Give a colleague CalDAV calendar-account access in Mac Calendar
Connecting a CalDAV account to your Mac does not give a colleague access to it. Apple documents a separate Delegation workflow for people using the same calendar service. Decide whether they need account-level viewing or writing before changing that relationship.
Fictional substitute-coordinator handover
| Need | Relationship to investigate | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| Follow one public schedule | Read-only subscription | Published timetable appears |
| Collaborate on one calendar | Individual-calendar sharing | Intended calendar and role |
| Maintain an account on the same CalDAV service | Delegation with appropriate Allow Write choice | Accounts I can access and harmless authorized edit |
Choose account delegation or one-calendar sharing
A fictional coordinator manages several calendars on a company CalDAV service. A substitute needs to maintain the coordinator’s schedule during an absence. Account delegation is a broader task than subscribing to one public timetable or sharing one calendar with a reader.
Apple’s Mac guide distinguishes individual-calendar sharing from giving another person access to the calendar account. Its delegation procedure requires people using the same CalDAV or Exchange service. This page follows the CalDAV path; it is not a promise that arbitrary Google, iCloud and external accounts share one universal delegation setting.
Use the owning account’s Delegation controls
In Calendar on Mac, choose Calendar > Settings > Accounts and select the intended calendar account. Click Delegation, then Edit and the add button. Enter the colleague’s name and select the matching person offered by that service.
For CalDAV, Apple identifies Allow Write as the checkbox permitting edits to your calendars. Decide deliberately whether that authority is needed. Viewing, changing an event and managing who else can use a service are different responsibilities; do not substitute a shared password for the supported relationship.
Have the recipient inspect the access they received
Apple separately documents Calendar > Settings > Accounts > Delegation for viewing accounts available to you. A CalDAV account appears in Accounts I can access. Have the substitute check the intended account rather than treating an email or familiar event title as proof. Select Show to display the delegated account’s calendars in the main Calendar window.
For the fictional handover, use an agreed harmless appointment to distinguish reading from an authorized small edit. Check the owner-side saved record. These are suggested verification steps, not an account test performed for this article.
Keep a bounded handover record
Record the service, account owner, substitute identity, whether writing was intended and the agreed review date. Use the service’s supported controls and administrator guidance for later changes; this article does not invent an account-removal or revocation button not established by the linked documentation.
Cloud Calendars sharing roles and a CalDAV account added through iPhone settings are separate mechanisms. This Mac-native delegation does not prove the substitute can use every app or bypass workplace policy. Verify the exact service and access route needed for the job.
What it looks like
Cloud Calendars overview, using our product images. Provider settings and protocol examples described in this guide are separate from the screens shown here.
What to do
- Identify the account owner and the same-service colleague.
- Decide whether account delegation is broader than the task requires.
- Use Accounts > Delegation > Edit and inspect Allow Write.
- Have the recipient check the intended account and permitted action.
Questions
- Is adding a CalDAV account on my own phone delegation?
- No. Connecting your device and granting another person access are different operations.
- Does Allow Write merely let someone read the calendar?
- Apple identifies it as the CalDAV option that lets that person edit your calendars. Choose it only when writing is intended.