How to Sync Outlook with Google Calendar - Updated for 2024

Let's explain how to sync Outlook with Google Calendar using different methods, providing step-by-step instructions, pros and cons, and our recommendations. Let’s get started!

Prefer video? Here is our step-by-step tutorial below that explains syncing Outlook with Google Calendar.

If you want to sync Google Calendar with Outlook, please read this detailed guide we wrote: How to sync Google Calendar with Outlook.

Why Should You Sync Outlook with Google Calendar?

Syncing Outlook with Google Calendar is important because it ensures that your availability is reflected from Outlook to Google Calendar.

The classic example would be you managing an Outlook Calendar and a Google Calendar.

Let’s assume you are Ben, a consultant for Acme Inc. and Globex. Acme Inc. uses an Outlook (ben@acmeinc.com), and Globex uses a Google Calendar (ben@globex.com).

Team members from Globex (Google Calendar) cannot see your busy slots from Acme Inc. (Outlook Calendar), so they can only schedule meetings with you when you’re booked on Acme Inc.

Example: Lisa, a Globex coworker, wants to book a 1/1 meeting through Google Calendar (ben@globex.com). To do so, she uses the Google Calendar ‘Find a Time’ feature and sees that you’re free at 1 PM on Tuesday, thus scheduling the meeting.

Lisa doesn’t know you’re booked for Friday at 1 PM on Acme Inc.’s Outlook Calendar (ben@acmeinc.com). This leads to a double booking, and you have to message Lisa to find another time to meet due to a conflict. That, or you’ll have to cancel/reschedule the Acme Inc. meeting.

This could have easily been avoided if your Outlook and Google Calendar were synced.

How to Sync Outlook with Google Calendar using the Google Calendar Sharing Feature

Using Google Calendar, you can import another Calendar with the calendar URL. This has made many users believe that you can sync Outlook with Google Calendar by importing the Outlook Calendar into Google Calendar.

Unfortunately, this is not true. This is not a real calendar sync; all it does is import the Outlook Calendar into the Google Account as a separate calendar.

You will be able to see both calendars in Google Calendar, but ultimately, the calendars are separate; if you import an Outlook Calendar into Google Calendar, the co-workers in Google Calendar still can’t see you’re busy with the imported Outlook Calendar.

Benefits of ‘Syncing’ Outlook with Google Calendar by Calendar Sharing

Even though importing Outlook into Google Calendar doesn’t sync Outlook with Google Calendar, it’s useful if you want to see your Outlook Calendar in Google Calendar. Note that the Outlook Calendar events are not updated in real-time in Google Calendar (more on that below).

Problems of ‘Syncing’ Outlook with Google Calendar by Calendar Sharing

1. It doesn’t sync Outlook with Google Calendar: As explained above, this is a myth, as calendar sharing doesn’t directly sync Outlook with Google Calendar, nor does it block time in Google Calendar for Outlook events.
   If your team uses Google Calendar's “Find a Time” feature to schedule meetings, they won’t be able to see events outside of your Primary calendar. This often leads to meeting conflicts across calendars.
2. New changes take 24+ hours: New changes from Outlook might take 24 hours or longer to update in Google Calendar. Often, new events are not synchronized, making you miss important meetings.
3. Unreliable: It's not very reliable, as aside from the calendars not syncing in real-time, the sync often does not work.
4. Little to no privacy controls: You will have very little control over the privacy of imported calendars. Workspace administrators may be able to see events and details for those events from imported calendars. This

How to Automatically Sync Outlook with Google Calendar?

To truly sync Outlook with Google Calendar, ensuring that team members from Google Calendar know your availability from Outlook, you have to use a Calendar Sync Tool like OneCal.

OneCal syncs Outlook with Google Calendar, blocking time in Google Calendar for Outlook events in real-time.

To sync Outlook with Google Calendar, please follow these steps:

1. Sign Up for OneCal (Free, No Credit Card Required)

OneCal supports Outlook and Google Calendars, and you can start for free to test the app out and see if the calendar synchronization works as you’d expect.

2. Add Your Outlook and Google Calendars

OneCal uses official Google Calendar and Outlook authentication to connect with your Calendars. We don’t store any information regarding your calendars; you can revoke access anytime.

3. Start the Synchronization

OneCal has a very simple onboarding, where you only have to connect your calendars to get started. After connecting your calendars, the app takes you to the dashboard, where you can start syncing your Outlook with Google by clicking the “Start New Sync” button.

4. Choose the Calendar Sync Direction

OneCal is configurable, allowing you to sync a calendar to another or multiple calendars at the same time. This is why we offer one-way or multi-way syncs, so you can

For this example, we’ll sync Outlook with Google Calendar; thus, we’ll select the one-way sync, allowing us to sync one calendar to another.

5. Choose the Source and Target Calendar

We’ll choose the Outlook Calendar as a source calendar and target Google Calendar. Source indicates the calendar the events are cloned from, and target the calendar the events are cloned to.

This setup will allow us to sync Outlook with Google Calendar.

6. Select How Calendar Events are Synced

When it comes to syncing calendars, it is very important to have control over how events are cloned, as they might contain sensitive information. OneCal allows you to select what’s synced from Outlook to Google Calendar without the need to make the calendar public.

You can hide event titles and descriptions, color code synced events, and more.

Your Outlook Calendar is Synced with Google Calendar 🥳

OneCal synced your Outlook with Google Calendar. If you compare both calendars, you’ll see that the Outlook events are reflected in your Google Calendar directly.

Now, if someone from Google Calendar tries to book a meeting with you, they’ll be able to see the busy time in Outlook (without seeing the event details).

Furthermore, if you create an event in Outlook, it’s automatically reflected in your Google Calendar.

OneCal also has a Calendar View feature, allowing you to view Outlook and Google Calendar in real-time.

Benefits of using OneCal to sync Outlook with Google Calendar

1. Real-time Outlook and Google Calendar Sync: OneCal automatically syncs Outlook with Google Calendar without sharing or in other ways. Furthermore, events are directly synced from Outlook to Google Calendar.
2. You have full control over your privacy: You will have full control over the privacy of the synced calendars. Workspace administrators won't be able to see events and details for those cloned by OneCal.

Automatically Sync Multiple Outlook Calendars With Google Calendars Using OneCal

OneCal is the best calendar sync software in the market, offering real-time calendar sync with the ability to configure the sync direction and the privacy of the synced events.

You can Sign Up for OneCal for free to automatically sync Outlook with Google Calendar, leverage the Calendar View feature, share scheduling links, and much more.