How To Add a calendar ICS File Using the New Outlook

Unfortunately, as of January 2025, you can't directly add a calendar.ics file to the Outlook PWA without first downloading it.

The following steps can be used for both the PWA (Progressive Web Application) if installed on your desktop, or the Outlook for Web portal.

Here's why and what you can do:

Why it doesn't work directly:

• Security and Sandboxing: PWAs operate in a secure environment that limits their access to your local file system. This is a core security feature to protect your data.
• File Handling: The Outlook PWA likely hasn't fully implemented the file handling capabilities needed to open and process.ics files directly from the web.

Workarounds:

1. Download and Import:

• Download the.ics file to your computer.
• Login to your PWA or Outlook Web Online account and click the calendar button in the lefthand ribbon:

• If it’s not open already for the calendar view, click the hamburger menu and click the “Add Calendar” link:

• Next go to Add calendar > Upload from file:

• Select the downloaded.ics file and click the "Import" button.

2. Subscribe (if applicable):

• If the.ics file represents a calendar that's constantly updated (like a sports schedule or public events), see if it has a webcal link (.ics URL) instead.
• In the Outlook PWA, go to Add calendar > Subscribe from web.

• Paste the webcal link in the textbox.

Future Possibilities:

Microsoft is actively developing the Outlook PWA, so direct.ics importing might be added in the future. Keep an eye on updates and release notes.

If you're using the Outlook desktop app:

You can usually open an.ics file directly, and Outlook will automatically import it.