Why hasn't a new shift shown up in my calendar yet?

Your calendar app checks the link on its own timetable. Microsoft says Outlook should update about every 3 to 6 hours but can take more than 24 hours.

Can I add the link in the Google Calendar phone app?

No. Google's help says new subscriptions need a computer web browser. After that, look for the calendar in the app's calendar list.

Can I edit my shifts in my phone's calendar?

No. Apple's guide calls a subscription an external, read-only calendar. Make trades and requests in the scheduling app.

Should I import the .ics file instead?

Only if subscribing fails. An imported file is a one-time copy, so later changes to your schedule won't appear.

How to subscribe to your work schedule calendar

Updated October 8, 2026 · 3 min read

Copy the calendar link from your scheduling app and add it as a subscription, not an import. In Google Calendar on a computer, choose Add other calendars, then From URL; on an iPhone, tap Calendars, Add Calendar, then Add Subscription Calendar; in Outlook, choose Add calendar, then Subscribe from web.

Subscribe instead of importing

Your scheduling app's calendar link points to a calendar file in the iCalendar (.ics) format. Adding the link as a subscription keeps your calendar connected to that file, so a trade or a new shift appears after the next refresh.

Importing works differently. Microsoft's help describes an imported .ics file as a snapshot: the events don't update, even when the schedule changes. A subscribed calendar is read-only, so you change shifts in the scheduling app, not on your phone.

1
Schedule published
Your scheduling app publishes your shifts as a calendar feed.
2
Calendar link
A private address, usually starting with https or webcal.
3
Your calendar
Google, Apple or Outlook subscribes and refreshes it on its own timetable.

A published schedule gives you a calendar link. Google, Apple or Outlook subscribes to it and refreshes it on its own timetable.

Steps for each calendar app

1
Google Calendar
Use a computer. Google's help says you can't subscribe in the Google Calendar app for Android, iPhone or iPad. In a web browser, next to Other calendars, select Add other calendars, then From URL. Paste the link and select Add calendar; it appears under Other calendars.
2
iPhone or iPad
In the Calendar app, tap Calendars, then Add Calendar, then Add Subscription Calendar. Paste the link and tap Find (Subscribe on iOS 18 or earlier). Name it, choose iCloud as the account so it shows on your other Apple devices, and save.
3
Mac
In Calendar, choose File, then New Calendar Subscription. Paste the link and click Subscribe. Name it, set Location to iCloud and click OK.
4
Outlook
With a personal account (Outlook.com), open Calendar, select Add calendar, then Subscribe from web, paste the link and select Import. With a work or school account (Outlook on the web), the path is the same and ends with Import and Save.

On an iPhone, tapping a link to an .ics calendar also starts a subscription. If the calendar doesn't show in the Google Calendar app on Android, Google's sync help says to check that it is ticked in the app's menu and that Sync is on for it in Settings.

How often each app checks for changes

Refresh timing, as each vendor's help page states it
Calendar	What the vendor says
Outlook.com (personal account)	Updates should come about every 3 h, but can take more than 24 h
Outlook on the web (work or school account)	Updates should come about every 6 h, but can take more than 24 h
Apple Calendar on a Mac	You choose: Control-click the calendar, choose Get Info, then set Auto-refresh
Apple Calendar on iPhone	No interval stated in Apple's help
Google Calendar	No interval stated in Google's help

Keep the link private

Treat the link like a password. Google gives the same advice for its own calendars: only you should know a calendar's secret address, and if you share it by mistake, reset it to get a new one.

In Capillary scheduling, each clinician's shifts at every site come through one calendar link, so shifts at two hospitals land in the same phone calendar. If your group schedules in another app, My hours reads that app's calendar link or an .ics file and shows your hours per week, nights and quick returns, privately.

Common questions

Why hasn't a new shift shown up in my calendar yet?: Your calendar app checks the link on its own timetable. Microsoft says Outlook should update about every 3 to 6 hours but can take more than 24 hours.
Can I add the link in the Google Calendar phone app?: No. Google's help says new subscriptions need a computer web browser. After that, look for the calendar in the app's calendar list.
Can I edit my shifts in my phone's calendar?: No. Apple's guide calls a subscription an external, read-only calendar. Make trades and requests in the scheduling app.
Should I import the .ics file instead?: Only if subscribing fails. An imported file is a one-time copy, so later changes to your schedule won't appear.

Build your ED schedule with rest checked on every save.

Capillary checks role, overlapping shifts and rest, including shifts at other sites, before anything is published or traded.

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