Every Google Calendar has a secret iCal feed. Any calendar app that speaks iCal can subscribe to it. You get read-only events, no Google account on your device, and no access for the calendar app to anything else in Google.
I use Apple Calendar and keep Google services in Safari. I don’t add my Google account to macOS or iOS. This setup gives me the meetings without the rest. The same idea works in Outlook, Thunderbird, Fantastical, and most other calendar apps.
Get the secret iCal link
- Open Google Calendar in the browser.
- Click the gear, then Settings.
- Under “Settings for my calendars”, pick the calendar.
- Open “Integrate calendar”.
- Copy the “Secret address in iCal format”.
Treat this link like a password. Don’t paste it into random tools, don’t commit it to Git. If it leaks, reset it from the same screen.
If you don’t see the secret address and you’re on Google Workspace, the admin has probably blocked external sharing. They need to allow at least “Share all information, but outsiders cannot change calendars” in Admin Console > Apps > Google Workspace > Calendar > Sharing settings.
Add it to Apple Calendar on macOS
In Calendar.app, go to File > New Calendar Subscription. Paste the URL, click Subscribe, then name the calendar and pick a color.
Set Location to iCloud if you want this calendar on your iPhone and iPad too. Pick “On My Mac” to keep it on this Mac only.
To remove it later, control-click the calendar in the sidebar and choose Unsubscribe.
Add it on iPhone or iPad
Open Calendar, tap Calendars, then Add Calendar > Add Subscription Calendar. Paste the URL. Pick iCloud as the account so it syncs across your Apple devices.
To remove it, tap the info button next to the calendar and choose Unsubscribe or Delete Calendar.
Other calendar apps
Outlook, Thunderbird, Fantastical, BusyCal, and most Linux and web calendars all support iCal subscriptions. The menus differ, but the steps are the same: add a new subscription, paste the URL, and set how often it should refresh.
What you give up
It’s read-only. To accept invitations or edit events, do it in Google Calendar. Subscriptions also update on a schedule, so new events can take a few minutes to show up.
For me that’s a fair trade.