Home Forums Peripherals & Multimedia iTunes, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV iPad to iMac Calendar syncing

Rather than get out of iCloud altogether but then lose a bunch of stuff, I decided to stay in for some functions I could actually use. For example, the email on my two devices is coordinated. However, the only two other coordinations of interest don't want to work: Calendar and Contacts.

Contacts is not the end of the world as it doesn't change that much and gets updated periodically when I sync tunes. I sync the Calendar at the same time.

My Calendar, however, is in constant flux and it would be good to have automatically syncing. However, no matter what I do, I can't seem to get the iMac and the iPad to get the Calendars coordinated.

iPad (Model MD520C/A) is iOS 10.3.2 and iMac (early 2008) is OS 10.11.6

Just to make sure you have done the minimum "obvious" requirements:

• Both Mac and iPad are signed into the same iCloud account
• On the Mac, System Preferences>iCloud, Calendars is checked
• On the iPad, Settings>User[topmost, your name]>iCloud, Calendars is turned on

If these are the case, then try signing out then signing in to the iCloud on the device that is least current. Maybe even sign out/in on both if just doing it on one doesn't do the trick.

Also, if the iPad is wifi only, syncing could be delayed until a network connection has been established for awhile. If it has cellular capability, then make sure Calendars is allowed to use cellular data in Settings>Cellular>Calendars & Reminders [turned on].

One more thing to check on your iPad: Settings>Calendar [pause here to check that "Accounts" shows your iMac iCloud account]>Sync. Choose here the number of past periods you want to synchronize.

See if any of that makes a difference if my above suggestions did not do so.

These all appear to be okay, although I noticed something odd as I checked "Account Details" on the iMac. It shows the two machines and it lists:

• Model
• Version
• Serial Number

...although the iPad has two additional headings:

• Phone Number (with a number I do not recognize and have never had)
• IMEI

I also noticed that the Names are different. For example "Winken's iMac" and "Blinkens iPad"


I was not sure how to do that although I connected and disconnected the "iCloud Drive". It generated a partial fix. The Contacts (which were not working) now coordinate and I have tested with both machines on....and could see the changes happen in real time.

Calendars....still nada.


I have "Sync All Events" checked.

If your iPad has cellular connectivity that is the phone number attached to the cellular data account. Because cellular data comes through the telephone network there has to be a telephone number "address" — not to mention the telco's billing system.

For information on the IMEI number check here.

The "names" are arbitrary and used to identify the device on your Apple account. You can change them to whatever you want. On the iPad that is in Settings > General > About > Name. On the iMac it is in System Preferences > Sharing

None of these have any effect on data sharing through the iCloud account.

As to the Calendar, on your iPad open the Calendar app then touch Calendar at the bottom of the screen and compare the calendar name you see there with what you see on the iMac in the Calendar app when you click on the Calendars button at the top left of the window. Those names should exactly match.

We have lift-off.


The names were slightly different (one had national holidays, the other didn't). After that was corrected I went into iCloud, turned Calendars off, then back on, and things started working. I was able to add an event on the iPad and watch the change on the iMac in real time.

Thanks Ira, thanks joemike.