What the 🦊 is an .ics file?
An industry‑standard calendar file (RFC 5545). Double‑click it, and your calendar app imports the events. Works on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar, and most others.
Apple Calendar (Mac)
- Download the .ics file.
- Double‑click it. Choose your calendar (e.g., Work).
- Click OK. All sessions appear instantly.
Tip: If it opens in a different app, right‑click → Open With → Calendar.
Outlook (Desktop)
- Download the file.
- Open Outlook → drag the .ics onto your calendar.
- Click Save & Close.
Windows may ask which app to use — choose Outlook.
Google Calendar (Web)
- Download the file to your computer.
- Go to Google Calendar → ⚙️ Settings → Import & export.
- Choose file → select start-smarter-series.ics → pick a target calendar → Import.
Mobile Gmail/Calendar apps don't import .ics directly — use the web first.
iPhone / iPad
- Tap the download button above on your device.
- When prompted, choose Calendar.
- Pick a calendar and confirm to add all sessions.
If your phone just saves the file, find it in Files, tap it, then choose Calendar.
Android
- Download the file to your device.
- Open it from the Downloads folder or notification; your calendar app (Google Calendar, Outlook, etc.) should open automatically.
- Confirm to add all events to your chosen calendar.
If your device doesn't handle .ics files, use desktop Google Calendar to import — it syncs to your phone instantly.
Outlook (Web / Microsoft 365)
- Open Outlook Calendar on the web.
- Click Add calendar → Upload from file.
- Select the .ics and the destination calendar → Import.
- Nothing happens on double‑click? Right‑click the file → Open With → choose your calendar app.
- Events show at the wrong time? Your calendar will auto‑convert from UTC. Check your time‑zone settings in Calendar/Outlook/Google.
- Imported twice? Delete the duplicates and re‑import once. Each event has a unique ID to minimize duplicates.
- Mobile won't import? Use the desktop/web import; your phone will sync the events in seconds.
🗓️
Security & convenience: the .ics file contains only event info (titles, times, location, and the Teams join link). No tracking, no scripts — just calendar data.