The fastest way: drag and drop from your computer
If you have a calendar file saved on your computer (it will end in .ics), the quickest way to add it to Google Calendar is to drag it directly into the calendar. Open Google Calendar in your browser, then open your file manager or Finder window alongside it. Drag the .ics file from your computer into the Google Calendar window. Google will recognize the file and show you a preview of the events it contains.
You'll see a dialog asking which calendar you want to import the events into. If you want them in your main calendar, leave the default selected. If you want to keep them separate—say, you're importing a work calendar or a shared family calendar—you can create a new calendar first and import into that instead. Click the Import button, and the events will appear in your calendar within seconds.
This method works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The only limitation is that you need the file already downloaded to your computer. If someone sent you a link to a calendar file instead of the file itself, you'll need to read it first before you can drag it in.
Key Takeaways
- Drag and drop is the fastest method: open Google Calendar and your file manager side by side, then drag the .ics file into the calendar window.
- You can import into your main calendar or create a new calendar first to keep imported events separate from your existing schedule.
- If someone sends you a calendar link instead of a file, you can paste the link directly into Google Calendar's subscription feature to stay synced with updates.
- Imported events appear when ready, but if you're importing a large file with hundreds of events, it may take a minute or two to process.
Using the import button if drag and drop doesn't work
If dragging the file doesn't work on your device, Google Calendar has a dedicated import button. On the left side of Google Calendar, look for the plus sign (+) next to "Other calendars." Click it and select "Import and subscribe." A file picker will open. Navigate to your .ics file, select it, and click Open.
Google will show you a preview of what's in the file—the event titles, dates, and times. Choose which calendar to import into from the dropdown menu. Then click Import. This method is identical to drag and drop in terms of what happens to your events; it's just a different way to select the file.
Subscribing to a calendar link instead of importing a file
If someone gave you a link to a calendar file (a URL that ends in .ics) rather than a file to read, you don't need to import it at all. Instead, you can subscribe to it, which means Google Calendar will check for updates automatically and add any new events to your calendar.
Click the plus sign (+) next to "Other calendars" on the left, then select "Subscribe to calendar." Paste the URL into the box and click Subscribe. Google will add the calendar to your list. Any time the person who created that calendar adds new events, they'll show up in your Google Calendar automatically.
Subscriptions are useful for shared calendars—like a team schedule, a holiday calendar, or a sports team's game schedule. The downside is that you can't edit the events in your own calendar; they're read-only. If you need to make changes, you'll need to ask the person who owns the calendar to update it.
Creating a separate calendar before importing
If you're importing a calendar from a different part of your life—a work calendar, a volunteer schedule, a partner's calendar—you might want to keep it visually separate from your personal events. You can create a new calendar in Google Calendar and import the .ics file into that calendar instead of your main one.
On the left side, click the plus sign (+) next to "Other calendars" and select "Create new calendar." Give it a name (like "Work" or "Sarah's Schedule") and a description if you want. Choose a color to make it straightforward to spot. Click Create. Now when you import your .ics file, select this new calendar from the dropdown instead of your main calendar.
You can show or hide each calendar by clicking the checkbox next to its name. This is helpful if you want to focus on just your personal schedule some days, or see everything at once on other days.
What happens to the original file after you import
Once you import an .ics file into Google Calendar, the file on your computer stays exactly where it is. Importing makes a copy of the events and puts them in Google Calendar. If you delete the original file, your Google Calendar events won't disappear.
The reverse is also true: if you edit or delete an event in Google Calendar after importing, the original .ics file on your computer won't change. They're separate after the import is complete. The only exception is if you subscribed to a calendar link instead of importing a file—in that case, the calendar stays connected and updates automatically.
Troubleshooting: when the import doesn't work
If you try to drag and drop and nothing happens, make sure you're using Google Calendar in a web browser (like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari), not the mobile app. Drag and drop doesn't work on phones or tablets. If you're on a phone, use the import button method instead: tap the plus sign, select "Import and subscribe," and choose the file from your phone's storage.
If the file won't import at all, the .ics file itself might be corrupted or in a format Google Calendar doesn't recognize. Try opening the file in a text editor to see if it starts with "BEGIN:VCALENDAR." If it does, the file is valid. If it doesn't, or if it looks like gibberish, the file may have been damaged when it was downloaded or sent to you. Ask the person who created the calendar to send it again.
If you're trying to import a very large file (hundreds or thousands of events), Google Calendar might time out. In that case, try breaking the file into smaller pieces if you can, or contact the person who created the calendar and ask if they can send it in multiple files.
Moving imported events to a different calendar
If you imported events into the wrong calendar by mistake, you can move them. Open an event, click the pencil icon to edit it, and look for the calendar dropdown near the top. Select the calendar you want to move it to and click Save. For a large batch of events, this is tedious, so it's worth taking a moment to choose the right calendar before you import.
If you imported hundreds of events into the wrong place, your best option is to delete them all and import again into the correct calendar. Click the calendar name on the left, then click the three dots next to it and select "Delete calendar." This removes all events in that calendar. Then import the .ics file again, making sure to select the right calendar this time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import the same .ics file twice into different calendars?
Yes. You can import the same file as many times as you want into different calendars. Each import creates a separate copy of the events, so you'll end up with duplicate events if you import into the same calendar twice. If that happens by accident, delete one set of duplicates by deleting the calendar and importing again.
What if the .ics file has events from years ago?
Google Calendar will import them regardless of the date. Past events will appear in your calendar history. You can delete them individually if you don't want them cluttering your view, or you can create a separate calendar for archived events and move them there.
Do imported events sync back to the original calendar if I edit them?
No. Once you import an .ics file, the events in Google Calendar are independent. If you edit an event in Google Calendar, the original file doesn't change. If you subscribed to a calendar link instead, updates flow one direction only—from the source calendar to yours.
Can I export my Google Calendar as an .ics file and send it to someone else?
Yes. Right-click a calendar name on the left side and select "Settings and sharing." Scroll down to "Integrate calendar" and copy the public address in iCal format. You can share that link with others, or read the calendar as an .ics file to send as an attachment. The person receiving it can then import it or subscribe to it in their own calendar app.
Will imported events show up on my phone's Google Calendar app?
Yes. Any events you import into Google Calendar will sync to the Google Calendar app on your phone automatically, as long as you're signed into the same Google account. The sync usually happens within a few minutes.