Renaming calendar

Michael Graubart · Feb 6, 2015

My iPhone is a 3G with iOS 4.2.1.
My computer is a Mac with OS 10.8.5 (Mountain Lion).
I sync using iTunes.

I should like to be able to change the name of one of the calendars in the Calendar apps. on both the iPhone and the Mac.

I tried changing it on the Mac, but when I synced, that calendar and its contents had disappeared altogether from my iPhone and I had to restore everything from the latest backup on the Mac. On the iPhone I cannot see a way of changing calendar names at all.

If anyone knows how to do it without losing data, I should be very grateful

J. A. · Feb 6, 2015

If it's an iCloud calendar, you should be able to change it in the Calendar app on your iPhone.

Tap "Calendars" there. Then look for "Edit" and tap it. Scroll to the calendar and tap it. Place the cursor/your finger behind the calendar's name. The keyboard should appear, and you'll be able to change it. Tap "Done" afterwards.

Hope that helps.

Michael Graubart · Feb 6, 2015

Thank you very much for your very quick reply and detailed instructions, J.A. But my calendars are not iCloud ones. My 3G phone is, I believe, not compatible with iCloud. At any rate I just have a set of calendars in the calendar app. on my Mac desktop, the same set of calendars on my iPhone, and I sync by means of iTunes.

J. A. · Feb 6, 2015

Where did you create the calendar? It should be possible to edit the name there. Maybe it'll work the way I described it on your iPhone, although you don't use iCloud.

Michael Graubart · Feb 6, 2015

The calendars were originally created in an old Palm handheld device. When I upgraded my computer to Mountain Lion and Palm Desktop no longer worked, I used Missing Sync for a while. Eventually I acquired the iPhone and changed to the Mac's calendar app. Finally I created a set of calendars in the Mac's calendar app., naming them identically to their iPhone names so that they would sync with the phone.

I can very easily rename a calendar on the Mac by double-clicking on its name. But (as I said in my original post) when I did this and then synced, the corresponding calendar on the iPhone disappeared, together with all the data in it, and I had to restore the original situation from the last backup on the Mac.

On the iPhone there is no 'Edit' button in any calendar view, nor in the list of calendars, I am afraid.

J. A. · Feb 7, 2015

My iPhone has iOS 8.1.3 installed, so I can't tell you how it should work with your software. Just to show you how you should ge the Edit button:

In the Calendar app, tap Calendars:

This will open the list of calendars used or not enabled on your iPhone. At the top left (in my case) you should find Edit, even if you're not able to change the information of the calendars:

When you tap it, you get to the next screen:

The calendars on this screen were created in Gmail, so I can't edit them. If it's possible to change the name or colour, you'll find a small arrow at the right. Tap it.

The next page will show the name of the calendar at the top. Tap there. The keyboard will appear, if you're able to edit the name:

If nothing happens, you can't change the name on your iPhone. You'll have to try changing it on your Mac once more.

Michael Graubart · Feb 7, 2015

J.A., you have very kindly gone to a great deal of trouble to create these comprehensive and detailed instructions. Thank you very much. Unfortunately, my phone is quite different from yours. Here are two views of the calendar (when 'All from my Mac' is selected), followed by what appears if I press 'Calendars'. You will see that there is no 'Edit' button or arrow in any of these.

I am beginning to suspect that the only way to achieve what I wanted would be to delete all the calendars (I don't even know how to do that, though) and start again. That isn't worth the trouble and possible loss of data, so I shall have to retain the calendar names I have now.

J. A. · Feb 7, 2015

Your screenshots somehow look like the calendars I created in Gmail. If I want to edit them, I have to do this online, in my Gmail account. That's not possible on my iPhone's Calendar app.
I don't own a Mac, so I can't help changing the names there. Sorry!