Create a new calendar and invite people to it
The fastest way to set up a shared calendar is to create a new one in Google Calendar, then add people to it. Open Google Calendar, click the plus sign next to "Other calendars" on the left side, and select "Create new calendar." Give it a name — something like "Team Schedule" or "Project Deadlines" — and choose whether the calendar should be public, visible only to people you invite, or visible only to you. For a group calendar, select "Make available to public" only if strangers should see it; otherwise, choose the middle option so only invited members can view it.
After you create the calendar, click on it in the left sidebar, then click the three dots next to its name and select "Settings and sharing." Scroll down to "Share with specific people" and enter the email addresses of everyone who should have access. You can give each person one of three permission levels: "See all event details" (they can view but not edit), "Make changes to events" (they can add and modify events), or "Make changes and manage sharing" (they can also invite others). Most groups use "Make changes to events" so everyone can add things without accidentally deleting someone else's work.
Key Takeaways
- Create a new calendar through Google Calendar's "Create new calendar" option, then share it by adding email addresses in the Settings and sharing menu.
- Choose "Make changes to events" permission for group members so they can add and edit events without being able to remove the calendar entirely.
- People you invite will see the shared calendar appear in their own Google Calendar sidebar once they accept the invitation.
- You can change permissions or remove people from the calendar at any time through the same Settings and sharing menu.
Add events and let others contribute
Once people are invited, they can start adding events to the shared calendar immediately. When someone creates an event, they choose which calendar it goes on — so they need to select the shared calendar's name, not their personal one. The event will appear for everyone who has access, and anyone with "Make changes to events" permission can edit it, change the time, or add details like location or a description.
If you want to control what gets added, you can keep "Make changes to events" permission only for yourself and give others "See all event details" instead. This means they can see everything but cannot add or change anything — useful if you are managing a schedule and just want people to view it. You can always change permissions later if the group needs more flexibility.
Invite people who don't have a Google account
If someone in your group does not have a Google account, you have two options. The first is to send them the calendar's public link so they can view it in a web browser without logging in. To find this link, go to Settings and sharing, scroll to "Access permissions," and copy the public URL. They can bookmark it or you can email it to them.
The second option is to ask them to create a free Google account using any email address — it takes two minutes and does not require a phone number. Once they have an account, you can add them the same way you would add anyone else. A Google account also lets them subscribe to the calendar so it syncs with their phone or other calendar apps.
Sync the shared calendar to phones and other apps
People invited to your shared calendar will see it appear in Google Calendar on their computer automatically. On a phone, they need to open the Google Calendar app, tap the menu, and make sure the shared calendar's name has a checkmark next to it — if it does not, tap it to turn it on. The calendar will then show up alongside their personal calendar on their phone's home screen.
If someone uses a different calendar app like Apple Calendar, Outlook, or a third-party scheduler, they can usually add the shared calendar by subscribing to its feed. In Google Calendar's Settings and sharing menu, look for "Integrate calendar" and copy the calendar's public address (it ends in @group.calendar.google.com). They can paste this into their app's "subscribe to calendar" or "add calendar" option. Changes made in Google Calendar will sync to their app, though the timing varies by app.
Remove people or change what they can do
If someone should no longer have access, go back to Settings and sharing, find their name under "Share with specific people," and click the trash icon next to it. They will lose access immediately and will no longer see the calendar in their sidebar. If you just want to reduce what they can do — for example, changing them from "Make changes to events" to "See all event details" — click the permission dropdown next to their name and select a lower level.
You can also delete the entire shared calendar if you no longer need it. Click the three dots next to the calendar's name in the left sidebar and select "Delete calendar." This removes it for everyone, so use this option only when the group is done with it. If you just want to stop sharing it with one person, use the remove option instead.
Troubleshoot common sharing problems
If someone says they cannot see the shared calendar, first check that you actually added their email address in Settings and sharing — typos in email addresses are the most common reason. Ask them to refresh their browser or close and reopen the Google Calendar app. If they still cannot see it, they may need to accept an invitation email that went to their spam folder, or they may be logged into Google with a different email address than the one you invited.
If events are not showing up on someone's phone, make sure they turned on the calendar in the Google Calendar app's menu — it needs a checkmark. If they are using a non-Google calendar app and events are not syncing, the app may only check for updates once a day or once an hour. Manually refreshing the app usually forces an update. If the problem persists, they may need to remove and re-add the calendar subscription in their app.
Decide between a shared calendar and a group email
A shared Google Calendar works best when your group needs to see dates, times, and deadlines in one place. Use it for team schedules, project timelines, meeting rooms, or event planning. If your group mostly needs to discuss decisions or share documents, a shared Google Drive folder or a group email thread may work better. You can also use both — a shared calendar for dates and a shared Drive for files.
If your group is very large (more than 50 people), a shared calendar can get cluttered. In that case, consider creating separate calendars for different projects or teams, then sharing each one only with the people who need it. This keeps everyone's view cleaner and makes it easier to find what matters to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who created or edited each event?
Google Calendar does not show a history of who made changes to events. If you need to track who did what, you can ask people to include their name in the event title or description, or use Google Drive's version history feature if you are storing event details in a shared document instead.
What happens if I stop sharing the calendar with someone?
They will no longer see it in their calendar sidebar, and they cannot view or edit any events on it. If they bookmarked the public link, that link will stop working too. Events they created will remain on the calendar, but they cannot access them anymore.
Can I make a shared calendar that only shows busy or free time, not event details?
Google Calendar does not have a built-in "show only availability" mode for shared calendars. If you need to hide event details, you can create events with vague titles like "Busy" or "Meeting" instead of specific information, or use a different tool designed for availability sharing like Calendly.
Is there a limit to how many people I can invite to a shared calendar?
Google Calendar does not publish a hard limit, but sharing with hundreds of people can slow down the calendar's performance. For very large groups, consider creating multiple calendars by team or project and sharing each one only with the people who need it.