Your partner can see the dinner invitation, but their phone still says seven. Yours says half past. The same evening has acquired two start times, and neither of you wants to explain this to the restaurant.
To share a calendar between iPhone and Android, both people need access to the same underlying calendar. The phones can display it in different apps. Start with one separate Google calendar for agreed plans, then test an ordinary change. You do not need to publish your personal calendar or share a password.
Separate the account, calendar and app
Think of the account as the place your calendar belongs, the calendar as a particular collection of events, and the app as the window you use to see it. Two similar screens can be showing different collections.
For this method, each person keeps their own Google account. One creates a calendar for plans both want to maintain and invites the other. Existing personal calendars can stay separate. This is one documented approach, not the only cross-platform option or a hands-on comparison.
Create one calendar for your agreed plans
Google says new calendars are created in a browser. On a computer, open Google Calendar, find the plus beside Other calendars and choose Create new calendar. Give it a recognisable name, such as Shared plans, then create it.
The person who creates it owns it. Agree that arrangement before storing important plans: Google says only the owner can permanently delete the calendar or transfer its ownership. Hiding a calendar from your own list is different from withdrawing someone’s access.
Use a personal account unless your work or school allows this sharing. Your organisation may limit access, and work details may not belong in a personal planning system.
Source:Google: creating a separate calendar;Google: calendar access and invitations
Invite your partner with the access you need
Open the new calendar’s settings and sharing controls, add your partner’s email address and select a permission level. Give editing access only if you both want to maintain these events; managing sharing is a broader permission. Current Google options distinguish different kinds of viewing and editing.
Send the invitation. The recipient must use the link in the email to add the calendar. Check the address and spam folder if it is missing. Google also documents sharing from its mobile apps, but the browser gives you a common route while creating a new calendar.
You can remove a person’s access later. Keep public availability turned off for private plans. Calendar sharing should be an arrangement you can discuss and change, rather than a test of how much you trust each other.
Find that calendar on both phones
Using the Google Calendar app on both devices is one straightforward way to keep the display familiar. Sign into your own account and check that the invited calendar is selected for display. A calendar that is hidden from a screen may still exist and remain shared.
An iPhone user can also add their own Google account to Apple Calendar through the phone’s calendar-account settings and enable calendars. Google documents this option; exact settings labels vary by iOS version. You do not have to move every iCloud event to Google or abandon Apple Calendar.
When saving a new shared event, inspect its calendar field. Choose Shared plans, not an unrelated personal or iCloud calendar. A matching colour is less useful than the actual calendar name. Repeat that check when changing devices or adding another account.
Run one harmless change and alert check
Try this original setup check before relying on it for a booking or pickup. Use sample information, with both people choosing to participate.
- Create an event called Calendar check in the shared calendar. Find it on the other phone and compare its date, time and calendar name.
- Have the other person change the time if editing was intended. Confirm the new version on both screens. If editing is unavailable, review the permission rather than creating a second event.
- Set a near-term test alert on each intended device. Confirm what actually arrives, then remove the sample event and check that it disappears from both views.
Troubleshoot the missing layer before duplicating events
If the entry is missing, check the signed-in account, invitation acceptance, selected calendar and whether the event was saved there. Then check connectivity and the app’s current sync and notification settings. Displaying an event and receiving an alert are different checks.
Do not repeatedly copy an appointment into several calendars to make it visible. You may create versions that no longer change together. Return to the original event and clarify where you intend future edits to happen.
Use a message to agree a change
A calendar stores the plan; a conversation establishes it. Try, “Could we move dinner to half past seven? I’ll update Shared plans once we agree.” If someone is already travelling, contact them directly using your agreed method. An unread change is not a confirmed handover.
Avoid using a public iCloud link as a shortcut for private plans. Apple says anyone with that link can view and subscribe to the public calendar. A private invitation and suitable access are a different arrangement.
Once the test works, add one real plan you both want. The restaurant needs one start time. Your phones can keep their different opinions about everything else.
Source:Apple: private collaboration and public calendar links
