Skip to content
Photo2Calendar
DEGet the app
ICS guide · Google Calendar

How to add an ICS file to Google Calendar

Google Calendar imports .ics files on a computer in four clicks. The mobile app has no import button, so on a phone you need a workaround. Both are below.

Published · Updated · Photo2Calendar Editorial Team

Import on a computer (Settings > Import & export)

  1. 1

    Open Google Calendar settings

    On a computer, open Google Calendar and click Settings at the top right.

  2. 2

    Go to Import & export

    In the menu on the left, click Import & export.

  3. 3

    Select the .ics file

    Click Select file from your computer and choose the file. It should end in .ics.

  4. 4

    Choose the calendar and import

    Choose which calendar gets the events (your primary calendar by default), then click Import.

If you have a .zip from a Google export, unzip it and import each .ics file on its own. Guests and conference data are not imported. Steps from Google’s import guide, checked October 15, 2026.

On iPhone

Google’s help for iPhone says to import on a computer. These are the ways around that.

Option A: Apple Calendar with your Google account

Add your Google account in Settings > Apps > Calendar > Calendar Accounts > Add Account > Google and turn on Calendars. Google describes the same sync in Add Google Calendar events to Apple Calendar. Your Google calendars now show in the Calendar app, and anything you add to them there syncs to Google Calendar everywhere. Set one as the default in Settings > Apps > Calendar > Default Calendar.

Option B: Open the file from Mail

With Option A set up, open the email with the .ics attachment, tap the file, choose a Google calendar, and add the events. If the file is in Files or a chat app, send it to yourself by email first. The iPhone ICS guide covers each source.

Option C: Desktop mode in Safari

Open calendar.google.com in Safari and request the desktop website from the page menu. If the full settings page loads, use Import & export as on a computer. Google does not document this route, and the layout is cramped, so treat it as a last resort.

On Android

Google gives the same answer for Android: import on a computer. On the phone, the Desktop site option in Chrome works like Option C above, with the same caveat. Some calendar apps that come with Android phones can open an .ics file and save it into a calendar that syncs with your Google account; if yours offers that when you tap the file, check which account it uses.

Subscribe vs. import

An import copies the events once. If the organizer moves a date later, your copy stays as it was. When you have a link to a calendar that keeps changing, such as a team fixture list or a school calendar, subscribe instead: on a computer, next to Other calendars, click Add other calendars > From URL, paste the link, and click Add calendar. Google says this only works for public calendars and has to be done in a web browser, not the app. See Google’s subscription steps.

Common errors

  • “Processed zero events”: often because Import was clicked twice and the first click worked. Check your calendar before trying again.
  • “Processed x of y events”: Google could not read some events. Export the file again from the original app, or check the header and footer lines.
  • File too large: Google works with files up to 1 MB. Export a shorter date range.
  • Events at the wrong time: check “Your current time zone” in Google Calendar settings and the zone in the app you exported from, then export and import again.
  • Repeating events became single events: some apps export repeats as separate events, and Google imports them as they are.
  • Duplicates: importing an edited copy of a file, or the same file into a second calendar, can leave two copies. Delete the extras or import into a new, empty calendar first.

From Google’s Fix problems importing, checked October 15, 2026. Using Outlook instead? Outlook.com and Outlook on the web import with Add calendar > Upload from file (Microsoft’s steps).

Skip the file: scan the schedule instead

If what you have is a photo, a screenshot, or a paper schedule, there is no file to import yet. Photo2Calendar reads the image, prepares one draft per event, and shows each field for you to check before saving. With your Google account on the iPhone, save straight to a Google calendar, or export an .ics file and import it as above. For other ways to make a file, see how to create an ICS file.

Download free on the App Store

Frequently asked questions

Can I import an ICS file in the Google Calendar app?

No. Google’s help points phone and tablet users to a computer for importing. On iPhone, add your Google account to Apple Calendar and open the file from Mail instead.

Do guests and video links come with the import?

No. Google says guests and conference data are not imported. You get the event itself in your calendar.

Will the events update if the organizer changes them?

Not after an import; it is a one-time copy. For a calendar that changes, subscribe to its public link with Other calendars > From URL instead.

Is there a size limit?

Yes. Google’s troubleshooting page says Google Calendar works with files of one megabyte or smaller. Export a shorter date range or split the file.

How do I add an ICS file to Outlook instead?

In Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, open Calendar, choose Add calendar > Upload from file, browse to the .ics file, pick a calendar, and select Import.

Questions about the app: see the Photo2Calendar FAQ.

How to Add an ICS File to Google Calendar (Phone + Web)