I remember this taking me far too long to figure out when I first set it up years ago, have recently needed to update it, and could barely remember how. So consider this a note-to-self that might also help an internet stranger.
Scenario
Imagine you own and use danny@example.com as your email address. You have a Google account registered for that username but host is email service elsewhere. I.e. not via Gmail’s custom address feature. You want be able to use that Google account’s calendar service but via your iPhone or iPad’s built-in Calendar app.
Problem
Unless it’s been fixed since writing this, iOS and/or Google have a long-standing bug where Google accounts in that scenario can’t be set up as an iOS Calendar account.
Fix
On your Google account:
- Go to your Security page.
- Enable 2-Step Verification.
- Go to App passwords. Add an item called ‘Calendar on my iPhone’ or similar. Copy that password. You’ll need it for the below.
On your iOS device:
- Go to Settings → Calendar → Calendar Accounts → Add Account → Other.
- Tap ‘Add CalDAV Account’
- Fill in the details below, swapping out my example username and password for your own.
Server: calendar.google.com
Username: danny@example.com
Password: your-app-password-from-google
Description: Your Description Here
You might need to also adjust or fill-in the Advanced Settings fields:
Use SSL: On
Port: 433
Account URL: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/dav/danny@example.com/user/