iCloud doesn't give direct access to your calendar with your usual Apple password. Apple requires an app-specific password, generated once for Melimelo and used only there. It's the official route, it's secure, and you can revoke it at any time.
Key points
- You need an Apple Account with two-factor authentication turned on.
- You'll generate an app-specific password just for Melimelo on account.apple.com.
- That's the password you paste into Melimelo, never your main Apple password.
- iCloud events are imported into the household calendar and updated every 20 minutes.
What you need before you start
Keep these to hand
- Your Apple Account: the email address linked to your iCloud account.
- A device that can receive Apple's 6-digit code (a trusted iPhone, iPad or Mac).
- Melimelo open on the device of your choice, installed or in the browser, with your household already created.
The procedure takes 5 to 10 minutes in all, most of it spent opening your Apple Account management page.
Turn on two-factor authentication
Apple only lets you create app-specific passwords if two-factor authentication is turned on. That's the default on the vast majority of recent accounts.
To check on iPhone or iPad: SettingsYour nameSign-In & Security
On a Mac, the same screen is in System Settings: click your name, then Sign-In & Security.
Probably already on
If Two-Factor Authentication already shows “On”, you can move on to the next step. If not, turn it on: Apple guides you through it in a few steps.
Create an app-specific password
In Melimelo, the “Create an app-specific password” button on the iCloud screen takes you straight to the right place. You can also open account.apple.com and sign in. You'll have a 6-digit code to confirm.
- Open the security section. Once you're signed in, go to Sign-In and Security.
- Choose “App-Specific Passwords”. Then ask to generate a new password.
- Give it a name you'll recognise. For example “Melimelo Calendar”. This name helps you find it later if you want to revoke access.
- Copy the password shown. Apple displays a password in 4 groups of 4 characters, like
abcd-efgh-ijkl-mnop. Copy it exactly as it is.
Apple won't show it again
Keep this screen open while you paste the password into Melimelo. Once it's closed, Apple won't show it again. If you lose it, generate a new one.
Add the iCloud account in Melimelo
In Melimelo, open the Calendar module and tap the settings icon at the top of the screen. In the panel that opens, go to the Sync tab and choose iCloud.
CalendarSettingsSynciCloud
The “iCloud Calendar” screen asks you for 2 things:
- Apple Account: the email address linked to iCloud.
- App-specific password: the app-specific password you've just generated.
Then tap “Continue”.
Not your main password
If you paste your usual Apple password, the connection will fail. For security reasons, Apple only accepts app-specific passwords for this kind of access.
Choose the calendars to import
Once you're connected, Melimelo shows the list of iCloud calendars available from this account, such as your personal calendar or calendars shared with other people.
Tap each calendar you want to see in Melimelo to select it, then “Add selected”. You can always add or remove calendars later.
One-way sync
iCloud events are imported into the household calendar. To edit or delete one of them, go through iCloud: Melimelo picks up the change at the next sync. Events you create in Melimelo stay in Melimelo.
Check that everything works
- Add a test event in iCloud. From the Calendar app on your iPhone, your Mac or on iCloud.com.
- Run the sync. In the Sync tab, tap “Sync all”. Even if you do nothing, Melimelo syncs your calendars automatically every 20 minutes.
- Find the event in Melimelo. It appears in the household calendar. If it's there, the sync is set up. There's nothing more to do.
If the sync doesn't work
3 possible causes, from most to least common.
Wrong password
You pasted your main Apple password. Generate an app-specific password on account.apple.com and enter it again.
Two-factor authentication not turned on
Without it, Apple refuses to generate the password and to connect. Turn it on from Settings on your iPhone or System Settings on your Mac, then start the procedure again.
Wrong Apple Account
The calendar is under another account (for example a parent's). Check which account holds the calendar you want to import.
You can revoke access at any time from account.apple.com, in the App-Specific Passwords section. This stops the Melimelo sync without touching the rest of your account.
To import a Google or Outlook calendar instead, the procedure is shorter: you connect directly with your account, with no password to generate.
The modules involved
This guide makes the most sense when you open the module below in the app.
