How to get the Calendar app to sync to my iPhone and my MacBook Pro

[Bob M.]

I've started using iCloud and it seems to work ok except the latest flaw seems to be with sync-ing the Calendar between my iPhone 11 (iOS 17.4.1) and my MacBook Pro (macOS Big Sur, 11.7,10). If I enter a calendar event on either device it doesn't appear on the other device. Sometimes, if I edit the length of the event (make it 10 minutes longer) on my iPhone then it will sometimes appear on my MacBook Pro. I usually leave both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on during my attempted syncing, on both devices. I have the calendar app checked (on) in system preferences, Apple ID.

The one problem I can see, which I don't know how to correct is that neither device seems to recognize the other one when I turn Bluetooth on, on the iPhone, the MacBook Pro isn't shown as a connected device and on the MacBook Pro, in System preferences, Bluetooth, I can't get my MacBook Pro to list my iPhone under devices but it seems to show other bluetooth things I have. I usually keep these two devices about 18" apart from one another and my Bluetooth seems to work fine in all other chores it has. On my iPhone, settings , accessibility, control nearby devices, I cannot get the iPhone to see my MacBook Pro. Anybody have solutions?

 

[MacInWin]

They sync through your AppleID. Both need to be logged into the same AppleID account, and both need to be set to sync Calendar through that account. AFAIK, they don't sync directly.

 

[Bob M.]

They sync through your AppleID. Both need to be logged into the same AppleID account, and both need to be set to sync Calendar through that account. AFAIK, they don't sync directly.

So, are you saying that you have to command the computers to sync the calendar apps together - they will not do this on their own? How do you do that? I don't know what you mean by 'they don't sync directly'.

Yes, both Apple IDs on my two devices are the same and the calendar app is switched on in System Preferences, Apple ID.

 

[ferrarr]

and the calendar app is switched on in System Preferences, Apple ID.

For both devices?

 

[MacInWin]

So, are you saying that you have to command the computers to sync the calendar apps together - they will not do this on their own? How do you do that? I don't know what you mean by 'they don't sync directly'.

Yes, both Apple IDs on my two devices are the same and the calendar app is switched on in System Preferences, Apple ID.

Yes, you have to authorize each one to sync the calendar through the AppleID. On the iPhone, open Settings, tap on the AppleID and verify that the iPhone is logged into your AppleID account. Then go back to Settings, find Calendar and look at the "Accounts" to verify that Calendar, in fact, knows about the AppleID account. (Note that if you have "other" calendars, they should also show in the list of accounts.) Now, on the Mac I'm working from memory for how Big Sur did it, but open Settings/Preferences, look at the AppleID to verify that it is also logged into the same AppleID as the iPhone. Now open Calendar and look at the settings/preferences to verify that Calendar also see the iCloud account and that it is enabled. Set the "Refresh" of the calendars to "Push" so that when you make a change on the Mac, it will be pushed out to other devices.

The way the sync happens is that when one calendar changes, the change is relayed through the AppleID account in the cloud to the other devices also attached to that same AppleID. Sync is not device-to-device, but through the cloud. Bluetooth plays no part.

 

[Slydude]

As usual, MacInWin has given an excellent summary.

There is one thing I'd like to clarify. If your Calendar has several events, the first sync may take a few minutes. After that, future syncs occur almost immediately.

Your mileage may vary.