Keeping track of friends’ and family members’ birthdays can be challenging. Fortunately, Google Calendar makes it easy to import and sync birthday events from your Google Contacts so you never miss an important date.
Table of Contents
Add Birthdays to Google Contacts
The first step is to make sure birthdays are added properly in Google Contacts.
Here’s how:
- Open Google Contacts
- Select a contact and click “Edit”
- Scroll down and enter the contact’s date of birth under “Birthday”
- Click “Save”
Repeat this for each contact you want to sync.
Enable Birthday Calendar in Google Calendar
Once birthdays are added to Contacts, you need to enable the Birthday calendar in Google Calendar:
- Open the Google Calendar website
- In the left sidebar, click the Settings icon (shaped like a gear)
- Under “My Calendars”, check the box next to “Birthdays”
This displays all birthdays from Google Contacts on your calendar.
Sync Contacts and Calendar
For changes to sync automatically between Contacts and Calendar going forward:
- On your Android device, open Settings
- Tap Accounts > Google
- Tap your Google Account
- Ensure Contacts and Calendar sync are enabled
Now when you add or remove a birthday in Contacts, Calendar will update automatically.
Customize Birthday Notifications
By default, Google Calendar does not send notifications for birthdays. Here’s how to customize notifications:
- In Google Calendar, click the Settings icon
- Select the Birthdays calendar
- Click “Add Notification” and adjust as desired
You can configure notifications to be sent via email or mobile push notifications at your preferred interval (such as 1 week before).
Manually Add Birthdays
To add a birthday directly in Google Calendar rather than Contacts:
- Click the “+” to create a new event
- Enter the name and birth date
- Enable “Does not repeat” and change to “Repeats annually”
- Click Save
This will add the birthday as a yearly recurring event.
Import Birthdays from iPhone
If you use an iPhone, here’s how to import birthdays into Google Contacts:
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > Contacts > Export Contacts
- Email the .vcf file to yourself
- Open Google Contacts in your browser
- Click Import and upload the .vcf file
Birthdays will now sync from iPhone to Google Contacts and Calendar.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some troubleshooting tips if birthdays aren’t syncing properly:
- Confirm Contacts sync is enabled for your Google Account
- Make sure you checked “Birthdays” under My Calendars in Settings
- Try manually syncing contacts on your phone under Accounts > Google
- If a birthday disappears, re-add it in Contacts and sync
Conclusion
Syncing birthdays from Google Contacts to Google Calendar ensures you have timely reminders for every special day. Take advantage of custom notifications so you never miss sending well wishes to friends and family.
With Contacts and Calendar properly integrated, you can finally relax knowing your calendar will stay up-to-date with the latest birthdays and anniversaries. Spend less time worrying about missing dates, and more time celebrating life’s special moments with loved ones!
