Add and Filter an iCal Feed in Apple Calendar
Apple Calendar subscriptions display a school, team, or other published schedule beside your own events. To filter an iCal feed, import it into Filter My Calendar, choose your events, and add the separate filtered copy to Apple Calendar.
Start with the calendar URL
Look for a Subscribe, Export, or Calendar link on the publisher’s schedule page. It may use an HTTPS or webcal address. An iCal feed is a calendar subscription URL, not a screenshot or a link to the website.
If you want the full live schedule, subscribe directly to the publisher. Use a filtered copy when you need a selection of the imported events.
Add an iCal subscription on iPhone or Mac
On iPhone
In Calendar, open Calendars and choose Add Calendar, then Add Subscription Calendar. Enter the calendar URL and follow the confirmation prompts.
Apple’s iPhone subscription guideOn Mac
In Calendar, choose File → New Calendar Subscription. Paste the calendar URL, subscribe, and review the name, account, and refresh settings.
Apple’s Mac subscription guideFilter the schedule before adding it
Search for a team, grade, or event name, then choose the individual events to include. The original calendar stays unchanged.
Before filtering, 13 events are shown.
This week
Monday to Friday
Create your Apple Calendar filtered copy
This produces a private calendar with your selection. Choose automatic updates during calendar review to keep selected events up to date.
- 1
Import
Paste the source calendar URL into Filter My Calendar.
- 2
Select
Search the events and choose the ones to include.
- 3
Create
Review the calendar and choose automatic updates if you want to follow changes to selected events.
- 4
Subscribe
On iPhone, choose Add to Apple Calendar. On Mac, copy the private URL into a new calendar subscription.
Keep selected events up to date
Turn on automatic updates during calendar review, then subscribe to your filtered calendar. Live Sync checks enabled calendar links about every two hours. Changes to selected event times, locations, and other details appear when your calendar app refreshes the subscription. Cancelled or removed events leave the filtered calendar.
Your selection stays yours
Newly discovered events are available for review but are not added to your existing selection automatically. You can edit the filtered calendar to include them.
Subscribe to receive updates
A downloaded ICS file is a one-time copy. Automatic updates work with eligible public calendar links. Uploaded files, PDF and image imports, Google imports, and merged calendars do not support Live Sync.
Live Sync costs $24 per year, renewing until cancelled, for up to 3 enabled calendar links. See pricing and free allowances.
If events are missing or appear twice
Check the visible calendars
Make sure the filtered calendar is selected. If the same event appears twice, check whether the original subscription or an imported ICS copy is also visible.
Check the source and the link
Compare your selection with the original schedule. If you reset the private subscription link, replace the old subscription with the new URL.
FAQ
Does Apple Calendar take iCal feeds?
Yes. Apple Calendar accepts external iCalendar subscriptions through a calendar URL. You can also import a downloaded ICS file on a Mac.
Can I filter an Apple Calendar subscription by keyword?
Use Filter My Calendar to import the source URL, search by keyword, and select individual events. Create a separate filtered calendar and add that copy to Apple Calendar.
Does a filtered subscription stay in sync with the original?
Yes, when you turn on automatic updates for an eligible calendar link and subscribe to the filtered calendar. Live Sync checks the source about every two hours and updates your selected events. Newly discovered events are not added automatically.
What is the difference between an ICS download and a subscription?
A download is a one-time file you import and does not receive updates. A subscription lets your calendar app read the filtered calendar URL. Turn on automatic updates for an eligible source to keep selected events up to date.
Can other people see my filtered subscription?
Anyone with its private URL can read the selected events. Keep the link private. Resetting it disables the old link, and you must subscribe again with the new link in each calendar app.
Choose what appears in Apple Calendar.
Start with your source calendar link and keep the events you need. Your first 5 filtered calendars are free.