How to Open ICS File: Add Events to Google, Outlook or iPhone
An ICS file is an iCalendar file: one meeting invitation, an event like a flight or a concert, or a whole exported calendar. Outlook, Apple Calendar and phones open it with a tap, and Google Calendar imports it from Settings. The free viewer below shows every event in your browser with times converted to your time zone, adds single events to Google Calendar or Outlook.com in one click, and converts the calendar to Excel or a Google Calendar CSV, without uploading anything.
Choose what you need
Open ICS File Online: View Events & Add to Your Calendar (Free)
Drop an .ics file below. The viewer shows each event with its date and time converted to your time zone, location, organizer, attendees and repeat rule, adds single events to Google Calendar or Outlook.com in one click, and exports the calendar to Excel or a Google Calendar CSV.
Good to know: meeting invitations and cancellations are recognized, and Windows time-zone names used by Outlook are converted correctly.
🔒 Nothing is uploaded — your events never leave this deviceOn this page
What is an ICS file?
An ICS file is a plain-text calendar in the iCalendar format (RFC 5545) that every major calendar app understands. Each event sits between BEGIN:VEVENT and END:VEVENT with a title (SUMMARY), start and end (DTSTART, DTEND), location, description and optional repeat rule (RRULE). Invitations also list the organizer and attendees, and a METHOD:CANCEL line means the event was cancelled.
| Full name | iCalendar file |
|---|---|
| Standard | RFC 5545 (iCalendar), RFC 5546 (invitations) |
| Contains | Events, times and time zones, repeats, reminders, attendees |
| Related | .vcs (old vCalendar), .ical, .ifb, .vcf (contacts) |
How to open an ICS file: quick answer
| Where | How |
|---|---|
| Just check the date and time | The viewer above (any device) |
| Google Calendar | Settings > Import & export > Select file > Import |
| Classic Outlook (Windows) | Double-click, or File > Open & Export > Import/Export |
| iPhone / Mac | Tap or double-click > Add to Calendar |
| Android | Import it in Google Calendar on a computer, or use the one-click link above |
Add an ICS file to Google Calendar
For a single event, open the file in the viewer above and click + Google Calendar: the event opens pre-filled, ready to save, on a computer or a phone. For a whole calendar, import it on a computer:
- Open Google Calendar, click the Settings gear > Settings.
- In the left menu click Import & export.
- Click Select file from your computer, choose the .ics, pick the destination calendar and click Import.
Google notes that guests and conference data aren't imported, and imported events don't stay in sync. If you received a .zip, extract it and import each .ics separately.
Add an ICS file to Outlook
- Classic Outlook for Windows: double-click the .ics to open the event and click Save & Close. For a full calendar, use File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file, then choose Import to merge it into your calendar or Open as New to keep it separate.
- Outlook on the web and new Outlook: go to Calendar > Add calendar > Upload from file, or click + Outlook.com in the viewer above for a single event.
- Outlook for Mac: drag the .ics onto the calendar, or use File > Import.
Open an ICS file on iPhone, Mac or Android
iPhone and iPad: tap the .ics in Mail or Messages and choose Add All or Add to Calendar. Files saved in the Files app may only preview; open them in the viewer above in Safari and use the add links instead.
Mac: double-click the file; Calendar asks which calendar to add it to (or use File > Import in Calendar).
Android: Google Calendar's app can't import files. Use the viewer above in Chrome and tap + Google Calendar for each event, or import the whole file on a computer; it syncs to your phone.
Convert ICS to Excel or CSV
Open the file in the viewer above and click Excel (.xlsx) to get one row per event with the title, start, end, location, repeat rule and description. CSV for Google Calendar uses the exact headers Google expects (Subject, Start Date, Start Time, End Date, End Time, All Day Event, Description, Location, Private).
| Subject | Start Date | Start Time | End Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterly review | 11/04/2026 | 9:30 AM | 10:30 AM | Room 4B |
| Client call | 11/05/2026 | 2:00 PM | 2:30 PM | Teams |
ICS problems and fixes
The event shows the wrong time
Times in an ICS are either in UTC, in a named time zone, or "floating" (no zone). Floating times are read as local time wherever you open the file. The viewer shows each time in your own time zone and tells you when a time has no zone.
Google Calendar says "Import failed"
Google requires the file to start with BEGIN:VCALENDAR and end with END:VCALENDAR. Check that the file isn't truncated or a .zip, or use the CSV download from the viewer.
Repeating events became single events
CSV files can't describe repeats, so Google turns them into one-time events. Import the original .ics to keep the repeat rule.
It's a cancellation
An ICS with METHOD:CANCEL removes an event you already have. The viewer marks it and hides the add links.
Sources and technical references
- RFC 5545: Internet Calendaring and Scheduling (iCalendar) — IETF
- Import events to Google Calendar — Google Calendar Help
- Import or subscribe to a calendar in Outlook.com or Outlook on the web — Microsoft Support
- RFC 5546: iCalendar Transport-Independent Interoperability Protocol — IETF
Frequently asked questions
How do I open an ICS file?
Drop it into the free viewer on this page to see every event with its time converted to your time zone. To keep the events, double-click the file in Outlook or Apple Calendar, or import it in Google Calendar settings.
How do I import an ICS file into Google Calendar?
On a computer, open Google Calendar, click the gear > Settings > Import & export, choose Select file from your computer, pick the destination calendar and click Import. Guests and conference links aren't imported.
How do I add an ICS file to Outlook?
In classic Outlook, double-click the file and click Save & Close, or use File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file. In Outlook.com choose Calendar > Add calendar > Upload from file.
How do I open an ICS file on Android?
The Google Calendar app can't import files. Open the ICS with the viewer on this page in Chrome and tap + Google Calendar for each event, or import the whole file in Google Calendar on a computer; it then syncs to your phone.
How do I open an ICS file on iPhone?
Tap the ICS in Mail or Messages and choose Add All or Add to Calendar. If the Files app only previews it, open the file with the viewer on this page in Safari and use the add links.
How do I convert an ICS file to Excel?
Open the ICS in the viewer here and click Excel (.xlsx) to get one row per event with title, start, end, location and description. CSV for Google Calendar uses the headers Google requires.
Why does my ICS event show the wrong time?
The time may be in UTC, in another time zone, or floating with no zone, which apps read as local time. The viewer on this page converts zoned times to your time zone and flags times with no zone.
What is the difference between ICS and VCS?
ICS is the modern iCalendar format used by every current calendar app. VCS is the older vCalendar 1.0 format from the 1990s; Outlook can still import it, but new files use ICS.
Last updated .