You marked yourself as “going” to that concert next week 🙁
But where the hell is it in your calendar?!
This drives me INSANE!
And I’m not gonna lie, you do EVERYTHING right – you accept the event on Facebook, you double-check your settings, you even restart your phone like you’re some kind of tech support expert.
But those Facebook events? Ghost mode activated. They’re just gone. Vanished. Disappeared into the digital void like they never existed.
The Sync That Stopped Working
So here’s what pisses me off the MOST about this whole situation.
Facebook events USED to sync automatically to your iPhone, Android, or Google Calendar. Like it was actually USEFUL once upon a time.
But not anymore…
Then both Facebook and Apple decided to screw around with how their systems talk to each other, and now nobody knows what the fuck is going on anymore. Apple removed the direct Facebook integration from iOS ages ago. And Facebook? They keep changing how their calendar export URL works, breaking everyone’s existing setups every few months like clockwork.
It’s like watching two toddlers fight over a toy except the toy is YOUR ability to remember your friend’s birthday party!
iPhone Users Getting Screwed
Let me tell you about the iPhone disaster, deadass.
If you’re on iPhone, you probably remember when Facebook events just APPEARED in your Calendar app automatically. That was nice, wasn’t it? Well kiss those days goodbye!
The “fix” is RIDICULOUS!
And the workaround they give you now? You gotta open Facebook in SAFARI (not the app, because God forbid things be easy), request the DESKTOP site on your tiny phone screen, hunt around for some buried calendar export link, copy a sketchy-looking URL, manually add a calendar subscription, and pray to whatever tech gods you believe in that it actually works.
But wait, there’s more bullshit! Even when you DO manage to subscribe to the calendar, half the time you get an “Insecure Connection” error or some garbage about SSL certificates.
Like seriously? I’m trying to see when Karen’s baby shower is, not hack into the Pentagon.
Android Users Also Suffering
You Android folks might be thinking “ha ha, sucks for iPhone users” – but hold up. You’re not safe!
The Facebook-to-Google-Calendar sync is ALSO a complete dumpster fire.
Nothing works right!
Sure, technically you can add the Facebook events URL to Google Calendar, but here’s what actually happens: Half your events don’t show up. The other half show up THREE DAYS LATE. And some just decide to display at completely random times that have nothing to do with the actual event.
Oh, and my personal favorite – events you DECLINED still show up on your calendar! So now you’re getting reminders for shit you explicitly said no to. Facebook’s notification system is already a mess, and their calendar integration is somehow even worse.
Facebook’s Genius Solution
And then you got Facebook’s OFFICIAL solution which is basically: “just manually add each event to your calendar lol”
Are you KIDDING me?!
Oh perfect! Let me just spend 20 minutes every week manually typing out event details like it’s 1995 and we’re using PAPER PLANNERS! What’s next, Facebook? Should I also carve my status updates into stone tablets? Maybe send friend requests via carrier pigeon?
Why This Keeps Breaking
Here’s the REAL problem with all this, no cap.
Facebook doesn’t give a damn about calendar integration anymore because it doesn’t make them money. They want you opening the Facebook app 50 times a day, not using your phone’s native calendar like a normal person.
They don’t CARE!
So they purposely make the export feature hard to find, they change the URL format every few months to break existing subscriptions, and they provide ZERO support when it inevitably stops working. The feature is buried deeper than your embarrassing posts from high school.
And Apple? Apple removed Facebook integration from iOS because… actually I don’t even know why. Something about privacy probably. Which is rich coming from a company that tracks everything you do anyway.
But the end result is that WE’RE the ones suffering while these tech giants play their stupid corporate games.
Workarounds That Might Work
Okay so after hours of research and way too much frustration, here are the workarounds that MIGHT work for you. No promises though because this shit changes weekly.
For iPhone/iPad Users:
1. Open Safari (NOT the Facebook app)
2. Go to facebook.com/events in desktop mode
3. Scroll to the bottom right where it says Upcoming Events
4. Right-click (or long-press) that link and copy it
5. Go to Settings > Calendar > Accounts > Add Account > Other
6. Select Add Subscribed Calendar and paste that URL
Will this work? Maybe! Depending on which iOS version you’re running and whether Facebook changed their URL format this week.
For Android/Google Calendar:
1. Open Facebook on a COMPUTER browser (yes, seriously)
2. Navigate to your Events page
3. Copy the calendar subscription URL from the bottom right
4. Go to Google Calendar on your computer
5. Click the + next to “Other Calendars”
6. Select From URL and paste your Facebook URL
Cross your fingers and sacrifice a goat to the tech gods.
The Phantom Calendar Problem
Oh and HERE’S a fun bonus issue that’ll make you want to throw your phone out a window.
That old Facebook calendar that no longer syncs? You CAN’T DELETE IT!
It’s permanent!
I’m not playing – people have reported having a dead Facebook calendar just sitting there in their calendar app, filled with ancient events that’ll never update, and there’s NO WAY to remove it. It’s like digital herpes. Once you got it, it’s there forever.
Apple support doesn’t know how to fix it. Facebook support (lol as if that exists) certainly can’t help. You’re just stuck with this zombie calendar mocking you every time you open the app.
When Events Actually Show Up
But let’s say you’re one of the lucky ones and your Facebook events actually START appearing in your calendar. Don’t celebrate yet!
Now you get NEW problems!
Because now you get to deal with:
Events showing at the wrong time – especially if the event creator didn’t set a timezone properly
Private events labeled as “Busy” – so you just see blocked-out time with no details (super helpful)
Duplicate events – the same event showing up 2 or 3 times because why not
Events that won’t DELETE – you removed yourself from the event on Facebook but your calendar didn’t get the memo
Random events you never saw – turns out someone invited you to their MLM party and your calendar auto-accepted
And my personal FAVORITE – events that show up weeks after they happened. Like thanks Facebook, real useful knowing about that job interview AFTER it already passed!
Facebook’s App “Solution”
So Facebook’s big brain idea was to create a separate “Facebook Local” or “Events from Facebook” app that you’re supposed to use instead of your regular calendar.
Yeah, no thanks. I’m not downloading ANOTHER app.
Absolutely NOT!
I already got Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and probably 12 other Meta apps I forgot about. At this point Zuckerberg probably wants me to have a separate app for each individual Facebook feature. “Download our new app just to see photos!” “Get the Facebook Poke app!” “Here’s Facebook Breathing – it reminds you to inhale!”
Fuck that noise. I want ONE calendar app that shows ALL my events from ALL sources. Is that really too much to ask?!
Third-Party Apps (That Also Break)
Some people swear by third-party calendar apps that supposedly sync better with Facebook. Apps like Fantastical, Calendars 5, and various other options that’ll probably stop working next month.
Why should we pay for this?!
But here’s the thing – why should we HAVE to pay money or download extra apps just to see our Facebook events? This is basic functionality that used to work FOR FREE! It’s like if your car manufacturer decided to charge extra for the steering wheel. Absolute bullshit, fr fr.
What Needs to Happen
Facebook needs to stop being dickheads and provide a SIMPLE, WORKING calendar export feature that doesn’t break every few months. Put it somewhere OBVIOUS. Use a standard format. Stop trying to force people into your ecosystem.
Apple needs to add back Facebook integration OR at least make calendar subscriptions that actually WORK reliably. The “Insecure Connection” error is horseshit and everyone knows it.
Just make it WORK!
And Google? Google Calendar sync should just work. That’s it. That’s all you gotta do. But will any of this happen? Probably not, because none of these companies actually care about user experience anymore. They care about data collection, advertising revenue, and keeping you trapped in their walled gardens.
If you’re running a business page or trying to promote events, your reach is already in the toilet, and now people can’t even add your events to their calendars properly. It’s a disaster at every level, lowkey.
So yeah, if your Facebook events aren’t showing up in your calendar, welcome to the club. Population: basically everyone 🙂
Share this with anyone else who’s tired of missing events because Facebook can’t get their shit together!