calendar after accepting.

Option 2: Wuzzio (free, works on any browser without a Gmail account). Create a household and invite members via a shareable link. The shared calendar appears instantly, no specific account type required. Works identically on iPhone, Android and desktop.

How to share a calendar in Outlook

Outlook calendar sharing works within organisations (Microsoft 365) and, with some limitations, with external recipients.

Within an organisation (Microsoft 365)

Step 1: Open Outlook (web or desktop app).

Step 2: Click the Calendar icon in the left navigation.

Step 3: Right-click on the calendar you want to share and choose "Sharing and permissions" or "Share calendar".

Step 4: Type the name or email of the colleague you want to share with.

Step 5: Choose the permission level: "Can view when I'm busy" (shows only free/busy), "Can view titles and locations" (shows event details), or "Can edit" (full access).

Step 6: Click Send. The recipient receives an email invitation and can open the calendar in their own Outlook.

With someone outside your organisation

Sharing Outlook calendars with people outside the organisation is more limited. The external person can receive a read-only view via email, but editing requires a Microsoft 365 account. For collaboration with people outside your org, Google Calendar or a dedicated shared calendar app is more practical.

How to share a Google Calendar

Google Calendar sharing is straightforward and works across devices.

Step 1: Go to calendar.google.com in a browser.

Step 2: In the left panel, hover over the calendar you want to share and click the three dots that appear.

Step 3: Select "Settings and sharing".

Step 4: Scroll to "Share with specific people and groups" and click "Add people and groups".

Step 5: Enter the Gmail address of the person you want to share with.

Step 6: Set the permission level. "See all event details" is usually the right choice for family members.

Step 7: Click Send. The other person receives an invitation email and must accept it.

Once accepted, the shared calendar appears in their Google Calendar app and is accessible from any device where they are logged in.

Sharing with someone who does not have Gmail: Google Calendar can generate a public link to a calendar (read-only), or an iCal link that can be subscribed to from any calendar app. This is useful for one-way sharing (like a sports team's match schedule) but not for collaborative editing.

How to share a calendar event on iPhone (not the whole calendar)

Sometimes you want to share a single event rather than an entire calendar.

Option 1: Share via Messages or Mail. Open the event in Calendar, tap the event name, then tap "Share" (if this option appears for your event type). This sends the event as an .ics file that the recipient can add to their own calendar.

Option 2: Add the person as an invitee. When creating or editing an event, tap "Invitees" and add the person's email. They receive an invitation email with a "Accept/Decline" option and the event appears in their calendar if accepted. This is the standard way to coordinate specific appointments with others.

Common problems when sharing calendars

The calendar does not appear after accepting the invitation. Most common cause: the invitation email landed in spam. Check the spam folder. If accepted but still not visible, check that the calendar is ticked in the calendar list (sometimes newly added calendars are hidden by default).

Events are visible but changes are not syncing. Usually a device sync issue. On iPhone: Settings > Calendar, ensure Background App Refresh is enabled. On Android: Settings > Accounts > Google, ensure Calendar sync is enabled.

The other person cannot edit events. The permission level was set to view-only. Change it in the sharing settings for the relevant calendar and resend the invitation or update the existing share.

When a shared calendar is not enough

A shared calendar solves the appointment visibility problem. If your coordination needs go beyond seeing each other's schedules and into shared tasks, grocery lists and expenses, a dedicated household app like Wuzzio combines all of these.

Our guide to the best shared calendar apps for families covers which platform is best depending on the device mix and the level of coordination needed.

Summary

Sharing a calendar on iPhone uses iCloud and requires both parties to have Apple IDs. Sharing via Google Calendar requires Gmail accounts and works on any device. Outlook sharing works best within Microsoft 365 organisations. For mixed-device households or when you need more than just calendar sharing, Wuzzio provides a cross-platform solution with no account type requirement.