How to change colors on Google Calendar 

Google Calendar gives you the option to create calendars for whatever you may please, but creating too many of these without customizing them in a way that makes sense will make it difficult to differentiate between the calendars and what they represent. Fortunately, you can personalize your calendar with colors to stay organized.

One of the great things about Google Calendar is that you can pretty much use whatever color scheme you want. Here’s how you can color-code calendars to personalize them to your liking.

How to change the color of your Google calendars

How you change the color will depend on the device you use. While it’s possible with both a desktop and phone, using the latter has limitations. The biggest being the inability to add new colors as you can only create new calendars using a desktop and not through the Calendar app on your phone.

Google Calendar offers a small handful of colors to pick from. But you also have the option to pick specific ones with Hex colors. These are a combination of numbers and letters that represent different colors. You can explore color options and the associated codes online and copy copy and paste it using the following steps.

How to change the color of your whole calendar on your desktop

1. Open Google Calendar.
2. Locate the calendar for the color you want to change
3. Select the three dots to open the menu. This will show you the available colors.
4. You can select one of the present options or click the + icon to select a custom color.

   

   

5. Scroll the cursor on the bar to pick your color. You can select a specific color family and play around with the intensity.
6. To add a custom color, search for the Hex code online and paste it into the associated window.

How to change the color of a single Google Calendar event on your desktop

1. Right-click the event you want to change the color for.
2. Select from the predetermined list of colors. The change will apply automatically.

Change the color of your calendar through the Google Calendar app

The following instructions work on both Android and iOS devices. The example below uses an Android phone, but iPhone users can follow along.

1. Open the app.
2. Tap the three lines on the top left side of the screen to open the menu.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Select the calendar you want to change the color for.
5. You’ll be presented with a predetermined list of options.

How to change the appearance of your calendar with dark and light modes

Besides picking specific colors for separate calendars, you also have the option to change up the appearance to light, dark, or device default mode.

How to change the appearance using your desktop

1. Open Google Calendar.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Appearance.
4. You’ll see three options: Light, Dark, or Default.
5. Select the option you want, then click Done.

How to change the appearance on your Android device

These steps work on Android and iOS. While we’re using Android, for this example, you can follow along if you’re using an iOS device.

1. Open the calendar app.
2. Select the three bars on the top left of the screen to open the menu.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap General.
5. Tap Theme and pick one of the three options.

Change the color of your Google calendar on Outlook

Microsoft offers its users the ability to merge their Google Calendar with Outlook so they can see everything in one place. When you do this, you also have the option to personalize how you see the events from your Google Calendar.

How to add your Google Calendar to Outlook on your desktop

1. Open your Google Calendar.
2. Select My Calendars.
3. On the calendar you want to export, select the three dots, followed by Settings and sharing.
4. Select Export calendar. It will save as a zipped folder.
5. Open the Outlook application on your desktop and head to your calendar.
6. Click File.
7. Click Open & Export.
8. Click Import/Export.
9. Click Import an iCalendar (.ics) or vCalendar file (.vcs).
10. Click Next.
11. Locate the file on your device. It should end with gmail.com.
12. Select OK.
13. Select Import.

How to customize Google Calendar colors in Outlook

Unfortunately, the syncing process doesn’t move over any specific colors picked on Google Calendar. You can use third party apps to bring the custom color selections from Google Calendar to Outlook, such as CompanionLink and Outlook Google Calendar Sync. Alternatively, you can assign color categories to events in your Outlook calendar.

How to assign color categories on Outlook calendar events

1. Open your Outlook calendar.
2. Right-click the event you want to change the color for.
3. Click Categorize.
4. Pick from the available colors. If you want to see more color options, select New category.
5. Each of the categories are named after a corresponding color. To change the name, select Manage Categories.

How to change colors on Google Calendar with Time Insights

Time Insights is a tool that allows you to visualize how you’re spending your time. You can add color labels to the events on your calendar to track what you’re spending your time on. This feature requires access to Google Workplace.

How to create and assign color labels with Time Insights on your desktop

1. Click More insights, located at the top left of your screen. You might have to open the menu to access it.
2. Click Edit.
3. To create a new color label, press the plus sign at the bottom left of the screen.
4. Click Save.

Google only allows you to create labels on a desktop. The Google Calendar app will allow you to assign a color label on your phone.

How to assign a Time Insights color label using an Android device

The following instructions are specific to Android devices. However, iOS users are able to follow along.

1. Open the Google Calendar app.
2. Create a new event or select an existing one.
3. Select Edit.
4. Pick your current calendar color.
5. Select a label color you made on your desktop.
6. Click Save.

Looking at a calendar stacked full of information can be difficult. Google’s features that allow you to customize colors help solve that problem. While the process does have its limitations, including the inability to create custom calendar colors on your phone, the feature is a helpful tool to help you stay organized. Want to get even more out of the calendar app? There are several Google Calendar tips you can use to stay on top of things.