How to Add a CalDAV Calendar to an iPhone or Mac

Add the CalDAV account directly to Apple Calendar to view and edit its appointments on iPhone or Mac. The events stay with their provider, such as Fastmail or Nextcloud; they do not need to move into iCloud. Have the provider's server address and sign-in details ready before starting.

Add the account on iPhone

On iOS 18 and later, open Settings → Apps → Calendar → Calendar Accounts → Add Account. Choose the other-account option, then the CalDAV account option, and enter the provider's server and account details. Labels vary by release: Apple's current guide calls them Add Other Account and CalDAV account; older versions use Other and Add CalDAV Account.

Use the provider's instructions for the username and server fields. Do not paste an ICS subscription link into the CalDAV account form. Apple's calendar settings guide documents the account types and update settings.

After adding the account, open Calendar and tap Calendars. Enable the calendars you want to see. If the account contains several calendars, select the ones you need.

Choose the default for new appointments under Settings → Apps → Calendar → Default Calendar. New events go there unless you select another calendar in the event editor.

Add the account on Mac

Open Calendar, choose Calendar → Add Account, and select the provider if listed. For another service, choose Other CalDAV Account.

Apple offers automatic, manual, and advanced options. Automatic setup uses fewer fields; manual or advanced setup may require the server address or path. Follow the provider's recommendation. Apple's Mac account guide explains which details each option expects.

After connecting, show the calendar list and select the calendars you need. Their account grouping tells you where the appointments are stored. A Fastmail appointment viewed in Apple Calendar is still a Fastmail appointment, not an iCloud event.

For Nextcloud, check the server's current macOS instructions, especially if the service is installed below a longer website path.

A calendar that opens but won't save

Find one existing appointment and compare it with the provider's website. Then, if you should have editing rights, create a small test event without guests in the new calendar. Confirm it on the website, change it, and remove it when finished.

If viewing works but editing fails, ask whether the calendar is shared read-only. The connection can be healthy while the permission is intentionally limited. Review read-only sharing permissions with the owner.

If new appointments appear slowly, inspect the account's fetch settings on iPhone. Some accounts do not provide push updates, so fetching follows a schedule. Also check connectivity and the provider's web calendar before removing and re-adding the account.

Work availability and removing the account

For personal planning, this native setup may solve everything: multiple accounts in one app, with edits sent to the selected calendar. There is no need to copy events simply to see them together.

Copying becomes useful when another account needs its own busy events. For example, coworkers checking your Microsoft 365 calendar may not see a private CalDAV calendar merely because you can see it on your phone.

To put those personal appointments into a work calendar, connect the CalDAV source and work account in Avum. Create a Sync Rule that copies only busy time into the work destination. Keep editing appointments in the CalDAV original. Verify the server's sign-in method and destination write access.

Use the destination availability checks before relying on work copies. To remove the account from an iPhone, return to Calendar Accounts, select the account, and read the deletion confirmation. On Mac, manage it under Calendar → Accounts. Removing a device account and deleting a provider-held calendar have different consequences; confirm which action the app offers.

Ready to try busy copies alongside your native calendar setup? Start your free 30-day trial with Avum today.