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Mastering the Palette: How to Change the Color on Google Calendar

Changing the color of your events and calendars in Google Calendar is a fundamental skill for effective scheduling and visual organization. It allows you to quickly differentiate between different types of appointments, projects, or family members, making your calendar a powerful tool for managing your time. This article will dissect exactly how to wield this power, ensuring your calendar is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

The Core: Changing Event and Calendar Colors

To change the color on Google Calendar, you have two primary targets: individual events and entire calendars. Let’s break down each process.

Changing the Color of an Individual Event

This is the simplest and most immediate way to add visual cues to your schedule. Here’s how:

Open Google Calendar: Navigate to calendar.google.com in your web browser or open the Google Calendar app on your mobile device.
Locate the Event: Find the event whose color you want to alter.
Edit the Event:
- On a computer: Click on the event to open its details. Then, click the Edit button (usually a pencil icon).
- On a mobile device: Tap the event to open its details. Tap the Edit icon (usually a pencil icon).
Select the Color:
- On a computer: Look for the color palette icon, usually located near the top or bottom of the event details window. Click on it to reveal a selection of colors.
- On a mobile device: Scroll down to find the color option and tap it to open the color palette.
Choose Your Color: Select your desired color from the available options. Google provides a decent selection, but you can also customize if needed (more on that later).
Save the Changes:
- On a computer: Click Save in the event details window.
- On a mobile device: Tap the check mark or Save button in the upper right corner.

Voila! Your event now sports its new hue.

Changing the Color of an Entire Calendar

This is where you can really personalize your calendar’s visual identity. Changing the color of an entire calendar means that all events associated with that calendar will inherit that color.

Open Google Calendar: As before, access Google Calendar through your web browser or mobile app.
Locate the Calendar: On the left-hand side of the screen (on a computer) or in the “Calendars” menu (on a mobile device), you’ll see a list of your calendars.
Access Calendar Settings:
- On a computer: Hover over the calendar you want to change. Click the three vertical dots (options menu) that appear next to the calendar name.
- On a mobile device: Tap the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) in the top left corner to open the sidebar. Then, tap the three dots next to the calendar’s name you want to change.
Select the Color: A color palette will appear. Choose your preferred color. The change is usually instantaneous.
(Optional) Add Custom Colors:
- On a computer: In the calendar settings, click the “+” icon in the color palette to select a custom color.
- On a mobile device: The option for custom colors may not be directly available but if it is tap the “+” icon to customize the color.

Your calendar and all its associated events now reflect your chosen color. This is a powerful way to visually categorize different aspects of your life.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

These FAQs address common questions and provide deeper insights into managing colors in Google Calendar.

1. Can I use custom colors for my events and calendars?

Absolutely! On the desktop version, when changing a calendar’s color, you have the option to add a custom color by clicking the “+” icon within the color palette. This allows you to enter a hex code or use a color picker to select the precise shade you desire. Customization options on mobile are more limited, but often offer a wider selection than the default palette.

2. Why are some of my event colors different even though they’re on the same calendar?

This typically happens when you’ve manually changed the color of individual events. Remember, event-specific color overrides the calendar’s default color. To revert an event to the calendar’s color, edit the event and select the calendar’s color from the color palette.

3. How do I change the color of events created by Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) apps like Google Meet?

Events generated by integrated apps like Google Meet usually inherit the calendar’s color. If you want to differentiate them, you need to manually change the color of the specific event. There isn’t a global setting to automatically assign different colors to events created by specific apps.

4. Can I assign different colors to recurring events?

Yes, you can change the color of a recurring event series. When you edit a recurring event and change its color, Google Calendar will ask if you want to apply the change to this event only, all events in the series, or this and all following events. Choose the option that best suits your needs.

5. Is there a way to set a default color for new events I create?

While you can’t set a global default color for all new events, you can set a default color for a specific calendar. New events created on that calendar will automatically inherit that calendar’s color.

6. My shared calendar has a color I don’t like. Can I change it just for me?

Yes! The colors you assign to shared calendars are local to your view only. Changing the color of a shared calendar on your calendar will not affect how it appears for other users who have access to the same calendar.

7. How do I identify which calendar an event belongs to quickly?

The color of the event is your primary indicator. If you have multiple calendars displayed, each with a distinct color, the event’s color instantly reveals its origin. You can also hover your mouse over the event (on a computer) to see which calendar it belongs to. On mobile, you usually need to open the event details.

8. Can I use color coding to track different types of tasks or projects?

Absolutely! Color-coding is a fantastic way to visually organize your calendar based on task type, project priority, or any other categorization you find useful. For example, you could use green for client meetings, blue for internal projects, and red for deadlines.

9. What’s the best way to choose colors for my Google Calendar?

Consider the following when choosing colors:

Contrast: Ensure good contrast between the event color and the background for readability.
Association: Choose colors that intuitively relate to the event type (e.g., green for nature-related activities, red for urgent tasks).
Personal Preference: Ultimately, choose colors that you find visually appealing and that help you quickly understand your schedule.

10. Are there any accessibility considerations when choosing colors?

Yes! Be mindful of colorblindness. Avoid using red and green together, as this combination can be difficult for people with red-green colorblindness to distinguish. Opt for colors with high contrast and consider using patterns or symbols in addition to color.

11. I changed a calendar’s color, but some events still have the old color. Why?

As mentioned earlier, individual event colors override calendar colors. Check if those events were manually assigned a different color in the past. If so, you’ll need to change their colors individually to match the calendar’s new color.

12. Is it possible to export or share my Google Calendar color settings?

Unfortunately, no. Google Calendar’s color settings are tied to your individual Google account and calendar setup. There’s no built-in way to export or share these settings with others. Each user needs to configure their calendar colors independently.