How to Export Google Calendar to Outlook or Apple Calendar

Why Export Your Google Calendar?

Whether you are migrating to a new job, switching entirely to Microsoft or Apple ecosystems, or simply wanting to create a local backup of your schedule, exporting your Google Calendar is a vital data portability skill. Google allows you to export your calendar data as an ICS (.ics) file, which is the universal standard format for calendar data. This file can then be effortlessly imported into almost any other calendar application, including Microsoft Outlook and Apple Calendar.

Step 1: Export Your Google Calendar to an ICS File

To begin, you must generate and download the export file from your Google account. This must be done using a desktop web browser, as the Google Calendar mobile app does not support the export function.

1. Open a web browser and go to calendar.google.com. Log in to your Google account.
2. Click the Settings (gear icon) in the top right corner and select Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Import & export.
4. Under the “Export” section, click the Export button.

Google will generate a ZIP file containing your calendar data and prompt you to download it. Save this ZIP file to a location on your computer where you can easily find it, such as your Desktop or Downloads folder. Right-click the downloaded ZIP file and extract its contents; inside, you will find one or more .ics files representing your individual calendars.

Step 2: Import the ICS File into Microsoft Outlook

If you are migrating to Microsoft’s ecosystem, you can import this ICS file directly into the Outlook desktop application to merge the events into your existing schedule.

1. Open the Microsoft Outlook application on your PC or Mac.
2. Click on File in the top left corner, then select Open & Export.
3. Click on Import/Export to open the Import and Export Wizard.
4. Select Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file (.vcs) and click Next.
5. Browse your computer to locate the extracted .ics file you downloaded from Google, select it, and click OK.
6. Outlook will ask if you want to open it as a new calendar or import the items into your existing calendar. Choose Import to merge the events into your primary schedule.

Step 3: Import the ICS File into Apple Calendar (Mac)

For Mac users wanting to switch to the native Apple ecosystem, importing the file into the macOS Calendar app is incredibly straightforward.

1. Open the Calendar app on your Mac.
2. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on File and select Import.
3. Locate and select the extracted .ics file you downloaded from Google, then click Import.
4. A prompt will appear asking you to choose a destination. You can select an existing calendar to merge the events or choose New Calendar to keep the Google events separate.
5. Click OK to finalise the import.

Important Limitations to Keep in Mind

When you export a calendar to an ICS file, it represents a static snapshot of your schedule at that exact moment in time. If you create new events in Google Calendar after downloading the file, those new events will not automatically sync to Outlook or Apple Calendar. If you require continuous two-way synchronisation, you should add your Google account directly to the settings of Outlook or Apple Calendar rather than using the export method.