The fastest way: export from Apple Calendar, then import into Outlook

You can move your Apple Calendar events to Outlook by exporting them as an .ics file (a standard calendar format that both apps read) and then importing that file into Outlook. The process takes about five minutes and works on Mac, Windows, and the web versions of both apps.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Apple Calendar on a Mac, iCloud.com in a web browser, or Outlook on Windows or Mac. All three routes produce the same result: your events appear in Outlook with their original dates, times, and details intact.

Key Takeaways

  • Export your Apple Calendar as an .ics file, then open Outlook and import that file to move all events at once.
  • On a Mac, right-click the calendar name in Apple Calendar and select "Export"; on iCloud.com, click the settings gear and choose "Export Calendar".
  • In Outlook on Windows or Mac, go to File > Open & Export > Import, then select the .ics file you just saved.
  • Outlook will ask which calendar to import into — choose an existing one or let Outlook create a new calendar for the imported events.
  • After import, check a few events to confirm dates and times moved correctly, especially if you use multiple time zones.

Export from Apple Calendar on Mac

Open Apple Calendar on your Mac. In the left sidebar, find the calendar you want to export — it might be labeled "Calendar" or have a custom name you created. Right-click (or Control-click) on that calendar name.

A menu will appear. Select "Export" from the options. Your Mac will open a save dialog. Choose where you want to save the file — your Desktop is easiest to find later — and click "Save". The file will be named something like "Calendar.ics" and is now ready to import into Outlook.

If you have multiple calendars and want to move them all, repeat this step for each one. You'll end up with separate .ics files for each calendar, and you can import them one at a time or all together.

Export from iCloud.com in a web browser

Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Click the Calendar icon to open iCloud Calendar. On the left side, you'll see a list of your calendars. Find the one you want to export, then click the three dots (or gear icon) next to its name.

Select "Export Calendar" from the menu. Your browser will download an .ics file automatically — it usually goes to your Downloads folder. The file is ready to import into Outlook immediately.

Import into Outlook on Windows

Open Outlook on your Windows computer. At the top left, click "File", then select "Open & Export" from the menu. Click "Import" to open the import wizard.

The wizard will ask what you want to import from. Select "iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar (.vcs) file" from the list. Click "Next", then browse to find the .ics file you exported from Apple Calendar. Select it and click "Open".

Outlook will show you a preview of the events it found. Click "Next" again. On the final screen, choose which Outlook calendar to import these events into — you can pick an existing calendar or let Outlook create a new one. Click "Finish" and the import is complete.

Import into Outlook on Mac

Open Outlook on your Mac. At the top of the screen, click "File" in the menu bar. Select "Import" from the dropdown menu.

A dialog will open asking what type of file you want to import. Select "iCalendar (.ics) file" and click the arrow to continue. Browse to the .ics file you exported from Apple Calendar and click "Import".

Outlook will ask which calendar to import into. Choose an existing calendar or create a new one, then click "Import". Your events will appear in Outlook within a few seconds.

Import into Outlook on the web

Go to Outlook.com and sign in. Click the Calendar icon on the left sidebar. At the top of the page, click "Import calendar".

A dialog will appear asking you to select a file. Click "Browse" and find the .ics file you exported from Apple Calendar. Select it and click "Open". Outlook will show you a preview of the events and ask which calendar to import them into. Choose your destination and click "Import".

What to check after import

After the import finishes, open Outlook and look at a few of your imported events. Click on one to see if the date, time, and description all match what you saw in Apple Calendar. Pay special attention to all-day events and recurring events, which sometimes need adjustment.

If you use multiple time zones, check whether times shifted unexpectedly. Apple Calendar and Outlook handle time zone information differently, so an event that was 2 p.m. in your home time zone might appear as a different time in Outlook. If this happens, you can edit the event in Outlook to correct it, or re-export from Apple Calendar and check your time zone settings before importing again.

Once you've confirmed the import worked, you can delete the .ics file from your computer. You don't need to keep it unless you plan to import the same events into another app later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my events stay in Apple Calendar after I import them into Outlook?

Yes. Importing creates a copy of your events in Outlook — it doesn't remove them from Apple Calendar. If you want to stop using Apple Calendar, you can delete the calendar after confirming all events are in Outlook, but the import itself doesn't touch your original calendar.

Can I import just some events, not the whole calendar?

The export-and-import method moves all events in a calendar at once. If you only want certain events, you can manually create them in Outlook, or export the whole calendar and then delete the events you don't need after import.

What if the times on my events are wrong after import?

This usually happens when Apple Calendar and Outlook interpret time zones differently. Open the event in Outlook, click "Edit", and check the time zone setting. You can change it to match your location. If many events have the wrong time, check whether Outlook is set to your correct time zone in Settings > Time & Language (Windows) or System Preferences (Mac).

Can I set up automatic syncing between Apple Calendar and Outlook?

The export-and-import method is a one-time transfer, not automatic syncing. If you want changes in one calendar to show up in the other automatically, you would need to use a third-party tool or manually keep them in sync by updating events in both places.

What if I have a shared Apple Calendar — can I import that too?

You can export a shared calendar the same way you export your own, but the import will create a copy in your Outlook calendar. Changes made by other people to the shared Apple Calendar won't automatically appear in Outlook — you would need to re-export and re-import to see updates.