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Connect Apple iCloud

  • About 7 minutes
  • Apple ID and app-specific password

Connect Apple iCloud using CalDAV with an app-specific password. Apple requires one for third-party apps when you have Two-Factor Authentication enabled, which is required for all Apple accounts.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • An iCloud account (Apple ID) with calendars
  • Two-Factor Authentication enabled (enabled by default for all accounts)
  • Access to appleid.apple.com to generate an app-specific password

Generate an app-specific password

  1. Go to Apple ID settings

    Open your browser and go to appleid.apple.com. Sign in with your Apple ID email and password.

    Apple ID login page (opens the full-size image)
    Apple ID login page

  2. Authenticate with two-factor

    Apple will send a verification code to your trusted devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac). Enter the 6-digit code when prompted.

    Two-factor authentication code entry (opens the full-size image)
    Two-factor authentication code entry

  3. Navigate to the security section

    Once logged in, find and click on the Sign-In and Security section.

    Apple ID account page with Sign-In and Security section (opens the full-size image)
    Apple ID account page with Sign-In and Security section

  4. Click “App-Specific Passwords”

    In the Security section, scroll down until you find App-Specific Passwords and click on it.

    Security settings with App-Specific Passwords option (opens the full-size image)
    Security settings with App-Specific Passwords option

  5. Generate a new password

    Click the Generate an app-specific password button (or the + icon). When prompted for a name, enter something descriptive like:

    • SyncMyDay
    • SyncMyDay Calendar Sync
    Dialog for entering app-specific password name (opens the full-size image)
    Dialog for entering app-specific password name

  6. Copy the password

    Apple will generate a password that looks like this: abcd-efgh-ijkl-mnop

    Generated app-specific password displayed (opens the full-size image)
    Generated app-specific password displayed

Connect your iCloud calendar in SyncMyDay

  1. Go to Calendar Connections

    Return to SyncMyDay and navigate to Calendars in the menu, or go directly to the Calendar Connections page.

    SyncMyDay dashboard with Calendars menu (opens the full-size image)
    SyncMyDay dashboard with Calendars menu

  2. Click “Apple / CalDAV”

    Find and click the Apple / CalDAV button with the Apple logo.

    Calendar providers with Apple iCloud option (opens the full-size image)
    Calendar providers with Apple iCloud option

  3. Enter your credentials

    Fill in the connection form:

    • Email: your full Apple ID email (e.g., your.email@icloud.com)
    • Password: paste the app-specific password you copied from Apple (including the dashes, or without — both work)
    iCloud connection form with email and password fields (opens the full-size image)
    iCloud connection form with email and password fields

  4. Select calendars

    After connecting, SyncMyDay will fetch your iCloud calendars. Select which ones you want to sync. Common iCloud calendars include:

    • Home — your default personal calendar
    • Work — if you’ve created a work calendar
    • Family — shared family calendar
    • Any custom calendars you’ve created
    Calendar selection with iCloud calendars (opens the full-size image)
    Calendar selection with iCloud calendars

  5. All done

    Your Apple iCloud calendar is now connected. You’ll see it in your calendar connections list.

    Successfully connected iCloud calendar (opens the full-size image)
    Successfully connected iCloud calendar

Troubleshooting

“Authentication failed” or “Invalid credentials”

Common causes:

  • Used your regular Apple ID password instead of the app-specific password
  • Typo in email address or password
  • App-specific password was revoked

Solution:

  1. Double-check you’re using the app-specific password, not your regular password.
  2. Generate a new app-specific password and try again.
  3. Make sure your email is correct (include @icloud.com or @me.com).

I don’t see the “App-Specific Passwords” option

This usually means Two-Factor Authentication isn’t enabled on your account.

Solution:

  1. Go to Apple ID settings at appleid.apple.com.
  2. Navigate to Sign-In and Security.
  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication.
  4. Once enabled, the App-Specific Passwords option will appear.

Sync is slow (15-minute delay)

This is normal for iCloud calendars. Apple’s CalDAV protocol doesn’t support real-time webhooks like Google or Microsoft.

Why? We poll iCloud every 15 minutes to check for changes. This is the standard approach for CalDAV providers and balances responsiveness with server load.

Alternative: If you need instant synchronization, consider using Google Calendar or Microsoft 365 instead, which both support real-time webhooks.

How do I revoke an app-specific password?

If you need to revoke access:

  1. Go to appleid.apple.com.
  2. Sign in and navigate to Sign-In and Security.
  3. Click on App-Specific Passwords.
  4. Find “SyncMyDay” in the list.
  5. Click Revoke next to it.

You can also disconnect the calendar from SyncMyDay’s Calendar Connections page, and we’ll stop using the credentials.

Next steps

Connect another calendar A sync rule needs at least 2 calendars. Open Create your first rule Choose where busy time comes from and where it goes, and add filters. Open

Technical details

For developers and IT

CalDAV protocol

Apple iCloud uses the CalDAV protocol (RFC 4791):

  • Server URL: https://caldav.icloud.com
  • Principal URL: automatically discovered via DAV service discovery
  • Authentication: Basic Auth with Apple ID + app-specific password

Polling interval

Since CalDAV doesn’t support push notifications, we poll every 15 minutes:

  • Uses PROPFIND requests to check calendar metadata.
  • Only downloads changed events (using ETags).
  • Minimizes bandwidth and respects Apple’s rate limits.

Credential storage

  • App-specific passwords are encrypted with AES-256 and stored securely in our database.
  • Never transmitted in plain text (always HTTPS).
  • Immediately deleted when the calendar is disconnected.

Compatibility

This connection method works with:

  • iCloud.com calendars
  • Calendars synced to iCloud from iOS devices
  • Calendars synced from the macOS Calendar app
  • Shared iCloud calendars (if you have write permission)

Limitations

  • No real-time sync: 15-minute polling interval
  • App-specific password required: cannot use your regular password
  • Two-factor authentication required: all iCloud accounts now require 2FA

Didn't work? Write to us and we will help you.