How to bring Google, Outlook and school calendars into one family calendar
Work in Outlook, school on its own website, soccer in a team app, and the dentist on the fridge: most families' weeks are spread across five calendars. Here's how to bring them into one family calendar, each person in their own colour, on every phone and the kitchen screen.
Step 1: add the family
On the Family page, add everyone with a colour, and a photo if you like. The calendar shows each person's events in their colour, and a row of faces at the top shows what each person has on today. See adding the family.
Step 2: follow the calendars you already have
Rather than copying events across, follow the calendars where they already live. Fridge Door checks them every 15 minutes, so new events turn up on their own.
- Work: follow your Google or Outlook work calendar and tick Show as busy only, so the family sees when you're busy without seeing meeting titles.
- School: most schools and districts publish their calendar with a "Subscribe" or iCal link.
- Sports and clubs: team apps and league sites usually offer an iCal or "add to calendar" link.
- Holidays: Google's public holiday calendars work too.
Choose whose each calendar is, and its events take that person's colour. Following a calendar has the steps, and where to find each link.
Step 3: add the rest
Add the family's own events on the Calendar page: lessons, appointments, birthdays. Make them repeat and tap whose they are. For a printed schedule or a party invitation, take a photo and pick the events to add.
Step 4: see it everywhere
- Every phone: the whole family sees the same calendar in Fridge Door, with changes in a second or two.
- The kitchen screen: the week on the counter, with dinner and today's plans side by side. See pairing a kitchen screen.
- Your phone's calendar app: subscribe to the family calendar link, which also carries the meal plan.
Tap a face at the top of the calendar to see just that person's week, or switch between Month, Week and Agenda.
Questions
Does it change my Google or Outlook calendar?
No. Followed calendars are read-only in Fridge Door: it shows their events but never changes them. Events you add in Fridge Door go into the family's own calendar.
How quickly do new events show up?
Fridge Door checks followed calendars every 15 minutes, and Check now fetches straight away. Google and Outlook also take a while to update the link on their side, sometimes longer for Outlook.
Can my partner's work calendar stay private?
Yes. Tick Show as busy only when you follow it, and the family sees busy times without titles, places or notes.
More on calendar, all help and guides, or get in touch.
Google Calendar, Outlook and iCloud are trademarks of their owners. Fridge Door isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them; their names are used only to explain how they work with Fridge Door.