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How to share Apple Calendar with your family

Apple Calendar on a Mac gives you the clearest view of who can see what. The same iCloud calendar then syncs to every iPhone and iPad in the house.

Step by step

Skip anything that already looks done.

  1. Step 1

    Open Calendar on your Mac

    Make sure the sidebar is showing (View → Show Calendar List).

  2. Step 2

    Hover a calendar under iCloud and click the share icon

    The small radio-wave icon that appears to the right of the calendar name.

  3. Step 3

    Add family members

    Type each person's Apple ID email or contact name and press Return.

  4. Step 4

    Choose View Only or View & Edit

    Click the dropdown next to each name. View Only suits kids and relatives; View & Edit suits the adults running the schedule.

  5. Step 5

    Turn on Family Sharing for an automatic family calendar

    System Settings → Family. Everyone in the Family Sharing group automatically gets a shared 'Family' calendar with no extra setup.

  6. Step 6

    Check it from iCloud.com

    If you're not at your Mac, iCloud.com → Calendar offers the same sharing controls in a browser.

Worth knowing

Small things that save a second attempt.

  • Everyone needs an Apple ID for editing access.
  • Deleting a shared calendar removes it for everyone — unshare instead if you only want to remove one person.
  • Alerts on a shared calendar are personal: each person sets their own.

Common questions

What's the difference between a shared calendar and Family Sharing?
Family Sharing creates one automatic 'Family' calendar for the group. A shared calendar is one you create and choose who to invite — you can have as many as you like.
Can two people edit the same event at once?
Yes, with View & Edit. The most recent change wins, so agree who owns which kind of event.

Keep reading

Other guides in this hub.

A calmer shared family calendar