How to sync your Outlook calendar with an iPhone

Here's how to sync an Outlook calendar with your iPhone, so you can get your appointments on the same page.

How to sync your Outlook calendar with an iPhone

It’s not uncommon for a lot of different businesses to use Outlook as a way to organize meetings or certain day-to-day tasks. You might even let Outlook handle your personal life as well. 

Since Outlook is a Microsoft program on your computer, one issue is that it’s not always easy to take it on the go. Luckily, for easier access, there is a way to sync your Outlook calendar onto an iPhone.

Step 1: Download Microsoft Outlook for iPhone

Make sure you already have Outlook via your Microsoft subscription and know which Microsoft account it is connected to. Then use your iPhone to download Outlook for iOS. This is a free download that will allow you to use Outlook features right on your iPhone. It makes syncing your Outlook calendar on your iPhone very easy, but the download is essential, so start here!

iPad note: If you have an iPad, note that updates for Outlook on iOS have provided compatibility with iPad Split View. This is particularly useful for the Outlook calendar, because you can view an email and open up your calendar to make adjustments on the same screen, a feature we highly recommend.

Step 2: Log in and enable auto-sync

When the Outlook app is downloaded on your iPhone, go to iPhone Settings, then choose Passwords & Accounts. Select Add Account, and you will see compatible accounts for your iPhone. Look for the option and logo for Outlook.com (usually this is one of the first options).

Now input your Microsoft Account information to connect Outlook on iOS. You should be asked if you want to sync your calendars, in which case you should say yes. If not, you can go into the Outlook app in Settings at any time and make sure that calendar syncing is enabled.

If you’re logged in with the same Outlook account, any changes you make to your calendars will be synced to all your devices. That means if you add a new event or appointment on your PC, for example, a few seconds later it’ll appear on your iPhone. There’s no need to re-sync every time you create a new Outlook calendar event or change an appointment time.

Step 3: Import iCloud Calendar information if necessary

It used to be difficult to sync iCloud information to apps like Outlook, but Apple has since improved iCloud and made this a bit easier. If you have calendar information stored in iCloud from previous calendar use that you want to be imported to Outlook Calendar, it’s now a relatively simple process.

Log in to your iCloud. You can use iCloud for Windows to do this right from a Windows computer, which is less complicated than trying to do it from an iPhone. Then login into your account and make sure to check only the box with Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks. Select Apply to move on.

You can decide between syncing all the information from your calendar, contact, and tasks apps, or picking and choosing specific information to share. You can choose only to sync your calendar if you want to keep your work and play devices separate but still want the ability to access your full schedule in both. Outlook Calendar will then port the information and sync it to Outlook on iOS. You no longer have to juggle reminders and events from two calendars at once.

Step 4: Choose whether to sync all calendars on MacOS

How to sync your Outlook calendar with an iPhone

When using your iPhone, you can’t select which calendars you want to sync from Outlook on a Mac. That’s because Outlook keeps your information on the cloud, which prevents you from being selective. You can only control the calendar that’s stored locally on your laptop.

It’s also possible to hide specific calendars, though, which you can do by launching Outlook on your iPhone. Once in the app, tap the calendar icon, then your account icon. Then uncheck calendars you don’t want to view.

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