How to Sync Outlook and Google Calendar on Mac

There are three ways to sync Outlook and Google Calendar on a Mac. You can subscribe to one calendar from the other with an ICS link (free, read-only, and slow to refresh). You can add your Google account to Outlook for Mac (two-way, but calendar sync needs a Microsoft 365 subscription). Or you can add both accounts to Apple Calendar and see them side by side. None of them merges the two calendars into one, so choose based on where you want to create events.

This guide is for people who use a work Outlook calendar and a personal Google Calendar (or the other way round) on one Mac. If you only need Google Calendar itself on your Mac, start with the five ways to use Google Calendar on a Mac.

The three options at a glance

• ICS subscription: free and works with any account. It is one-way and read-only, and changes can take hours to show up.
• Google account in Outlook for Mac: two-way, so you can edit Google events in Outlook. Calendar sync requires Microsoft 365.
• Apple Calendar with both accounts: free and native. It shows both calendars in one window, but each account still syncs on its own.

Option 1: Show Outlook events in Google Calendar (ICS link)

Use this when Google Calendar is your main calendar and you only need to see your Outlook meetings there. First, publish the Outlook calendar:

1. In Outlook on the web or Outlook.com, open Calendar and go to Settings → Calendar → Shared calendars.
2. Under Publish a calendar, pick the calendar and how much detail to share, then select Publish.
3. Copy the ICS link, not the HTML link.
4. In Google Calendar in your browser, click + next to Other calendars, choose From URL, paste the link, and click Add calendar.

Microsoft notes that published ICS calendars are read-only and that how often they refresh depends on the app that subscribes (Microsoft Support). Google documents the From URL step in its Calendar Help. Anyone with the link can see what you published, so pick the lowest detail level that still works for you. In a work account, your IT admin may have turned publishing off.

Option 1b: Show Google events in Outlook (secret iCal address)

1. In Google Calendar, open Settings, click the calendar under Settings for my calendars, and open Integrate calendar.
2. Copy the Secret address in iCal format (it ends in .ics).
3. In Outlook on the web, select Add calendar → Subscribe from web, paste the address, and import it.

Treat the secret address like a password. If it leaks, Google says to click Reset to create a new one. On the Outlook side, Microsoft says subscribed calendars can take more than 24 hours to update. That is fine for a personal calendar you glance at, but it is not reliable for meetings booked the same day.

Option 2: Add your Google account to Outlook for Mac

If Outlook is where you live, add Google as a full account so you can create and edit Google events in Outlook:

1. In Outlook for Mac, open the Outlook menu → Settings → Accounts.
2. Click + Add Account, type your Gmail or Google Workspace address, and continue.
3. Sign in with Google and select Allow on the permissions screen.

There are two catches. Microsoft lists Google calendar and contacts sync as a Microsoft 365 subscription feature. And if Google was added as an IMAP or POP account, only mail syncs. Your Gmail inbox also comes along, so expect Gmail in Outlook too.

Option 3: See both in Apple Calendar

Apple Calendar can hold a Google account and a Microsoft Exchange or Outlook account at once, added in System Settings → Internet Accounts. You get both calendars in one native window for free, with no published links. The steps for the Google side are in how to add Google Calendar to Apple Calendar. The trade-off is that some Google features, such as focus time, working location, and Google Meet links, are not fully available in Apple Calendar.

Why events are missing or late

• You used the HTML link. Subscriptions need the ICS or iCal address.
• You imported instead of subscribing. An imported .ics file is a one-time snapshot that never updates.
• The refresh hasn't run yet. Subscribed calendars refresh on the subscriber's schedule, not right away.
• Your admin blocks it. Work accounts can disable publishing or the secret address.
• The calendar is hidden. Check the box next to it under Other calendars.

If Google Calendar is your main calendar

hora Calendar is a native Mac app built only for Google Calendar. It does not connect to Outlook or Exchange accounts. It fits the Option 1 setup: keep Google as the calendar you plan in, bring in Outlook as a view, and use hora for the Google side. You get multiple Google accounts, one-click joining for Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, a menu bar with your next meeting, and offline viewing. hora connects directly to the Google Calendar API and stores credentials in the macOS Keychain.

If that matches how you work, try hora Calendar free for 7 days.