If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (2024)

Find out what to do if your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders aren'tappearingon allthe devices that you use with iCloud.

Things to check first

  1. Check the system status of iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Remindersfor services outages or connection issues.
  2. If a reminder isn't showing up on some of your devices, make sure that your iPhone and iPad have the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, or that your Mac has the latest version of macOS.
  3. Make sure that you're signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices.Then check you've turned on Contacts, Calendars and Remindersin your iCloud settings.
  4. Check that the date and time settings on your device are correct for your current location.

Try the steps for your device

If you still need help, try the steps for your device below.

  • iOS and iPadOS
  • watchOS
  • macOS
  • iCloud.com
  • MicrosoftWindows

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (1)

iOS and iPadOS

After each step, check your contacts, calendars or reminders.

Restart the Contacts, Calendar or Reminders app

  1. Close the app.
  2. Return to your Home Screen.
  3. Wait about one minute, then open the app again.

Refresh your contacts and calendars

To refresh your contacts, open the Contacts app and swipe down on the list. To refresh your contact groups, tap Listsin the top left-hand corner, then swipe down on the list.

To refresh your calendars:

  1. Open the Calendar app.
  2. Tap the Calendars tab.
  3. Swipe down on the list to refresh your events.
    If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (2)

Check your app settings

If you use multiple groups or accounts in the Contacts or Calendars app, make sure that your iCloud Contacts and Calendars are set to appear:

  • Open the Contacts app and tap Listsin the top left-hand corner. Make sure All iCloud is selected.
  • Open the Calendar app and tap the Calendars tab. Make sure all iCloud calendars are selected.

Changehow often your calendars update:

  1. Tap Settings, then tap Calendar.
  2. Tap Sync.
  3. IfAll Events is selected, choose a specific timeframe instead, such as Events 1 Month Back. If a specific timeframe is selected, choose All Events instead.
  4. Return to your Home Screen.
  5. Wait a few minutes and then open the Calendar app. Tap the Calendars tab and swipe down to refresh.

Since the iCloud Birthdays calendar updates daily, changes to birthdays might not appear in the Calendars app until the next day.

Set iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders as your default

If your contacts, calendars and reminders are in iCloud, then iCloud automatically updates your information.If your information is ina third-party account, like Google or Yahoo, you can change your default account to iCloud. Changing your default account to iCloud won't move your existing information from a third-party service to iCloud.

Contacts

To see which account your contacts are in:

In iOS 16 or later:

  1. Open the Contacts app and tap Lists in the top-left hand corner.
  2. Select "All iCloud" to see your list of contacts in iCloud. If you can't see the contact you're looking for, it may be stored in a different account.
  3. Tap Lists in the top left-hand corner, then tap "All [account]" to check each individual account that's been set up for Contacts.
  4. If you have a copy of your contacts from a third-party service in vCard format version 3.0 or later,you can import the contactsinto iCloud.

In iOS 15 or earlier:

  1. Open the Contacts app and tap Groups in the upper-left corner.
  2. Deselect the All [account] option for any third-party account, such as Gmail or Yahoo.
  3. Make sure All iCloud is selected.
  4. Tap Done to see your list of contacts. If you can't see the contact you're looking for, it's stored in another account.
  5. If you have a copy of your contacts from a third-party service in vCard format version 3.0 or later, you can import the contactsinto iCloud.

Set iCloud as the default account for your contacts:

  1. Tap Settings, then Contacts.
  2. Tap Default Account.
  3. Select iCloud.

Calendars and Reminders

To check which account your calendars are in, open the Calendar app, then tap the Calendars tab.

Set an iCloud calendar as the default calendar:

  1. Tap Settings, then Calendar.
  2. Tap Default Calendar.
  3. Tap a calendar under iCloud to make it your default.
    If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (3)

Set an iCloud reminders list as the default list:

  1. Tap Settings, then Reminders.
  2. Tap Default List.
  3. Tap a list under iCloud to make it your default.

Delete overdue reminders

  1. Open the Reminders app.
  2. Go to the Today view and check for any overdue reminders.
  3. If you find any, tap the empty circle to complete the reminder, or delete the reminder.

Repeat these steps on each device that's using iCloud Reminders.

Restart your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

  • Learn how to restart your iPhone.
  • Learn how to restart your iPad.
  • Learn how to restart your iPod touch.

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (4)

Force sync Calendar data on Apple Watch

  1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap the My Watch tab.
  2. Tap General, then tap Reset.
  3. Tap Reset Sync Data.

If a family member set up your Apple Watch for you, you can't force sync Calendar data.

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (5)

macOS

After each step, check your contacts, calendars or reminders.

Refresh your calendars

You can refresh your calendars from the Calendars app:

  1. Open the Calendar app.
  2. From the View menu, choose Refresh Calendars.

Since the iCloud Birthdays calendar updates hourly, you may not see changes to birthdays in the Contacts or Calendars app for an hour.

Check your default Calendar, Reminders and Contacts account

If you store and edit your events iniCloudinstead of another place, likeOn My Mac, Exchange or Google, then iCloud will automatically update your calendars. If you use multiple accounts on your Mac, such as iCloud, Gmail and Yahoo, make sure iCloud is your default Calendar account:

  1. Open the Calendar app.
  2. Choose Calendar > Settings. In macOS Monterey or earlier, choose Calendar > Preferences.
  3. In the General tab, make sure one of your iCloud calendars is the default.

If you store and edit your contacts iniCloudinstead of another place, such asOn My Mac, Exchange or Google, then iCloud will automatically update your contacts. If you use multiple accounts on your Mac, such as iCloud, Gmail, and Yahoo, make sure iCloud is your default Contacts account:

  1. Open the Contacts app.
  2. Choose Contacts > Accounts.
  3. Click the iCloud tab.Make sure you've signed in with your Apple ID and that Contacts has been enabled.

As long as you'veturned on Reminders in iCloud Settings, your iCloud reminders will appear on your Mac.

Delete completed or overdue reminders

  1. Open the Reminders app.
  2. Go to the Today view and check for any overdue reminders.
  3. If you find any, check the empty circle to complete the reminder, or delete the reminder.

Repeat these steps on each device that's using iCloud Reminders.

Restart your computer

After you restart your computer, check if you fixed the issue.

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (6)

iCloud.com

If all your updates don't appear or you have another issue, try these steps on iCloud.com:

  1. Update your browser and clear the cache.
  2. If updates from other devices don't appear, open another app on iCloud.com, like Mail. Then go back to the Contacts, Calendaror Reminders app.
  3. Sign out ofiCloud.com, then sign back in.

Since the iCloud Birthdays calendar updates daily, changes to birthdays might not appear in the Calendars app until the next day.

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (7)

Microsoft Windows

After each step, check your contacts, calendars or reminders.

Refresh Outlook

Click RefreshIf your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (8)in Outlook.

Turn off iCloud Contacts and Calendar, then turn it back on

  1. Open iCloud for Windows.
  2. Deselect Mail, Contacts, and Calendars,then click Apply.
  3. Wait a few seconds, select Mail, Contacts, and Calendars, then click Apply.
  4. Open Outlook.

Make sure the iCloud Outlook Add-in is active

In Outlook 2010 and later:

  1. Click the File menu.
  2. Click Options in the left panel.
  3. Click Add-Ins in the left panel of the Outlook Options window.
  4. Look at the list of add-ins in the Active Application Add-Ins section.
  5. Select the iCloud Outlook Add-in.

Learn how to manage Add-ins with Microsoft Outlook.

Check your default account in Outlook

In Outlook 2010 and later:

  1. Click the File menu.
  2. Select Info >Account Settings >Data Files.
  3. If iCloud is the default account in the Comments column, select a different account and click Set as Default.

Restart your computer

After you restart your computer, check if you fixed the issue.

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (9)

If you still need help

If you still need help, contact Apple Support.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsem*nt. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

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If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync (2024)

FAQs

If your iCloud Contacts, Calendars or Reminders won’t sync? ›

Make sure that you're signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices. Then, check that you turned on Contacts

Contacts
In the Contacts app , you can view and edit your contacts lists from personal, business, and other accounts. You can also create contacts and set up a contact card with your own information. Siri: Say something like: “What's my brother's work address?”
https://support.apple.com › guide › iphone › ios
, Calendars, and Reminders in your iCloud settings. Check that the date and time settings on your device are correct for your current location.

How do I fix Apple calendar sync issues? ›

To fix calendar not syncing on iPhone issue, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud, switch the tab beside the Calendar to your left to disable calendar sync. A few minutes later, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud again, switch the tab next to Calendar to your right, calendar sync is enabled again.

How do I fix iCloud sync problems? ›

If this seems to be happening to you, these simple tricks can help get things running smoothly again.
  1. Is everything up-to-date? ...
  2. Check that iCloud is working. ...
  3. Make sure you are properly logged in. ...
  4. Check dates and time. ...
  5. Force Sync. ...
  6. Log out of iCloud and log in again. ...
  7. Restart your device(s) ...
  8. Reset your device(s)

Why are my calendars not syncing? ›

First, try these common fixes

If you're not connected, make sure that data or Wi-Fi is on, and that you're not in Airplane mode. Next, check your device's app store to make sure the Google Calendar app is up to date. To the left of the calendar's name, make sure the box is checked.

How do I force my iPhone contacts to sync? ›

How to easily Force-Sync your Contacts on iDevices
  1. on your iphone/ipad/ipod touch open address book.
  2. press on 'show all contacts'
  3. press the 'groups' button.
  4. in the upper left corner you'll see a sync-arrow.
  5. press it.
Jan 6, 2012

Why is my iCloud calendar not syncing all events? ›

Things to check first

Make sure you're signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices. Then check you've turned on Contacts, Calendars and Reminders in your iCloud settings. Check that the date and time settings on your device are correct for your current location.

How do I force Apple calendar to sync? ›

The solution was:
  1. Go to Settings > Cellular.
  2. Make sure Cellular Data toggle is turned on (shows green).
  3. Scroll down to Calendars & Reminders. Make sure toggle switch is turned on (shows green).
Jun 17, 2012

How do I force iCloud to sync? ›

You can also select exactly what data is synced to iCloud storage. Open to Settings > [your name] > iCloud on your phone and tap the Show All link under Apps Using iCloud section. Items like Calendars, Contacts, Health, Photos, Reminders, Wallet, and more can be enabled or disabled from here.

Why aren't my iCloud documents syncing? ›

Ensure You've Enabled iCloud for Your App

On your iOS device, head to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and make sure the app you want to sync is listed and enabled. You can also try toggling this off and back on to restart the sync process.

How do I complete iCloud sync? ›

Synchronize iCloud

From the Settings screen, select your Apple ID then select iCloud. 2. Select Show All, then select the switch next to each item to turn iCloud synchronization on or off as desired.

What is the best way to sync calendars? ›

It's incredibly easy.
  1. Go to the settings section of your iPad or iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap Calendar.
  3. Add your Google account under Accounts.
  4. Next, enter your email address.
  5. Log in with your password. ...
  6. Click Next.
  7. The Google Account will now sync your emails, contacts, and calendar events.
Mar 20, 2023

How do I get my iPhone calendar to sync with iCloud? ›

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Do one of the following: iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later: Tap Show All, then turn on Calendars. iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or earlier: Turn on Calendars.

How long does it take for calendars to sync? ›

The sync will take up to 24 hours (the amount of time depends on how many appointments you have on each calendar) and both of your calendars may be unavailable during that time.

Why are my iPhone Contacts and iCloud Contacts not syncing? ›

Make sure you're signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices. Then check you've turned on Contacts, Calendars and Reminders in your iCloud settings. Check that the date and time settings on your device are correct for your current location.

Why are my Contacts not syncing with my iPhone? ›

Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Contacts > Accounts. Under the Accounts section, tap each account and make sure Contacts sync is enabled. If contacts sync is already enabled, turn it off and on again.

Why am I unable to sync Contacts on iPhone? ›

Enable Contacts Sync From iCloud Settings

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on your name displayed at the top. Step 2: Tap on iCloud. Step 3: Turn on the toggle next to Contacts. If it is turned on already, turn it off for a few seconds and turn it back on to re-enable sync.

How do I reset my Apple Calendar app? ›

In the Calendar app on your Mac, Control-click the calendar's name, then choose Get Info. Click the Auto-refresh pop-up menu, then choose an option.

Why is my Apple Calendar dropping events? ›

The calendar events may disappear for the following reasons: If you use iCloud to sync your calendar events, then the network could be the cause. The system went wrong and changed some settings of your device. It can lead to iPhone calendar events missing without your awareness.

Why is my iPhone Calendar glitching? ›

Luckily there is a quick fix to overcoming this issue, so you be sure you have the correct date of the month. Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install option. This will update your iOS, so it is syncing correctly and ensures you have a constant accurate date and time features.

Why can't I see past events on my iPhone Calendar? ›

Open Settings → Scroll down and tap on Calendar. Exit the Settings app. Now, open the Calendar app and tap on Calendars. Pull the list down to refresh the calendars and wait for a while before all the events show up.

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