Tutorial: Complete Setup Guide for New Users (Updated)

What this guide covers

This is the definitive setup walkthrough for manyCalendars. Whether you just installed the extension or you have been using it casually and want to unlock the full feature set, this guide will walk you through every step: installation, adding calendars, conflict detection, Privacy Mode, working hours, and availability export.

If you followed our earlier getting-started post, consider this the expanded edition. We have added sections for features that shipped since then and rewritten the original steps based on feedback from hundreds of new users.

Step 1: Install the extension

Head to the Chrome Web Store (or Firefox Add-ons, or Edge Add-ons) and search for "manyCalendars." Click install. The extension icon will appear in your browser toolbar. That is it. No account creation, no server connection, no permissions beyond what the extension needs to read your open calendar tabs.

After installation, click the extension icon. You will see an empty unified calendar. This is your home base. Everything you add will show up here.

Step 2: Add your first calendar

You have two ways to add a calendar: ICS feed or Tab Sync. Each has its strengths.

ICS feed. If your calendar provider supports ICS export (most do, unless your IT admin has disabled it), grab the ICS URL from your calendar settings. In manyCalendars, click "Add Calendar," select "ICS Feed," paste the URL, and give it a name and color. manyCalendars will fetch your events and display them immediately. ICS feeds refresh automatically at the interval you set.

Tab Sync. If ICS is not available (common with locked-down corporate tenants), open your calendar in a browser tab. Then open manyCalendars and click "Add Calendar," select "Tab Sync," and choose the tab. manyCalendars will read the events directly from the page. Tab Sync works with Google Calendar, Outlook Web, and other browser-based calendar UIs. Keep the tab open for live updates.

Pick whichever method works for your first calendar. You can always change it later.

Step 3: Add a second calendar and see the unified view

Repeat the process for your second calendar. Use a different color so you can visually distinguish which events belong to which client or role.

Once both calendars are loaded, you will see all events on a single timeline. This is the unified view. Events from different calendars are layered on top of each other, color-coded, and fully visible in day, week, or month views. This single screen replaces the multi-tab juggling act you have been doing.

Step 4: Enable conflict detection

Open Settings and navigate to the Conflict Detection section. Toggle it on. manyCalendars will immediately scan all loaded calendars and flag any overlapping events.

Conflicts appear as a red outline around the overlapping events. The topbar shows a conflict count badge. Each calendar in the sidebar displays how many conflicts it is involved in. Click on a conflicting event to see what it overlaps with.

Conflict detection runs continuously. Every time an event is added, moved, or deleted on any calendar, manyCalendars re-checks for overlaps. You do not need to trigger it manually.

Step 5: Configure Privacy Mode

Privacy Mode controls what other people see when they look at your screen. When enabled, event titles from other calendars are replaced with generic labels like "Busy" or hidden entirely. This is essential if you share your screen during meetings or work in a co-working space.

To enable Privacy Mode, open Settings, find the Privacy section, and toggle it on. You can configure it per calendar. For example, you might show full details for your personal calendar but mask titles for all client calendars.

Step 6: Set working hours

Working hours define the time range that manyCalendars considers "available." Events outside your working hours are still visible but dimmed. The availability export only includes slots within your working hours.

Open Settings, navigate to Working Hours, and set your start and end times for each day of the week. If you do not work Fridays, toggle Friday off entirely. manyCalendars will respect these boundaries everywhere: the calendar grid, conflict detection, and availability export.

Step 7: Create your first availability export

The availability export generates a plain-text summary of your open time slots. Click the "Share Availability" button in the toolbar. Choose the date range (today, this week, next week, or custom). Select which calendars to include. Pick the timezone for the output.

manyCalendars generates a clean, copy-paste-ready block of text listing your free slots. Drop it into a Slack message, an email, or a scheduling thread. No links, no signups, no friction for the person on the other end. Just a simple list of times you are available.

You are set up. Now what?

With all seven steps complete, you have a fully configured manyCalendars installation: multiple calendars in a unified view, automatic conflict detection, Privacy Mode for screen-sharing safety, working hours that define your boundaries, and availability export for painless scheduling.

The whole setup takes about 5 minutes. The time it saves you starts immediately. If you have not installed yet, this is your sign. Grab manyCalendars for free and follow along with this guide. Your future self, the one who is not frantically checking three tabs before every meeting, will appreciate it.