It can be hard to keep up with everything you need to do these days. So, having an easily accessible calendar is the key to success. If you selected Google Calendar, then you are using one of the most popular digital calendars.
You probably have the Google Calendar app on your mobile device, but what about your desktop? You should be able to easily open Google Calendar while working on your computer.
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Here are five handy ways to help you access your Google Calendar on your desktop faster.
Get Google Calendar on Windows
If you’re a Windows user, here are two very easy ways to put Google Calendar on your desktop.
Use the Calendar app
Your Windows computer has a default calendar that allows you to connect a Google account in addition to other types of calendars. If this is your first time using the Windows Calendar app, follow the setup instructions.
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If you’re already using Calendar on Windows, follow these steps to connect Google Calendar
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- Open the Calendar app and click the Settings button (gear icon) in the lower left corner.
- Select “Account Management” in the right sidebar that appears.
- Select Add Account and then select Google.
- Sign in to your Google account.
- After successfully connecting to your Google account, you will see a confirmation message. Click “Finish” on this window.
Then you can close the side settings panel and return to Calendar.
Click the Expand button in the upper-left corner of the app to open the sidebar. You will see the Google account you just added, so be sure to check the box next to it.
Use Microsoft Outlook
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You might prefer to use Calendar in Outlook on your Windows computer. If so, you can add your Google Calendar to it.
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To get started, you’ll need to grab a link to your iCal calendar from the Google Calendar website. So, go to Google Calendar on the web, sign in and follow these steps.
- In the left sidebar, click the Options button (three dots) next to the calendar and select Settings & Sharing.
- On the next screen, scroll down to the Integrate Calendar section.
- Copy the link in the “Secret address in iCal format” field.
- Open Outlook on your computer and select Calendar from the button at the bottom of the left sidebar.
- Click the Home tab and then Add on the ribbon.
- Select From Internet.
- When a small window opens, paste the iCal link and click OK.
- Confirm that you want to connect the calendar by clicking “Yes”.
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Now when you expand the left sidebar in the Outlook calendar section, you should see your Google Calendar account. Check the box next to it to view your Google Calendar along with other calendars.
Learn more about syncing Google Calendar with Outlook
Get Google Calendar on your Mac
If you are a Mac user, you can easily put Google Calendar on your desktop.
Use the Calendar app
Apple’s Calendar app is the easiest and most convenient way to access your Google Calendar If this is your first time using Calendar on Mac, follow the instructions to start over.
If you are already using Calendar, follow these steps to set up Google Calendar in it.
- Open the Calendar application and select Calendar> Accounts from the menu bar.
- Select the type of account that will be Google for your Google Calendar
- When you see a pop-up message with instructions to complete the process online, click Open Browser.
- Sign in to your Google account.
- After successfully connecting to your Google account, you will be prompted to select the applications you want to use for this. Select the Calendar checkbox and, optionally, others.
- Click Finish.
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Then you can close the Internet Accounts window and return to Calendar.
Click the Calendars button at the top of the app and you will see the newly added Google account in the sidebar. Just remember to check the box next to it and you’re done!
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Get Google Calendar on either platform
As you can see, connecting Google Calendar to the default calendar on your computer is the easiest way to install Google Calendar on your desktop. But there are several other options you can consider.
Use a browser extension
While this method does not technically allow Google Calendar to be placed on the desktop as such, you can still access it without going to the website itself.
Checker Plus for Google Calendar is an awesome free browser extension that works with both Firefox and Chrome
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After installing the Google Calendar add-on, you can simply click the handy button on the browser toolbar. You can search your active calendars, quickly add an event, and change the view from your agenda or list by day, week, or month.
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Google Calendar for Chrome is another handy extension. This tool obviously only works with Chrome, but after installing it, you can see what you have on your agenda for the day with a button on the toolbar. And you can add events using the plus button at the top.
Use a shortcut on your desktop
Another way to install Google Calendar on your desktop is to use a simple shortcut. This method also works on both Windows and Mac.
- Open Google Calendar in Chrome and sign in.
- Click the Customize & Control button in the upper right corner of the Chrome window.
- Select More Tools> Create Shortcut.
- Name the shortcut and click New.
- Then navigate to where the shortcut is and drag it to your desktop.
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To use the shortcut, double-click and you’ll be taken directly to Google Calendar in your default browser.
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Get your Google Calendar
Google Calendar may not currently have a desktop app that you can download and use. But with these options, you don’t need it!
What method of placing Google Calendar on your desktop do you plan to use? Let us know!
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