How to Create a Calendar in Google Sheets

Google Sheets has a lot of useful features that make it more functional than any regular spreadsheet. It gives you the ability to create dynamic calendars that can be easily edited for people with flexible schedules.

In this article, we’ll show you how to create a calendar in Google Sheets, along with several tips to make Google Sheets more functional.

How to Create a Calendar in Google Sheets on a PC

As Google Sheets was initially made for use with desktop computers, creating a calendar on a PC is the easiest method due to the availability of the keyboard and mouse. They make editing cells and entering data and formulas a lot easier on a desktop as opposed to a mobile device. To create a calendar in Google Sheets on a PC, follow these steps:

1. Using a Template
   • Open a new file in Google Sheets or type in “sheets.new” on Google Chrome to automatically create a blank sheet.
     
   • Click on “File,” hover over “New” then choose “From Template Gallery.”
     
   • There are several template designs to choose from. If you wish to use a dynamic calendar template, choose “Annual Calendar.” Google Sheets will load the calendar template.
     
   • You’ll now see a fully populated calendar. On the sheets bar below you’ll see a sheet for the entire year along with a separate sheet for each calendar month. There will also be an extra sheet that lets you customize your calendar. You can delete this particular sheet if you want.
     
   • To change the calendar year, make sure that you’re on the “Year” sheet, then click on the large year text on the right.
     
   • The formula will show “=YEAR(TODAY())” meaning that the current calendar will show the current year. If you wish to change this to a specific year, enter a date inside the quotation marks inside the parentheses. For example, if you wish to change the date to 2025 the formula should show “=YEAR(“1/01/2025”)”. Remember to include the quotation marks or you will encounter a #NUM error.
     
   • When you tap “Enter” each day will move according to the year that you select.
     
   • To change the style of the calendar, click on “Format” in the top menu, then choose “Theme.”
     
   • On the right, you’ll be shown a list of style templates. Click on each to preview how each theme will look.
     
   • To further customize each theme, click on the “Customize” button at the top of the Themes menu.
     
   • Under customization, you can change the font style, font color, and accent colors of each calendar. Note that any changes made to any sheet will affect all sheets in the file.
     
   • Once you’ve finished customizing the calendar, click on “Done.”
     
   • While editing your Google Sheets calendar online, it will automatically save any changes. If you’re currently offline, the file will update once you go online again.
   • You can move between each month’s sheet and add or edit any data for each calendar day.
2. Creating a Calendar From Scratch
   • Open a new file in Google Sheets or type in “sheets.new” in Google Chrome to automatically open a blank Google Sheets file.
     
   • You’ll only need seven columns so delete the rest to make the file look neat. Hold Ctrl then left-click columns H to Z to select them all.
     
   • Right-click to show the pop-up menu then choose “Delete selected columns.”
     
   • In the first column, first row, enter a month and a four-number year. For example, enter “3/2022,” or “March 2022” in cell a1. This will format that particular cell to accept the month and date.
     
   • Select cells in rows A1 to G1. Make sure that each is highlighted by holding Ctrl and clicking on each cell individually.
     
   • On the top menu, click on “Format,” hover over “Merge Cells” then select “Merge All.”
     
   • You can change the formatting on this cell by using the tools on the top menu. You can change the font, font size, alignment, and other specifics with the tools available.
     
   • In rows A2 to G2, type in each day respectively. Regular calendars start on Sunday and end on Saturday.
     
   • To determine what day the first day of the month starts on, double click on your month cell. This will display a small calendar that shows what day it starts.
     
   • Populate the calendar. You can adjust individual cell sizes by using the format tool on the top menu.
     
   • Once finished, you can copy and paste this month below to create multiple months or paste it into a new sheet to create a separate month. To do this, click and drag your mouse to select the entire calendar then right-click. On the popup menu choose “Copy.”
     
   • On a new sheet or just below the first month, right-click then select “Paste.”
     
   • Edit the days as required. Repeat the process until you create a calendar for each month that you need.
     
   • If you’re online all changes that you’ve made will be automatically saved. If you’re using Sheets via offline access, any changes will be updated once you return online.

How to Create a Calendar in Google Sheets on an iPhone

Google Sheets is available as a mobile app for iPhone, though the editing tools are limited when compared with the desktop version. Most of the formatting tools needed to create a calendar, however, are available in the mobile version so you can still create one, though the controls may be a bit awkward. You can create a calendar on the mobile version of the Google Sheets app either by:

1. Using a Template
   • Open the Google Sheets app. If you don’t have it, download it from the Apple App Store.
     
   • Tap on the + icon to create a new Sheets file.
     
   • Tap on “Choose Template.” The Annual Calendar template is a dynamic calendar that changes days automatically depending on the year. The other calendar templates need to be changed manually. Choose which template you prefer.
     
   • As with the desktop version, tapping on the year will allow you to change the year displayed via the formula “=YEAR(TODAY()).”
     
   • Unlike the desktop version, you can’t edit the template of this calendar as the tools are limited. You can change the font and font size of individual cells, but there’s no way to edit everything at once. You can however edit the file you created on a desktop computer later.
2. From Scratch
   • Open the Google Sheets app.
     
   • Tap on the + icon to create a new spreadsheet.
     
   • Choose “New Spreadsheet.”
     
   • As with the desktop version, you can format the columns and cells using the format tools on the bottom of the screen. Tapping and holding on a cell, column, or row will reveal the copy and paste commands. The “Merge,” “Alignment,” and “Font” commands are available at the bottom of the screen.
     
   • You can edit the sheet by following the steps mentioned in the section on creating a calendar from scratch on the PC above.
   • Changes made online are automatically saved. If you’re using a file available offline, all changes will be updated when you go back online.

How to Create a Calendar in Google Sheets on an Android Device

The mobile Google Sheets app is a platform-agnostic application, so the Android version is the same as the one for iPhone and iOS. As such, all the instructions for creating a calendar on Google Sheets for iPhone are exactly the same as the ones for Android.

The only difference is that instead of downloading from the Apple App Store, Google Sheets usually comes pre-installed for Android devices. If it’s not available for your device, you can download it via the Google Play Store.

A Versatile Spreadsheet

Google Sheets has slowly but surely been increasing its functionality as a versatile spreadsheet application. The ability to create both regular and dynamic calendars is a handy feature that event planners can take advantage of.

Do you know of other ways to create a calendar in Google Sheets? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.