To change ownership of a Google Calendar, you must transfer a secondary calendar you own to another person using the owner-side steps in Google Calendar on a desktop browser. The entire process takes a few minutes, but the transfer only completes after the new owner accepts the invitation.
What to Know Before You Change Ownership of a Google Calendar
Before you begin, understand that you can only change ownership of a Google Calendar that is a secondary calendar. Your primary calendar, which is automatically assigned to your Google account, cannot be transferred. Secondary calendars are any calendars you create or that someone else creates and shares with you. For work or school accounts, the new calendar owner must belong to the same organization. Also, a calendar ownership transfer cannot be reversed unless the new owner transfers it back to you, so only proceed when you are certain about the handoff.
Step 1: Open Google Calendar on Your Computer
Open your preferred web browser and navigate to calendar.google.com. Sign in with the Google account that currently owns the secondary calendar you want to transfer. If you have multiple accounts, double-check that you are signed in with the correct one, because only the current owner can initiate the transfer.
Step 2: Find the Calendar and Open Settings and Sharing
In the left sidebar, locate and click "My calendars" if it is not already expanded. Hover over the calendar you wish to transfer, then click the three-dot "Options" (or "More") icon next to its name. Select "Settings and sharing" from the menu. This opens the calendar's settings page where you control sharing and ownership.
Step 3: Add the New Owner with the Right Permission
Scroll down to the "Shared with specific people or groups" section. If the person you want to make the new owner is not listed, click "Add people and groups," enter their email address, select "Make changes and manage sharing" from the "Permissions" drop-down, and click "Send." This step is required before you can transfer ownership, because the person must already have access to the calendar with that permission level.
Step 4: Transfer Ownership to the New Owner
Next to the name of the person you want to make the owner, click the permissions drop-down menu. Select "Transfer ownership." A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm the action. Confirm the transfer by clicking "Transfer ownership" in the pop-up window. The new owner will receive an email with a link and has 60 days to accept ownership.
What Happens After You Transfer Ownership
Once you confirm the transfer, the new owner receives an email invitation with a link to accept. You will remain the owner until the new owner accepts the transfer, so nothing changes immediately. After the new owner clicks the link and accepts, your permission level for that calendar will automatically change to "Make changes and manage sharing." You will no longer have administrative control. Also, if a Google account is deleted, all calendars owned by that account are also deleted unless ownership has been transferred, so completing the transfer protects the calendar's data.
How to Check the New Ownership
To verify the transfer succeeded, go back to your Google Calendar main page. Hover over the calendar in the sidebar to confirm the new owner's name or email is listed. If you see the new owner's name or email address, the transfer is complete and they now have full control. If the old owner still appears, the new owner has not yet accepted the invitation, and you will need to wait until they do or remind them to check their email.
