How-To

How to Enable the iCal Private Addresses for Google Apps Calendars

By Steve Krause

Updated June 18, 2021

Google apps by default does not allow users to share their calendar externally. Here’s how to change the default settings and enable external sharing.

Today I tried to sync my Google Apps calendar with my Microsoft Outlook calendar. Normally it’s a simple process; however, the Private iCal address was not available in my Google Apps calendar. This is because, by default, Google Apps user calendars are not shared externally. Fortunately, it’s a simple fix if you know where to look. Here are the steps I took to enable it in the Google Apps admin console.

Enable Private iCal Addresses for Google Apps Calendars

Log in to the Google Apps Admin Console.

Click Apps > Google Apps > Calendar

Under Share settings, change the default to one of the following options:

• Share all information, and outsiders can change calendars (my new default)
• Share all information, and allow managing of calendars

Unless you plan to delegate management of the Calendar, there really is no need to select the fourth option. Be sure to click Save Changes once you make the changes.

Once the calendar sharing settings have been completed, the Private Address links for iCAL and XML should appear for your end-users.

iCal is a nice way to import your Google Apps calendar into Microsoft Outlook, Live Mail, or other email apps. It’s only read-only sync; however, it’s still handy.