How to Share Apple Calendar: Complete Guide

Managing your schedule becomes easier when you can share your calendar with family, friends, or colleagues. For Apple users, the iCloud Calendar offers some sharing capabilities that help coordinate events, meetings, and important dates. And it also integrates with other tools, especially scheduling platforms. 

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about sharing your Apple calendar with others. And I’ll also touch on how Zeeg, a scheduling tool that integrates with Apple Calendar, can help you streamline your business meeting scheduling. 

What is iCloud Calendar sharing?

iCloud Calendar sharing allows you to give other people access to view or edit your calendar. When you share an Apple calendar, recipients can see your scheduled events, and depending on the permissions you grant, they may also add or modify events. This feature is particularly useful for coordinating family activities, team projects, or any situation where multiple people need to stay synchronized.

👉 Read more:

• Apple Calendar vs Google Calendar
• How to connect Notion Calendar to Apple Calendar
• How to Sync Google Calendar with Apple Calendar

Setting up your Apple Calendar for sharing

Before learning how to share your Apple calendar, make sure everything is properly configured:

1. Open the Calendar app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac
2. Check your synchronization settings
3. Select your default calendar (ideally the one you plan to share)
4. Set up default alert times for events
5. Configure your time zone settings (especially important if sharing with people in different regions)

These preliminary steps ensure your shared calendar functions exactly as you intend once others gain access.

How to create an iCloud Calendar to share

Before sharing a calendar, you'll need to create one if you haven't already:

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Calendar app from your home screen
2. Tap "Calendars" at the bottom of the screen
3. Tap "Add Calendar"
4. Enter a name for your new calendar
5. Tap "Done"

On Mac:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Choose File > New Calendar, or click the "+" button in the sidebar
3. Enter a name for the calendar
4. Press Return

Make sure the calendar is created under your iCloud account to enable sharing functionality.

How to share your Apple calendar with specific people

To add someone to an apple Calendar, the process is simple. Here's how to share your Apple calendar with someone:

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Tap "Calendars" at the bottom of your screen
3. Tap the information icon (ⓘ) next to the calendar you want to share
4. Scroll down to "Shared With" and tap "Add Person"
5. Enter the email address of the person you want to share with
6. Tap "Add," then "Done"

On Mac:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Place your cursor over the calendar you want to share in the sidebar
3. Click the information icon (ⓘ)
4. Click "Share With"
5. Enter the names or email addresses of people you want to invite
6. Click "Done"

The recipients will receive an invitation to join your shared calendar. They must have an Apple ID and use iCloud to access your shared calendar.

How to share an iCloud calendar publicly

If you want to make your calendar visible to anyone, even those without an Apple ID, you can create a public calendar:

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Tap "Calendars" at the bottom of your screen
3. Tap the information icon (ⓘ) next to the calendar you want to make public
4. Toggle on "Public Calendar"
5. Tap "Share Link" to copy the URL or share it directly
6. Choose how you want to share the link (Messages, Mail, etc.)

On Mac:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Place your cursor over the calendar you want to share in the sidebar
3. Click the information icon (ⓘ)
4. Select "Public Calendar"
5. Click the share button to send a link to your calendar

Anyone with the link can view your public calendar but cannot make changes to it.

Managing editing permissions for shared calendars

When sharing your Apple calendar with someone, you can control whether they can make changes:

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Tap "Calendars" at the bottom
3. Tap the information icon (ⓘ) next to the shared calendar
4. Under "Shared With," tap the person's name
5. Toggle "Allow Editing" on or off
6. Tap "Done"

On Mac:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Place your cursor over the shared calendar in the sidebar
3. Click the information icon (ⓘ)
4. In the "Shared With" list, click the arrow next to the person's name
5. Choose "View Only" or "View & Edit"
6. Click "Done"

When "Allow Editing" is turned on, the person can add, modify, and delete events. When turned off, they can only view the calendar.

Creating and editing events on shared iCloud calendars

Once you've shared your calendar, here's how to manage events:

Creating events:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Tap the "+" icon (iPhone/iPad) or click on a date (Mac)
3. Enter event details (title, location, time, etc.)
4. Select the shared calendar from the calendar dropdown
5. Save the event

Editing events:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Tap or click on the event you want to modify
3. Tap "Edit" (iPhone/iPad) or double-click the event (Mac)
4. Make your changes
5. Save the updated event

For shared calendars, any changes made will be visible to everyone with access to the calendar.

How to share individual calendar events

Instead of sharing an entire calendar, you can share specific events:

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Tap on the event you want to share
3. Tap "Edit"
4. Tap "Invitees"
5. Enter email addresses for people you want to invite
6. Tap "Done"

On Mac:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Double-click the event you want to share
3. Click the "Add Invitees" field
4. Enter names or email addresses
5. Press Return, then click "Send"

Invitees will receive an invitation email and can respond with "Accept," "Maybe," or "Decline."

Managing a family calendar on iPhone

The Family Sharing feature makes it easy to create a shared family calendar:

1. Set up Family Sharing in Settings > [your name] > Family Sharing
2. Once set up, a "Family" calendar automatically appears in the Calendar app
3. Create events on this calendar to share them with all family members
4. Family members will receive notifications for new events and updates

This creates a centralized calendar where everyone in your family group (up to six people) can see and contribute to shared events.

How to sync Apple calendars with another person

When you share an iCloud calendar, synchronization happens automatically:

1. Share your calendar using the methods described above
2. Once the recipient accepts the invitation, any changes made to the calendar will sync across all devices
3. Both you and the other person will see updates in real-time

This synchronization ensures everyone stays on the same page regarding scheduled events and changes.

Accepting calendar sharing invitations

If someone shares their Apple calendar with you, here's how to accept the invitation:

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the notification or email invitation
2. Tap "Accept"
3. The shared calendar will appear in your Calendar app

On Mac:

1. Open Calendar app
2. Click the notification in the upper right or open the email invitation
3. Click "Accept"

Once accepted, the shared calendar will appear in your calendar list with a shared icon.

Finding declined events and managing invitations

If you've declined an event but later change your mind:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Tap "Calendars" at the bottom
3. Scroll down to "Other"
4. Enable "Show Declined Events"
5. Find the declined event and tap it to change your response

This allows you to manage your event responses flexibly.

Managing shared calendars

Once you're sharing calendars, you may need to make changes to how they're shared:

Resending invitations:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Access the calendar's sharing settings
3. Next to the invitee who hasn't responded, select "Invite Again"

Stopping calendar sharing:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Access the calendar's sharing settings
3. For individual people: Tap their name and select "Stop Sharing"
4. For everyone: Select "Stop Sharing" at the bottom

Unsubscribing from a shared calendar:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Find the shared calendar in your list
3. Tap the information icon (ⓘ)
4. Tap "Delete Calendar" or "Unsubscribe"

Don't forget to edit your notifications for shared Apple calendars

When you share or subscribe to multiple Apple calendars, managing notifications is essential, so that you avoid being overwhelmed by alerts. Apple has several options to customize how you receive updates about shared calendar activities.

On iPhone and iPad:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications > Calendar > Customize Notifications
2. Toggle "Shared Calendar Changes" on or off depending on your preferences
3. You can also adjust other notification settings like sounds, badges, and banner styles

If you want more granular control, you can customize notifications for specific calendars:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Tap "Calendars" at the bottom of the screen
3. Tap the information icon (ⓘ) next to a shared calendar
4. Scroll down to find notification options specific to that calendar

On Mac:

1. Open the Calendar app
2. Choose Calendar > Settings from the menu bar
3. Click on the "Alerts" tab
4. Customize notification preferences for shared calendars

On iCloud.com:

1. Sign in to iCloud.com/calendar
2. Click the Actions menu (gear icon) in the sidebar
3. Select "Settings"
4. Click "Account" and choose how you want to receive shared calendar updates:
   • Via in-app notifications
   • Via email

Finding the right balance with notifications helps you stay informed about important changes without being distracted by every minor update. For family calendars or work teams, you might want immediate alerts, while for less critical shared calendars, a daily summary might be sufficient. Adjust these settings based on your specific needs and the importance of each shared calendar in your workflow.

Troubleshooting sharing issues

Encountering issues while sharing your Apple calendar can be frustrating, but most problems have straightforward solutions. First, confirm that everyone involved has an Apple ID and is using iCloud, as this is essential for private calendar sharing. Sometimes, the simplest explanation is a connectivity issue, so verify that all parties have reliable internet access.

Also double-check that you're using the correct email addresses when sending invitations – a small typo can prevent your recipients from receiving your calendar shares.

And if that doesn't work, make sure that Calendar is properly enabled in your iCloud settings; this feature must be active for sharing to work properly. If problems persist, try removing the person from your shared calendar and then sending a fresh invitation.

For public calendars, remember that while anyone can view them without an Apple ID, they must have the exact URL to access your calendar. This link is their key to viewing your schedule, so make sure you've shared it correctly.

Why connect Apple Calendar to Zeeg scheduling tool

While Apple's iCloud Calendar gives great sharing capabilities for personal and small team coordination, business professionals and organizations often need more advanced scheduling features. And did you know that Calendly doesn't connect with Apple Calendar? That's true. That's where connecting your Apple Calendar to Zeeg creates a powerful productivity combination that will definitely improve your scheduling experience.

First of all, you can link Zeeg to your Apple Calendar, Google Calendar and/or Outlook, and let Zeeg match all calendars to avoid scheduling conflicts.

But let's look at the benefits in detail:

Advanced scheduling capabilities

Zeeg integrates with your existing Apple Calendar setup, creating a two-way synchronization that keeps all your appointments and meetings updated in real-time across both platforms. When a client books a meeting through Zeeg, it instantly appears in your Apple Calendar, and when you add personal appointments to your Apple Calendar, Zeeg automatically blocks those times from being booked. Easy, right? And that works with other calendar tools too.

Unlike basic calendar sharing which only shows your schedule, Zeeg transforms your calendar into an interactive booking tool. This means that colleagues, prospects and clients can:

• View your actual availability without seeing your private appointments
• Book time with you 24/7 based on your desired availability
• Reschedule meetings without the usual email ping-pong

This way there's no back-and-forth communication.

Professional client experience

For businesses and professionals, appearance matters. Zeeg enhances your scheduling with:

• Custom booking pages that reflect your brand identity and professional image
• Personalized scheduling links you can place on your website or share via email
• Branded email notifications that provide a consistent experience from booking to meeting

Security and compliance advantages

Besides all the above, Zeeg has enterprise-grade security features:

• Full GDPR compliance with European data hosting ensures your calendar information remains protected
• End-to-end encryption keeps your scheduling data secure

This makes Zeeg a great fit for professionals and businesses in industries with strict privacy requirements, such as legal, healthcare, or financial services.

Automation and workflow enhancements

Zeeg transforms your scheduling process with intelligent automation:

• Customizable confirmation emails sent automatically when appointments are booked
• Reminder sequences that reduce no-shows and keep everyone prepared
• Follow-up messages triggered after meetings to maintain momentum
• Buffer time between appointments to give you breathing room

These automated workflows save countless hours of administrative work while creating a more professional experience for everyone involved.

Business and Teams features

For businesses with multiple team members, Zeeg has advanced coordination capabilities:

• Round-robin scheduling distributes meetings evenly among team members
• Smart routing directs appointments to the right person based on expertise or availability
• Collective availability shows when your entire team is free and finds mutual empty times‍
• Payment processing allows you to collect fees at the time of booking‍
• Intake forms gather necessary information before appointments‍
• Meeting analytics provide insights into scheduling patterns and client behavior
  ‍

Bonus: Merge all your calendars across Apple and other platforms

Managing multiple calendars across different platforms can quickly become overwhelming. If you use different calendar apps and would like to connect Apple Calendar to Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar, you don't have to use them separately. It will easily become confusing, and even more if there's more users. Instead of switching between apps and risking missed appointments, you can merge all your calendars into one unified system.

With tools like Zeeg, you can easily connect your iCloud Calendar with other platforms for seamless two-way synchronization. Changes made in any connected calendar automatically update across all systems, eliminating the frustration of manual updates and potential double bookings.

The process is straightforward: simply connect your various calendar accounts to Zeeg, and it handles the complex synchronization behind the scenes. This integration preserves all your event details, including meeting links, attachments, and recurring event patterns that often get lost in manual transfers.

The biggest advantage is having a complete view of your schedule in your preferred calendar app. Whether you prefer using your Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or Outlook, you'll see all your events in one place with real-time updates across platforms.

This unified approach saves significant time and prevents scheduling conflicts, letting you focus on what matters instead of managing multiple calendars.

Final thoughts on sharing iCloud calendars

Sharing your Apple calendar is an effective way to coordinate with family, friends, colleagues, clients or prospects. Whether you need to plan family activities, coordinate team projects, or simply keep your partner updated on your schedule, iCloud Calendar sharing provides the tools you need.

And we saw that the ability to share calendars publicly or privately, control editing permissions, and manage invitations gives you flexibility in how you collaborate. But try combining it with the power of Zeeg's scheduling capabilities, and you can improve your calendar from a simple organizational tool into a complete scheduling system.

For more advanced scheduling needs, especially for businesses or professionals who interact with clients regularly, consider adding to your iCloud Calendar Zeeg's scheduling features, and get the best of both worlds.