How to Subscribe to a Calendar by URL in Any App

Subscribing to a calendar by URL lets you add a live, read-only feed — holidays, sports, a coworker's public calendar — that updates on its own. This guide explains the generic steps to subscribe to a calendar by URL in any app, then points you to exact instructions for Google, Outlook, and Apple Calendar.

What you need

The feed's URL, usually ending in .ics or starting with webcal://.
An app that supports subscriptions (almost all do).

If you're not sure what kind of link you have, see what is an .ics file and iCal vs .ics vs CalDAV.

The general idea (works in most apps)

Every app follows the same pattern, even if the menus differ:

Find the option named Subscribe, Add calendar from URL, New Calendar Subscription, or Add Subscribed Calendar.
Paste the feed URL.
Confirm and optionally set a name, color, and refresh interval.

That's it. The app downloads the feed and keeps a read-only copy, refreshing it periodically.

Subscribing is read-only

This is the most important thing to understand:

	Subscribe (by URL)	Import (a file)
Stays linked to source	Yes	No
Auto-updates	Yes (on a schedule)	Never
Editable	No	Yes (becomes your events)

A subscription is a mirror of someone else's calendar. You can't edit its events, and it won't push your changes anywhere. If you want a one-time copy you can edit, import instead — but for ongoing feeds, always subscribe. More in add a holiday or sports schedule.

Per-app instructions

Google Calendar (web)

Open Google Calendar in a browser (subscribing by URL isn't available in the mobile app).
In the left sidebar, click the + next to Other calendars.
Choose From URL.
Paste the feed URL and click Add calendar.

The feed appears under Other calendars and syncs to your phone automatically. Note Google can take a while to refresh — see why subscribed calendars don't update instantly.

Outlook (web / Microsoft 365)

Open Outlook on the web and go to Calendar.
Click Add calendar → Subscribe from web.
Paste the URL, give it a name, and click Import (this creates a subscription, not a one-time import).

Apple Calendar (Mac and iPhone)

Mac: File → New Calendar Subscription, paste the URL, click Subscribe.
iPhone/iPad: Settings → Calendar → Accounts → Add Account → Other → Add Subscribed Calendar, paste the URL.

Full walkthrough: subscribe on iPhone and Mac.

webcal:// vs https://

If an app rejects your link, try switching the prefix:

Use webcal:// when the app expects a subscribe link.
Use https:// when the app expects a normal web address.

They typically point to the same feed, so swapping is a safe troubleshooting step.

Tips for a smooth subscription

Name it clearly so it's easy to toggle on and off later.
Give it a distinct color to separate it from your own events.
Set the refresh interval as low as your app allows if you need fresh data — though some providers cap how often they actually update.
Trust the source. A subscribed feed can add events to your view; only subscribe to publishers you trust.

Removing a subscription

Look for an Unsubscribe, Delete, or Remove calendar option wherever you added it. Removing the subscription deletes the read-only copy from your app; the original feed is unaffected.

If you use Google and Outlook, nocal unifies those calendars into one timeline — see how.