How to Set Up a Family Google Calendar (So Everyone’s Finally on the Same Page)

The short answer: The easiest way to set up a family Google Calendar is to create a Google family group. Google automatically adds a shared calendar called “Family” that everyone in the group can see and edit, on iPhone, Android, or a computer. If you want more control, give each person their own calendar and share it with the rest of the family, so you see everyone’s schedule color-coded in one view.

I use Google Calendar. Let me clarify. I use Google Calendar A LOT. When a family shares calendars, and not just the ones with appointments on them, everyone ends up on the same page.

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Option 1: The Built-In “Family” Calendar (Fastest)

When you create a Google family group, Google adds a calendar called “Family” for everyone in it. Anyone in the group can add events, edit them, and see them on any device where they’re signed in. To add something, create an event like normal and pick “Family” from the calendar dropdown.

To make a family group, go to g.co/yourfamily, choose Create a family group, then Get started, and invite the people you want. A family group holds up to six people, including you. If you’ve already set up a child account or shared a Google subscription, you may already have one, and that same link will show you.

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Option 2: One Calendar per Person (How I Do It)

In my house, every person has their own calendar. My spouse and I each use the calendar on our own Google account, and we share them with each other. For each kid, I create an extra calendar inside my own account, named after them. When I make a doctor’s appointment for one of the kids, it goes on their calendar, and when I open mine, I see the whole family color-coded.

Create a calendar for your child

These steps are easiest on a computer:

1. Go to calendar.google.com and sign in to your account.
2. Next to Other calendars, click the +, then Create new calendar.
3. Name it after your kid, and click Create calendar.

Share it with your spouse or co-parent

1. Under My calendars, click the three dots next to the calendar, then Settings and sharing.
2. Click Shared with, then Add people and groups.
3. Enter their email, choose Make changes and manage sharing, and click Send.

Since the kids’ calendars live in your account, you control them completely, and you can share one with your kid later when they’re ready.

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Ways Our Family Uses Shared Calendars

Once the family calendars are set up, you can use the same trick for just about anything. A few of my favorites:

Meal planning. I sit down with my favorite recipe websites, my cookbooks (of which I have a plethora), and our shared calendar, and plan the week or even the month of meals. Each recipe gets an all-day event, and in the notes I write where it came from, whether that’s a link or a cookbook and page number. My phone tells me what’s planned that day, so if it’s a slow cooker meal, I know to get it going early.

Training plans. Couch-to-5K and half marathon plans fit perfectly on a “Training” calendar. Add an event for each day’s workout, like “4 miles at race pace,” and you always know what’s next.

Bills. I add an event for each day a bill is due. If it’s one I pay manually online, the payment link goes in the notes. The rest are reminders that an automatic payment is coming, so I can make sure the money is there.

Sports teams. If you coach or help run a team, create a calendar for it and share it with the other parents, so everyone knows exactly when practices and games are. We do this for my kid’s swim team, and it’s soooo easy to keep track of it all!

Routines. I’ve always been a HUGE fan of daily routines, even cleaning routines (every Monday I clean the kitchen, for example). A routine calendar shows me at a glance that 5:30 a.m. is workout time and 11 is cleaning time, which really helps limit time sucks (like Pinterest). It’s also perfect for seasonal chores: set a repeating event every 3 months to change your air filter or clean behind the fridge.

Want more ideas? My Google Calendar tips and tricks for families covers reminders, attachments, adding events from email, and more.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does a family Google Calendar work on iPhone? Yes. Use the Google Calendar app, or add your Google account to the iPhone’s built-in Calendar app.

Can my kid under 13 have their own Google Calendar? Not on their own account. Instead, create a calendar for them inside your account and share it with your co-parent. You can share it with your kid once they’re older.

Can people outside our family group see the Family calendar? Only if someone shares it with them, which you can do from a computer.

What happens if someone leaves the family group? They lose access to the Family calendar.

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Google calendars work on just about any device: iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more. So go ahead and throw out that old whiteboard calendar in your kitchen, because once you share Google calendars and go digital, I promise you will not go back!

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