How to Sync iCal with Google Cal

Previously, I mentioned Google has made it possible to connect Google Calendar with iCal. In addition, I’ve also explained before how you can sync Google Calendar with your Blackberry.

Combining the two, you can actually sync your Blackberry with your iCal through Google Calendar. Aside from having a copy of your calendar synced on all platforms (computer, Internet, and phone) it also helps keep a ‘backup copy’ of your appointments in case something goes wrong with one of your devices.

In order to sync your Blackberry with iCal, or if you just want a copy of your Google Calendar on your Mac, you need to know how to sync Google Calendar with iCal.

How to Sync Google Calendar with iCal

Of course, you can use Spanning Sync, but Google also offers a relatively functional direct sync. Here is how it’s done in 5 steps:

1. Download Calaboration, a program developed by Google to make the sync between Google Calendar and iCal easier.
2. Drop the program into your programs folder on your Mac. If iCal is open on your computer, close the program first. If you don’t you will have trouble selecting calendars to add to iCal using Calaboration.
3. Open Calaboration, and sign into Google Calendar
4. A list of your calendars in Google Calendar will show up. If this is your first time syncing iCal with Google Cal, all calendars will be ‘active’. However, if this is not your first time using Calaboration, some calendars may be disabled. These are the calendars that are already synced with iCal, and are already selected and shown in a gray font. See the picture below: the ‘new calendar’ has not been synced yet with iCal and is active. All other calendars are already present in my iCal, and cannot be selected anymore.
5. After selecting the calendars you want to sync, click on ‘Add to iCal’, and you are set! Every time you turn on your computer and open iCal (and however often you want, which can be adjusted in the preferences) Google Cal will sync with iCal. The best part, the sync goes two ways. Add something to iCal, and you will see the appointment show up in Google Calendar, and on your Blackberry if you use one.