How to Use CalDAV Calendars on Android

To use CalDAV on Android, connect a sync adapter such as DAVx⁵ to your calendar service, then display its calendars in a calendar app. You can keep the calendar app you already use if it reads Android's calendar storage; the adapter supplies the missing account connection.

Calendar app or sync adapter?

Check whether the provider supplies its own calendar app or recommends a particular adapter. DAVx⁵ is one established option for services such as Nextcloud and Fastmail. Its documentation explains that it syncs with Android's calendar storage; it is not itself the calendar screen you use to plan your week. Read the DAVx⁵ introduction.

If DAVx⁵ successfully receives an appointment but your calendar app hides the account, the connection may be fine. If the adapter cannot sign in, changing the calendar app's colors will not help.

For a read-only ICS feed, use a subscription-capable app or adapter (for example, ICSx⁵) instead. Choose the connection for your ICS feed or editable calendar account.

Connect and select the calendars

A typical DAVx⁵ setup follows these steps:

Install the adapter from an official distribution source.
Follow its permission requests and provider-specific setup instructions.
Add an account using the provider's login option where available.
Otherwise enter the provider's base URL, username, and password or app-specific password, as the provider requires.
Select the calendars you want to synchronize.
Start a manual sync, then open your calendar app and enable those calendars.

Nextcloud can launch the account connection from its mobile app through Sync calendars & contacts. It also documents direct setup without that app. Follow Nextcloud's Android connection steps for the server address and account setup.

Fastmail also publishes Android connection instructions. Authentication options can differ between an adapter's provider-specific login and a manual connection, so follow the instructions for the method you actually choose.

Save the next event to the correct account

Create a test event and select the CalDAV calendar in the editor. After syncing, find it on the provider's website. If it was saved only to a local phone calendar, the adapter has nothing to upload.

Move the test appointment and check both ends again. If changes cannot be saved, confirm you have write permission; a shared calendar can be intentionally read-only.

Consider naming calendars clearly, such as “Personal (Fastmail)” or “Team (Nextcloud).” This is more reliable than color alone, especially if an app uses different colors from the server.

When another account needs copies

If coworkers check your Microsoft 365 calendar, a CalDAV account on your phone will not put appointments there. Add manual busy blocks or connect the CalDAV source and work destination in Avum. A Sync Rule can copy occupied time while leaving personal titles and notes out of the work account.

Connect the actual accounts, not the phone's local calendar storage. Keep personal details out of work copies and test your particular server's access. For comparison with the native route, see CalDAV and Google Calendar.

If background updates stop

Check the adapter's account status, Android account sync, and the calendar's visibility in your calendar app. Battery-saving restrictions can also stop background work. Follow the adapter's guidance for your phone manufacturer's background-update settings.

Avoid clearing app storage as an early fix. First confirm that recent appointments exist on the server, particularly those created while offline. Locate events that haven't reached the web account before clearing storage.

Ready to try cross-account copies while keeping your Android calendar app? Start your free 30-day trial with Avum today.