Getting Started
How often does Sync2Cal update my calendar?
Push sync (Google/Outlook) delivers updates automatically, within minutes of your first sync. ICS subscriptions (Apple, or Google/Outlook via link) update on the calendar app's own schedule.
Sync2Cal keeps your calendar current in two stages: first Sync2Cal pulls new and changed events from the source, then those updates reach your calendar app. How fast you see a change depends on which calendar app you use and how you added the calendar.
How often Sync2Cal refreshes events
Sync2Cal regularly checks each source (sports leagues, TV schedules, etc.) for new games, rescheduled times, and cancellations. Popular sports with a game coming up in the next few days are refreshed about once an hour; most other calendars are refreshed about once a day. So a schedule change is usually picked up within a day, and sooner for upcoming sports.
How updates reach your calendar app
There are two ways to add a Sync2Cal calendar. With push sync (recommended for Google and Outlook), Sync2Cal delivers changes automatically — your events appear within minutes of the first sync, and updates flow on their own after that. With an ICS subscription link, your calendar app decides how often it checks for updates, which is slower and outside Sync2Cal's control.
| Calendar app | Method | How updates arrive |
|---|---|---|
| Google Calendar | Push sync (recommended) | Automatic (minutes on first sync) |
| Google Calendar | ICS link | App checks up to every 24 hours |
| Outlook | Push sync (recommended) | Automatic (minutes on first sync) |
| Outlook | ICS link | App checks up to every 24 hours |
| Apple Calendar | ICS link | App checks about every hour |
Why Apple Calendar is slower
Google Calendar and Outlook support push sync, so Sync2Cal can deliver updates automatically. Apple Calendar only supports ICS subscriptions, which the app checks on its own schedule — roughly once an hour. This is an Apple limitation, not a Sync2Cal bug.
If you added Google Calendar or Outlook using an ICS link instead of push sync, they behave the same way: the app checks on its own slow schedule. For automatic updates on Google and Outlook, use push sync (connect your account) rather than the ICS link.
How to get an update immediately
- Google Calendar or Outlook (push sync): open the calendar's page on sync2cal.com, or open My Calendars from your profile menu, and choose Resync.
- Apple Calendar on iPhone: open the Calendar app and pull down to refresh.
- Apple Calendar on Mac: open Calendar and press Cmd+R (or File > Refresh Subscriptions).
If a schedule change still has not appeared after these steps and enough time has passed, the source may not have published it yet. Contact us at hello@sync2cal.com if something looks wrong.
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