Connecting Gmail calendar to Outlook is a popular request and unfortunately, it's not possible unless you use an add-in. However, if you only need a read-only calendar, you can add a Gmail calendar as an Internet Calendar and view your appointments (but not edit or add new appointments).
You need to use the Private ics link in Gmail and add it as an Internet Calendar in File, Account Settings, Internet Calendar.
Another option, if you use Outlook.com, is to subscribe the calendar in Outlook.com. The shared calendar syncs with the Outlook.com account. It's still going to be read-only, but avoids the occasional send and receive errors a subscribed calendar generates.
The Google Calendar Sync Utility utility will work with Outlook (all versions).
- Go to your Gmail calendar
- Move the mouse over your calendar name then click on the caret to the right of the calendar name to expand the menu. Choose Share this calendar
- Click the Calendar Details tab.
- Click the ICAL icon for the Private Address. If you choose the Public Address, you need to enable public access on the Share this calendar tab.
- Right-click on the URL and choose Copy.
- In Outlook, go to File, Account Settings, Internet Calendar tab.
- Click New.
- Paste the URL in the address field. It's no longer necessary to remove the S from the HTTPS  URL, but if Outlook won't download or gives you an error, remove it.
- Click Add. Enter a friendly name for the calendar and return to Outlook.
The calendar will sync to Outlook but it is read-only. You can't add appointments in Outlook and have them sync up to the server. Updates made to the calendar online should sync down to Outlook hourly.
Subscribe to a Google Calendar Video Tutorial
This video shows the steps to get the iCalendar ICS URL from Google Calendar as well as add it to Outlook.
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Additional articles on using Gmail with Outlook
Diane,
this worked for me for years. in the last week, it stopped working and I couldn't see any appts. so I deleted the calendar and tried re-subscribing again. It won't allow me and I get the error "Couldn't Import Calendar. Try again later." any thoughts on potential workarounds or something else I could try?
Just FYI it is now referred to as the "Secret Address" under individual calendar settings/ Integrate calendar
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Hi Diane
I recently came across your solution for syncing gmail with outlook. For me, it worked a treat. I'm wondering if there is any update on a two way sync, to allow events to be added to the gmail calendar from outlook? Paid or otherwise?
At this time, the only option is using a 3rd party utility to do the 2-way sync - companionlink or gsyncit work well.
If I do this, can others see this calendar in Outlook? Will it be public in that it shows I'm busy but not what the actual event is?
I use Google calendar but my company uses Outlook. I am trying to embed my Google calendar into the Outlook calendar without others being able to see the actual events on my Google calendar.
subscribed calendars are private to you - only people looking at your desktop would have the opportunity to see it. You couldn't share the calendar from outlook even if you wanted to - you'd need to give out the url.
I've been dealing with this for years, where Outlook stops getting updates from my Google calendar. In the past it seems like it would stop updating about every 3 months, so I would delete the calendar in Outlook and re-add it. it would then immediately go get the "new" information in my Google calendar.
But, lately it's stopped updating about every other week...which is extremely painful.
I follow the steps above, no differently than I have for quite some time. Any ideas on what the problem might be?
No idea, but it's always been a bit buggy. However... they are working on a solution that Syncs Gmail calendar and contacts to Outlook via the "Microsoft Cloud". It's in limited testing right now (a small # of Windows Insiders had the option enabled in an update to Windows 10) - not sure when it will be available to the general public. I wasn't offered this with my account so i have no idea how well it works yet.
Any updates out Outlook integration with calendar/contacts for mac? It works beautifully on iOS, so I know many people would enjoy this feature.
At this time, no, it's not supported in the desktop version, but they are working on a solution for Outlook desktop which should work in both windows and mac versions. I don't have an ETA though.
Microsoft announced today this feature for Outlook 2016 for Mac (it's limited to a small number of Office Insiders). Hopefully the Windows version is not too far behind.
Thank you very much for this information. I have successfully subscribed to my Google calendar in Outlook 2016 but any changes that I make in the Google calendar (new and deleted events) are not showing in Outlook. Any ideas?
Do the changes ever sync? When it's added as a subscribed calendar, you should get updates about once an hour.
Hi Diane, I don't know if Sarah's problem has been resolved, but I completed the steps above and am now having the same problem--entries that I edit or delete in my Google calendar (using my iPhone--not sure if that matters) are not syncing to my desktop Outlook. Any suggestions?
Does it sync if you select the calendar and click the Update folder button? Subscribing to google calendars has been buggy and it would probably be better if you used a utility to do a 2 way sync.