How to Use Google Calendar to Track Appointments and Events

Keeping track of doctor appointments, family birthdays, grandchildren's school events, and daily reminders can feel overwhelming. Google Calendar is a free tool from Google that puts everything in one place. You can use it on your phone, tablet, or computer — and it automatically syncs so your schedule is always up to date everywhere.

What you need

You need a Google account (Gmail address) to use Google Calendar. If you already use Gmail, you already have one. If you do not have a Gmail address, you can create one for free at gmail.com. Google Calendar works in any web browser at calendar.google.com and as a free app on iPhone and Android phones.

The two main views

Google Calendar has several ways to look at your schedule. "Day" view shows one day at a time. "Week" view shows seven days at once — good for seeing the whole week ahead. "Month" view shows the full month with event dots on each day. You can switch between views by tapping "Day," "Week," or "Month" at the top of the screen.

Using colors to stay organized

You can assign different colors to different types of events — for example, blue for medical appointments, green for family events, and red for urgent reminders. This makes it easy to see what kind of day is coming up at a glance. When you create or edit an event, tap the color circle to pick a color.

Google Calendar is private by default

Only you can see your calendar unless you choose to share it. Sharing is optional and is covered in the steps below. Your events are not visible to anyone else.

Syncing with your phone

If you add an event on your computer, it automatically appears on your phone within seconds — and vice versa. This means you only have to enter an appointment once. Google Calendar also works well with Apple's built-in Calendar app on iPhone. So you can see Google Calendar events alongside iCloud events if you prefer.