How to add a school calendar to your iPhone
By the makers of Somiya. The first method needs no app at all. Steps written for iOS 17 and later; menu names can differ slightly between iOS versions.
Schools publish the year in one of three forms: a calendar link, a calendar file, or a PDF and paper letters. Each form needs a different method. Find yours below.
1. The school gives a calendar link
The link often ends in .ics or starts with webcal://. Look for words like “subscribe”, “iCal” or “add to calendar” on the school website or in the school app.
- Copy the link.
- Open the Settings app and go to Calendar (on newer iOS versions: Settings → Apps → Calendar).
- Tap Calendar Accounts → Add Account → Other → Add Subscribed Calendar.
- Paste the link, tap Next, then Save.
Good: it updates by itself when the school changes a date. Limit: it is on your phone only. Your partner has to do the same steps on their phone, and nobody gets a reminder unless they set one.
2. The school gives a calendar file (.ics)
On the iPhone, tap the file in Mail or Files and choose Add All to put the events into your Calendar app. This is a copy: if the school changes a date later, your copy does not change.
Before you import, you can open the file in our free calendar file checker to see how many events it holds and the first and last dates. The file stays in your browser.
3. The school gives a PDF or a paper letter
This is the most common form, and the iPhone has no built-in way to turn it into events. You can type each date by hand. Or you can take a photo of the letter, or open the PDF, in Somiya: it proposes the events with the dates filled in, and you check each one before it is saved. The photo itself is not stored.
Share the school calendar with the whole family
Methods 1 and 2 put the school calendar on one phone. In Somiya, you add the dates once and every family member sees them:
- Import the .ics file from the school, or from your own calendar. You see every event before it is saved, and you can undo the whole import for 30 minutes.
- Take a photo of the term letter or the sports schedule, and confirm the events Somiya proposes.
- Each person gets their own reminder, in their own timezone — the parent who drives on Thursday gets the Thursday reminder.
- The events also appear in each person's iPhone Calendar app, next to work.
One limit, plainly: Somiya does not open links, so it cannot subscribe to the school's live calendar. Download the file from the link and import it. If the school changes a date later, the change does not reach Somiya by itself.
When Somiya is the wrong choice
- The school gives a calendar link and that is all you need. Method 1 is free and updates by itself.
- Anyone in the family uses Android. Somiya is iPhone-only today.
Price
One subscription covers the whole family, up to 8 people: $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year ($19.99 for the first year). In Europe, €5.99 a month or €39.99 a year (€22.99 for the first year). The first 14 days are free. It includes the shared family calendar, grocery lists and chores.
Questions
How do I add my child's school calendar to my iPhone?
If the school gives a calendar link (it often ends in .ics or starts with webcal://), add it as a subscribed calendar: in the Settings app, open Calendar, then Calendar Accounts, Add Account, Other, Add Subscribed Calendar, and paste the link. On some iOS versions Calendar is inside Settings, Apps. If the school gives only a PDF or a paper letter, the dates have to be entered by hand, or read from a photo by an app such as Somiya.
Will the school calendar update by itself?
A subscribed calendar updates by itself when the school changes it. An imported .ics file does not: it is a copy of the calendar on the day you imported it.
How do I share the school calendar with my partner?
A subscribed calendar is on your phone only, so each parent has to subscribe on their own phone. In Somiya, you import or capture the school dates once and every family member sees them, each with their own reminders.
Can Somiya read a school letter or PDF?
Yes. Take a photo of the letter or open the PDF, and Somiya proposes events with the dates filled in. Nothing is saved until you check and confirm it. The photo itself is not stored.
Can Somiya subscribe to the school's calendar link?
No. Somiya does not open links. Download the .ics file from the link in a browser and import the file. The import is a copy and does not update when the school changes its calendar.