For years, Google Calendar has been a useful tool for Gmail users who do not use Microsoft Exchange Services or IBM Lotus services. One of the good thing about Gmail account (not including Google Apps) is that it is free! Yet, Google makes it possible for Gmail users to share their calendar with others. Let’s find out how?

1. Share with other Gmail accounts
2. Share with Outlook users
   • Using an Outlook add-in method
   • Import/Export
3. Share with Android users
4. Share with Outlook.com users

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Share with other Gmail accounts – If your colleague likes to share his calendar with you, then simply tell him to include your Google account in Share with specific people list. Steps are as below: (Let’s assume your colleague’s name is Todd and his Google account is [email protected])

1. Ask Todd to log in his Google Calendar.
2. Click on Options for … (3-dots) of the specified calendar under My calendars.
3. Click on Settings and sharing.
4. Click on Share with specific people under Settings for my calendars.
5. Click on ADD PEOPLE.
6. Enter your gmail account ([email protected]) and click on SEND.
7. Now, log in your Gmail account. You will receive an e-mail from Todd saying [email protected] has shared a calendar with you.
8. Click on View Your Calendar and you will be browsed to your Google Calendar, where Todd’s shared calendar entry will appear under Other calendars.

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Share with Outlook users – There are two methods of doing so. One is using an Outlook add-in to sync a read-only copy of your colleague’s shared calendar. Another one is using import/export of your colleague’s calendar. The disadvantage of import/export is that the calendar cannot be updated once being imported.

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1. Using an Outlook add-in method – This method requires us to first make your colleague’s Google Calendar as one of your Other calendar. Then, create a profile dedicated to this shared calendar. (Let’s assume your colleague’s name is Todd and his Google account is [email protected])
   • First, finish steps in previous sharing method of Share with other Gmail accounts.
   • Download and install EVO Collaborator for Outlook from its official website.
   • Now, open your Outlook and click on Configure Profile(s) under EVO ribbon.
   • Select Profile #6 to the left.
   • Enter Google account in space under Full e-mail address or Username.
   • Click on TEST button to proceed OAuth.
   • A folder icon will appear next to calendar URL.
   • Click on the folder icon and there will be a popup list. Select Todd’s Gmail address and click on Choose button.
   • Click on Apply and Quit to exit Configure Profile(s) window.
   • Click on Gmail calendars in the calendar list to the left and your will see Todd’s shared calendar.
   • For additional sharing calendar, you can repeat steps above to configure additional profiles in vacant profile slot.
2. Import/Export – This is simply exporting an .ICS file from Google Calendar and import it into Outlook. You can specify a new calendar location for it or merge it into your existing agenda. However, newly added calendar entries on Google Calendar require another import in order to appear on Outlook. Steps are as below: (Let’s assume your colleague’s name is Todd and his Google account is [email protected])
   • Ask Todd to log in his Google Calendar.
   • Click on Options for … (3-dots) of the specified calendar under My calendars and click on Settings and sharing.
     
   • Click on Calendar settings under Settings for my calendars.
   • Click on EXPORT CALENDAR to export the .ics file.
   • Copy this zip file to your PC and extract it to a temporary folder.
   • Open Outlook.
   • Click on FILE at top-left and select Open & Export.
   • Select Import/Export.
   • Select Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file (.vcs).
   • Browse to the temporary folder where you saved the .ics file.
   • At the reminder, you can choose to imort it to a new calendar or an existing calendar.
   • Lastly, calendar import is complete.

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Share with Android users – Let’s assume your colleague’s name is Ben and his Google account is [email protected]. Your name is Todd and your Google account is [email protected].

1. First, finish steps in previous sharing method of Share with other Gmail accounts. (Log in [email protected] to share calendar instead throughout steps)
2. Log in your Google account on your Android device in case you have not.
3. Go to Play Store.
4. Search for Google Calendar Sync and install it.
   
5. Open Google Calendar Sync.
   
6. Tap on 3-bar symbol at top-left and you will see your Google account.
7. Scroll all the way down to bottom and tap on Settings.
8. Under [email protected], tap on Show more and you will see an entry of [email protected].
   
9. Tap on benwang072079@gmail and tap on Sync to enable it.
   
10. Tap on left-arrow at top-left to return to calendar.
11. Tap on 3-dots symbol at top-right and you will see your colleague’s shared calendar. The synced entries are test and test2.

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Share with Outlook.com users – This sharing only display calendar entries up to the time of exporting URL is generated. Any new entry after that will not be shown on Outlook.com user’s calendar.

1. Go to Google Calendar.
2. Click on Options for … (3-dots) of the specified calendar under My calendars and click on Settings and sharing.
3. Click on Integrate calendar under Settings for my calendars.
4. There are lines of code listed here. Skip Use this URL to access this calendar from a web browser & Use this code to embed this calendar in a web page. What we need is:
   • Public address in iCal format (Make available to public under Access permission must be enabled to be visible)
   • Secret address in iCal format (With this one, you can see all event details)
5. Copy one of the two lines mentioned in previous step.
6. Log in your Outlook.com account and go to Calendar.
7. Click on Add calendar at top.
8. Select From Internet.
9. Paste what we’ve copied into space under Link to the calendar and give it a name under Calendar name.
10. Click on Save to exit.
11. Momentarily, you will see your colleague’s calendar displayed in a different color.

To conclude this Google Calendar sharing discussion, sharing between Google account with other Gmail account or other Android device logged in Gmail account is the easiest and syncing is going almost in real-time. Method of Import/export calendar under Outlook and sharing with Outlook.com users can only display whatever is in calendar at the time of exporting or creating the share calendar URL. Finally, using an Outlook add-in such as EVO Collaborator for Outlook along with calendar sharing between two Gmail accounts is perhaps the most ideal solution under Outlook because future calendar entries can also be synchronized.