Juggling appointments, meetings, and reminders? The Apple Calendar app is your digital hub for staying organized. But have you ever paused and thought what exactly do all those little icons and symbols mean in Apple Calendar? The app uses a visual language that’s essential for efficient scheduling. We’re here to decode every icon and symbol and turn you into an Apple Calendar pro. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Main Calendar Screen Icons
The main screen of the Apple Calendar app provides quick access to essential functions through a set of icons located at the top of the screen. Let’s break down what these icons mean:
- View Options Icon: This icon allows you to switch between different calendar views, such as compact, stacked, details, and list views. The icon’s appearance changes based on the currently selected view.
- Search Icon (Magnifying Glass): Tapping on this icon opens the search bar. You can search for events, dates, and other information within your calendar.
- Add Event/Reminder Icon (Plus Icon): Tapping on this icon allows you to quickly create a new event or reminder directly within the Calendar app. This provides a convenient way to add new entries to your schedule without navigating through multiple menus.
Calendar List Symbols Meaning
When you open the Apple Calendar app, the sidebar on the left displays your calendar list. Each calendar entry may have a symbol next to it, giving you quick information about its status or type. Let’s break down what these symbols mean:
| Icon | Icon Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Tick in Orange Box | The calendar or calendar group’s events are displayed. |
 | Person in a Circle | The calendar is shared. |
 | Wifi Logo Tilted Right | The calendar is a subscription calendar. It means that events from a calendar are published or shared by someone else. |
 | Exclamation in Triangle | The calendar account can’t connect to the server. There may be a problem with the server or the internet. |
 | Number in Oval | The calendar has pending event notifications. The number indicates how many notifications you have for that calendar. |
Event Symbols in Day and Week Views
You might notice small symbols in the top-right corner of individual events in the Day or Week views of your Apple Calendar. These symbols provide quick insights into the status of your event invitations and responses. Let’s explore what they mean:
| Icon | Icon Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | A person with a Question Mark | You added invitees to an event but haven’t sent the invitation, you sent the invitation and no one has responded, or there are mixed responses. |
 | A person with a Tick Mark | All invitees accepted your event invitation. |
 | A person with a Question Mark | All invitees declined your event invitation. For an event invitation you received, you declined. To see events you declined, choose View > Show Declined Events. |
Invitee Symbols in Event Meaning
When you double-click or force-click an event to view its details, you’ll see symbols next to the names of the invitees. These symbols provide quick information about the invitee’s response and availability. Let’s explore what they mean:
| Icon | Icon Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Tick in a Circle | The invitee hasn’t responded to your invitation but will be available during the time requested. |
 | Cross in a Circle | The invitee hasn’t responded to your invitation, but they’re busy during the time requested. |
 | Question Mark in a Circle | The invitee hasn’t responded to your invitation, and their availability is unknown. |
 | Green Tick in a Green Circle | The invitee accepted the event or shared a calendar invitation. |
 | Orange Question Mark in an Orange Circle | The invitee replied to the event or shared calendar invitation as Maybe. |
 | Red Cross in a Red Circle | The invitee declined the event or shared calendar invitation. |
 | Yellow Exclamation Mark in a Yellow Circle | The invitee is not listed in the selected calendar server. |
When viewing your calendar in Month view, Apple Calendar uses specific symbols to quickly convey event information. Here’s a breakdown of what those symbols mean:
| Icon | Icon Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Text in a Color Bar | An all-day event. The bar’s color matches the color of the calendar with the event. |
 | Text with a Blue Dot | An event is set for a specific time. The dot’s color matches the color of the calendar with the event. |
 | A Line through a Text | A line through an event’s name indicates that it’s canceled. |
 | Gift Box Icon | The event is a contact’s birthday. |
Calendar Notification Icons Meaning
You can stay informed and on schedule with Apple Calendar’s notification symbols. Let’s dive in:
| Icon | Icon Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Number in Red Circle | A red badge on the Calendar icon in the Dock shows how many new notifications you have for invitations and changes to events and shared calendars. |
 | Toolbox Icon | The Notifications button in the toolbar shows how many new notifications you have for invitations and changes to events and shared calendars. |
Understanding Repeating Event Symbols
When you create or edit an event in Apple Calendar, you might notice a couple of unique symbols that indicate the event’s repetition and color coding. Let’s take a closer look at these visual cues:
- Color Box with Dropdown Menu Icon: This symbol represents the color category assigned to this event. Tapping on this box allows you to explore the other colors. For instance, you might see blue for personal events, green for work meetings, and red for important deadlines.
- Repeating Event Indicator (Two Curved Arrows): This symbol confirms that the event is set to repeat. In this example, it’s a yearly repeating event, like a birthday. This visual cue ensures that you’re aware of recurring events and can plan accordingly.
Reminder Dot Icon
Apple Calendar seamlessly integrates with the Reminders app, allowing you to see your reminders directly within your calendar view. This integration is visually represented by a small dot icon next to the date, as shown in the image below:
1. Reminder Dot (Small Dot) Icon: The small dot icon signifies that you have a reminder scheduled for that day in the Apple Reminders app. This allows you to see both your scheduled events and reminders in one place.
Tapping on the reminder dot opens a menu, giving you quick access to the reminder’s details and options. You can see:
- Reminder Title: The name of the reminder (e.g., “YouTube family plan 299”).
- Notes: Any notes associated with the reminder.
- Tags: Any tags assigned to the reminder.
- Reminder Time/Location: When or where the reminder is set to trigger.
- List: The Reminders list to which the reminder belongs (e.g., “Subscriptions”).
2. Flag Icon (Small Flag Icon): Within the reminder detail menu, you’ll also notice a small flag icon. This icon represents the reminder’s priority. Tapping on the flag icon allows you to change the reminder’s priority level, helping you prioritize your tasks.
More Calendar Icons Meaning
Let’s explore some more icons that you might encounter in your calendar app:
- Calendar Icon (Small Calendar) Icon: This icon distinguishes all-day events from timed events and makes it easy to identify them at a glance.
- Current Time Indicator (Red Dot with Line): This graphical indicator moves in real-time as the day progresses by providing a visual representation of where you are in the day.
Video Call Icon on Apple Calendar
Apple Calendar integrates with FaceTime to easily add video call links to your events.
Video Call (Camera) Icon: The camera icon signifies that a FaceTime video call is linked to this event. Tapping on this icon allows you to quickly initiate or join the video conference directly from within the Calendar app. This feature simplifies the process of scheduling and attending virtual meetings.
Location Icon in Apple Calendar
Apple Calendar provides location suggestions to help you easily add context to your events.
Location Bubble Icon: The location bubble icon next to the event signifies that a location is suggested for this event. Tapping on this bubble allows you to quickly add the suggested location to your event details.
Pinpointed Location Icon (Pin in Circle): When you open the event details, you’ll see a different icon, resembling a pinpointed at a circle. It visually indicates that the event has a specific location associated with it. This feature helps you quickly identify events with location details and navigate to them easily.
And there you have it, folks! We’ve uncovered the meanings behind the Apple Calendar’s icons and symbols. You can explore more icons and symbols meanings of other apps below:
- What All Icons and Symbols Mean on OneDrive – Guide
- What Do Icons and Symbols Mean on Apple Reminders and Notes App
- All Duolingo Icons and Symbols Meaning (Including Status Icons)
