The quickest way to change your default calendar

Open Settings, tap Apps, then scroll down and tap Default Apps. Find Calendar in the list and tap it. You'll see the calendar apps installed on your phone — tap whichever one you want to use by default. That's it. From now on, when you tap a calendar link in Safari, Mail, Messages, or anywhere else on your phone, it will open in the app you chose.

This setting only affects what happens when you tap a calendar link. It doesn't change which app stores your calendar data or which one syncs with your computer. Those are separate settings that live inside each calendar app itself.

Key Takeaways

  • Your default calendar app is set in Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Calendar, and you can change it anytime.
  • The default only controls which app opens when you tap a calendar link — it doesn't move your existing calendar data.
  • Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, and most other calendar apps can be set as default on iPhone.
  • If you use multiple calendar apps, you may want to check which one is set as default before sharing calendar links with others.

Why you might want to change your default calendar

Most people use the built-in Apple Calendar and never think about this setting. But if you prefer Google Calendar, Outlook, or another app, you probably want links to open there instead of in Apple Calendar. The same goes if you switched to a different app but your phone still opens calendar links in the old one.

Changing the default is also useful if you share calendar links with coworkers or family. If they use a different calendar app than you do, setting your default to match theirs can make it easier for them to open what you send.

What calendar apps can be set as default

Any calendar app you've installed from the App Store can be set as your default. This includes Apple Calendar (which comes built in), Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Fantastical, Spike, and dozens of others. The app just needs to be installed on your phone — you don't need to use it as your main calendar.

If you only see Apple Calendar in the list when you go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Calendar, it means you haven't installed any other calendar apps yet. Download one from the App Store first, then come back to this setting to choose it.

How to check which calendar app is currently your default

Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps and look for Calendar. The app name shown next to it is your current default. If you're not sure which app that is, you can tap it to see the full name and icon.

You can also test it by opening Safari and searching for a calendar link (like a .ics file or a Google Calendar share link), then tapping it. Whichever app opens is your default.

What happens to your calendar data when you change the default

Changing your default calendar app does not move, delete, or change any of your calendar data. Your events stay exactly where they are. If your events are in Apple Calendar, they stay in Apple Calendar. If they're in Google Calendar, they stay there. The default setting only controls which app opens when you tap a link — nothing else.

If you want to actually switch to using a different calendar app as your main one, that's a separate process. You would need to set up that app to sync with your calendar account (like your Google account or iCloud account), then decide whether to keep using the old app or delete it. But you don't have to do any of that just to change the default.

Syncing the same calendar across multiple apps

If you want the same calendar to show up in multiple apps — for example, Google Calendar in both the Google Calendar app and Apple Calendar — you can add your Google account to both apps. Go into each app's settings and sign in with the same Google account. Both apps will then show your Google Calendar events.

This is different from changing the default. You're not choosing which app to use; you're making the same calendar visible in more than one place. This can be useful if you like some features of one app but want to see your events in another app too. Just remember that whichever app you set as default is the one that will open when you tap a calendar link.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing my default calendar move my events to a different app?

No. Your events stay in whatever app or account they're currently in. Changing the default only changes which app opens when you tap a calendar link. If you want to move events to a different app, you need to export them from one app and import them into another.

Can I set different default apps for different types of calendar links?

No. You can only set one default calendar app for your entire phone. All calendar links will open in that app. If you need different apps to handle different types of links, you would have to manually choose which app to open each time.

What if I delete the app I set as my default?

If you delete your default calendar app, iPhone will automatically switch the default back to Apple Calendar. Your calendar data won't be affected — it will still be in whatever account it was synced to (like Google or iCloud).

Does my default calendar setting sync across my iPhone, iPad, and Mac?

No. Each device has its own default calendar setting. You can set a different default on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac independently. They don't share this preference.