How to create, edit, and delete calendar events on your iPhone or iPad

By Mick Symons
last updated

The Calendar app for iPhone and iPad provides a great way to keep track of all your appointments and events. While it's faster to use Siri to create basic events, if you need more precise control, or if you want to edit existing event details, you can also do it the old fashioned way -- by tapping your way through options inside the Calendar app itself.

How to manually create a calendar event on your iPhone or iPad

  1. Launch the Calendar app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on the plus sign in the upper right hand corner.
  3. This is the new event creation screen. At the bare minimum you'll want to give your entry a title as well as a date and time.
  4. You can also enter an exact address under Location if you'd like.
  5. Next, choose if you want the event to be an all day event. Turn this option off if the event has a specific time. You'll then see dates and times you can edit and change.
  6. If you're event repeats, you can customize it to do so under Repeat.
  7. Tap on Invitees if you'd like to share a calendar event with someone else.
  8. Next choose an alert and second alert if you'd like to be notified of an event.
  9. If you have multiple calendars set up on your iPhone or iPad, tap on Calendar in order to add an event to a specific one.
  10. Lastly, enter in any pertinent URLs or notes you need to.
  11. Tap Done in the upper right hand corner in order to save your entry.

How to manually edit a calendar event on your iPhone or iPad

  1. Launch the Calendar app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on the entry you'd like to edit in order to view its information.
  3. Tap on Edit in the upper right hand corner.
  4. Edit anything you need to and then tap Done in the upper right hand corner to save your changes.

How to manually delete a calendar event on your iPhone or iPad

  1. Launch the Calendar app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on the entry you'd like to edit in order to view its information.
  3. Tap on Edit in the upper right hand corner.
  4. Tap on Delete Event — it's all the way at the bottom.
  5. Tap on Delete Event one more time when it pops up in order to confirm the delete.

Mick Symons
Mick Symons

Mick is a staff writer who's as frugal as they come, so he always does extensive research (much to the exhaustion of his wife) before making a purchase. If it's not worth the price, Mick ain't buying.

7 Comments
  • My edit button disappeared.
  • My + button is grayed out and cannot be used. My settings show I'm synced and I've done all updates. What do I need to do to utilize my calendar?
  • i have the same problem have you figured out what the problem is? mine is also grey so I cannot add calendar events
  • Great guide Sent from the iMore App
  • Each & every day I like my Iphone a little less. This calendar app sucks.
  • I can't find a way to select a particular calendar account, when I add entries. When I follow your instructions, Iphone simply insists on adding events to my icloud account, which I otherwise never use. How can I convince it to add to the calendar that I regularly do use.? thanks very much, Leo
  • Hello,
    I try to remove a calendar date from my IPone4.
    I do not have the "delete event" option on my Calendar/edit menu.
    Thank you for your attention.
    I hope to get help to clear my IPhone4 calendar, birthdays and other dates manifested by default, which are misleading me.