Sync Facebook Birthdays to Google Calendar

Never Miss a Birthday: Exporting Facebook Birthdays to Your Calendar

Do you occasionally find yourself struggling to remember the birthdays of your friends? Alternatively, perhaps you simply prefer to maintain a centralized record of all significant dates. Regardless of your reason, a convenient solution is readily available.

Facebook stores a wealth of data about our connections, including their birthdays. Fortunately, accessing this information for use in your preferred calendar application is now a straightforward process.

The Evolution of Facebook Birthday Exports

Previously, exporting Facebook birthdays required the use of third-party applications, such as FBcal. However, Facebook has since implemented a built-in feature.

This native functionality allows users to obtain an iCal feed or a .ics file. This enables seamless integration with virtually any calendar program.

How to Import Facebook Birthdays

Facebook now provides a direct method for generating a calendar feed.
You can download this feed in either iCal or .ics format.
Import the downloaded file into your calendar application of choice.

This ensures that your friends’ birthdays are automatically added to your schedule, helping you stay organized and never miss an important day. The process is designed to be user-friendly and efficient.

By utilizing this feature, you can leverage Facebook’s data to enhance your personal organization and maintain stronger relationships with your friends and family.

iCal Web Calendar vs. .ics File: Which Should You Choose?

When exporting Facebook birthdays, you have two options: a static .ics file or a dynamic web iCal feed. The .ics file represents a snapshot of your Facebook friends' birthdays as they currently exist.

Consequently, any new friends added to your Facebook account after the file is exported will not be reflected in the imported Birthday calendar derived from the .ics file.

The Advantage of the Web iCal Feed

Conversely, the web iCal feed offers continuous updates. Whenever you add or remove friends on Facebook, the calendar will automatically adjust to reflect these changes.

This makes the web iCal feed a more practical solution for ongoing birthday tracking. However, there are valid reasons for preferring the .ics file format, and instructions for accessing both methods are provided below.

Accessing Both Options

Both the .ics file download and the web iCal feed URL are readily available within Facebook's settings. You can choose the method that best suits your individual needs and preferences.

Key Consideration: If your Facebook friend list is frequently updated, the web iCal feed is highly recommended to ensure your birthday calendar remains current.

Locating and Exporting Your Facebook Birthday Feed or .ics File

Navigate to the Events section on Facebook. This can be accessed from the Home page via the menu on the left-hand side. Scroll to the bottom of the Events page and select "Birthdays".

Further scrolling down the Birthdays page will reveal an option labeled "Export Birthdays". Clicking this initiates the export process.

A webcal URL will then be provided. This URL is designed for importing Facebook birthdays directly into Google Calendar. Simply copy this URL to proceed to the import stage.

To obtain an .ics file, paste the copied URL into your browser's address bar. Do not press Enter immediately.

Highlight and remove the "webcal://" prefix from the URL. Pressing Enter after this modification will trigger the download of the .ics file to your computer.

Saving the .ics file creates a backup copy for future use. This file is also necessary for importing the birthday data into Google Calendar.

Having a saved copy ensures accessibility should you need to re-import the data or utilize it with other calendaring applications.

Integrating Birthday Calendars or .ics Files with Google Calendar

When you wish to integrate an iCal web calendar feed into Google Calendar, locate the "Other Calendars" section within your calendar list on the left-hand side. Select the drop-down arrow and then choose the "Add By URL" option.

The URL that was previously copied should now be pasted into the presented dialogue box. Initially, it may appear as "Friends Birthdays" in the calendar list, but this name can be customized to your preference.

Importing via URL vs. File

A comparable process exists for importing calendars into Outlook or iCal should you favor those platforms. However, the method differs slightly depending on whether you have a URL or a downloaded .ics file.

To import a .ics file directly into Google Calendar, begin by following the initial steps outlined above. Instead of selecting "Add by URL", choose "Import Calendar" and then browse to locate the .ics file that you previously downloaded.

Alternative Calendar Software Options

It is also feasible to import .ics files or iCal web calendars directly into other calendar applications, such as Outlook or iCal.

Many iCal users, however, discover that a streamlined workflow involves creating and importing calendars using Google Calendar. Subsequently, they synchronize Google Calendar with iCal to ensure both a backup and local accessibility of their calendar data.

Google Calendar offers a user-friendly interface for managing imported calendars.
iCal provides a robust platform for synchronization and local storage.
Outlook serves as a viable alternative for direct .ics file import.

Ultimately, the optimal approach depends on your individual preferences and the specific features you require from your calendaring system. Maintaining a synchronized backup is crucial regardless of the chosen method.

Syncing Facebook Events to Your Calendar

The ability to integrate Facebook events with other calendar applications has been available for some time. This functionality was previously highlighted in a guide detailing alternative ways to utilize Facebook. Access to your Facebook Event calendar feed is achieved by navigating to Home > Events > Export, typically located at the bottom of the page.

Once located, the export feature allows you to proceed with synchronization as outlined in the general instructions provided earlier.

How to Access the Export Feature

Navigate to the Events section on your Facebook homepage.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to locate the Export option.
Follow the subsequent prompts to download your event data.

This downloaded data can then be imported into your preferred calendar application, ensuring you remain informed about upcoming events.

Leveraging Google Calendar for Birthday Reminders

A useful feature of Google Calendar is its ability to send you notifications, either via email or SMS, prior to scheduled events. This functionality can be particularly helpful for remembering significant dates.

For instance, you can configure reminders to be delivered in advance of important birthdays, ensuring you never miss a chance to send your well wishes.

Importing Facebook Birthdays into Google Calendar

By importing Facebook birthdays into Google Calendar, you can maintain a comprehensive and organized schedule of important personal events.

This method aims to help you stay organized and avoid any potential social faux pas with your friends and family.

However, the effectiveness of this technique relies on the accuracy of the birthday information provided by users on Facebook.

It's important to remember that reminders are only as reliable as the data source.
Ensure your friends have entered their correct birthdates on Facebook for optimal results.

Google Calendar provides a convenient solution for birthday management when integrated with Facebook data.