How to Add Tasks to Google Calendar (Desktop & Mobile)

To add a task to Google Calendar on a computer, click an empty slot on the calendar (or Create at the top left), choose Task, enter a title, set a date, and click Save. In the Google Calendar app on Android or iPhone, tap an empty slot or Add, tap Task, fill in the details, and tap Save. A task appears on the calendar grid only when it has a date and Tasks is checked under My calendars.

The steps below follow Google's current Calendar task help. They cover the computer and the mobile app, adding tasks from Gmail, the difference between a task and an event, and what to do when a task is missing.

Add a task in Google Calendar on a computer

1. Open Google Calendar.
2. Click an empty slot on your calendar, or click Create at the top left.
3. Click Task.
4. Enter a title. Start it with a verb, such as "Send revised quote to Maya".
5. Set the start date and time. Add a time if you want the task in a specific slot, and set how long you plan to work on it.
6. Optional: set a Deadline if the work must be finished by a different date, add a Description, and choose a Task list.
7. Click Save.

You can also open Tasks at the top right of Calendar. Click Create, enter the details, and click Save. To add a task to an existing list, click Add a task at the top. Tasks without a date stay in your lists but do not appear on the calendar grid.

Turn an existing task into a time block

Click the task, then Edit task. Choose a start and end time next to the start date, or click Add time, and save. Google notes that you can't add an end time to a recurring task.

Add a task in the Google Calendar app on Android or iPhone

1. Open the Google Calendar app.
2. Tap an empty slot on your calendar, then tap Task. You can also tap Add, then Task. On Android, you can also tap Tasks at the top right, then Add task.
3. Set the Start date and time, Deadline, Description, and Task list as needed.
4. Tap Save.

To see tasks in the app, tap Menu and check Tasks. To complete a task, tap it and tap Mark completed. Completed tasks appear crossed out unless you turn off Show completed tasks under Settings > General. Hiding the Tasks calendar does not turn off task notifications.

Prefer a separate list app? The Google Tasks app for Android and iPhone uses the same lists. Dated tasks you add there also appear in Calendar.

Add a task from Gmail, Chat, or Docs

Many tasks start as an email. Turning the email into a task keeps a link back to the message. Google's task help lists these entry points:

• Gmail on a computer: open the email and click Add to Tasks, or click More and then Add to Tasks. You can also drag an email into the Tasks side panel.
• Gmail on Android: open the email, tap More options at the top right, then Add to Tasks.
• Side panel: in Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Drive, Docs, Sheets, or Slides, open the Tasks icon on the right and click Add a task. If the panel is hidden, click Show side panel at the bottom right.
• Google Chat: hover over a message, click More, then Add to Tasks.
• Google Docs: type @task, press Enter, and click Assign as a task. This needs an eligible Google Workspace plan.

Add a date to the task if you want it on your calendar.

Task, deadline, or event: which to use

A deadline appears in the All day section. A start time places the work in your day. If you only set Friday as the date, Calendar shows when the work is due but does not reserve time to do it.

Work or school accounts have extra task settings: availability (Free or Busy), Do not disturb, and Automatically decline meetings. These help when a task is real focus time.

Repeat tasks, subtasks, and reminders

• Repeat: select the date and time, then click Repeat. Calendar shows a set number of future instances and adds more over time.
• Subtasks: open the task in Tasks, click Task options, then Add a subtask. Tasks with subtasks can't repeat. For a weekly routine with several steps, make separate repeating tasks or keep the checklist in a linked document.
• Reminders: a task with a date and time notifies you at that time. A task without a time notifies you at 9 AM. A task with a deadline notifies you at 9 AM local time on the deadline day.

At the end of the day, open Pending tasks at the top of the calendar. It lists unfinished tasks from the last 365 days, and you can edit, complete, or Reschedule this task from there.

Why your tasks are not showing in Google Calendar

Check these in order:

1. The task has no date. Only dated tasks appear on the grid. Open Tasks and add a date.
2. The Tasks calendar is hidden. In the left panel, under My calendars, check Tasks. On mobile, tap Menu and check Tasks.
3. Completed tasks are hidden. On a computer, open the view switcher next to Settings and select Show completed tasks.
4. You are in a different Google account. Tasks belong to one account. Check the profile picture at the top right in Gmail, Calendar, and the app.
5. Your work account has Tasks turned off. Your administrator controls Tasks for work and school accounts. If you can't see Tasks at all, contact them.

For a calendar that does not update across devices, see Google Calendar not syncing.

Can you share tasks in Google Calendar?

Not directly. Your Calendar tasks are personal. Sharing your calendar gives some visibility settings for tasks with a start and end time, but it does not assign the task to anyone. Google offers two ways to assign tasks:

• Google Chat space: open the space's Tasks tab, create a task, and assign it to a space member. The task appears in that person's personal list in Google Tasks. See Google Chat task help. Work and school admins can turn this off.
• Google Docs: assign a checklist item with @task (eligible Workspace plans only).

When several people work through the same requests, you need more than assignment. You need to see who owns each item and what stage it is in. Kanban Tasks by Tooling Studio adds shared boards with assignees, due dates, comments, and attachments to Gmail and Google Workspace. When Google Calendar sync is on, tasks with a due date that are assigned to you, or that are on your personal board, go into a "Tooling Studio" list in Google Tasks. That way they show up in Google Calendar next to your other tasks.

Build a simple routine with Calendar tasks

• Keep two lists: Next actions and Waiting for.
• Give each task one verb and one outcome.
• Each morning, add start times to the two or three tasks that need focused work. Leave short reminders as dated tasks.
• Each evening, review Pending tasks. Reschedule what still matters, complete or delete the rest.

If you want a fuller daily list in Calendar, see how to make a to-do list in Google Calendar. If your tasks are becoming a team workflow, see the Google Tasks Kanban board guide.