Connect Nextcloud: apps, calendars and contacts

What you need

• Your Nextcloud address, https://cloud.example.com in this guide
• Your username, NAME here
• An app password for calendars and contacts, see the next section

Create an app password

For calendars and contacts, it is best to use a separate password for each device. If you lose a device, you only revoke that one password.

1. Log in with your browser and click your profile picture at the top right.
2. Open Personal settings, then Security.
3. Under Devices & sessions, enter a name in App name, for example iPhone.
4. Click Create new app password.
5. Note the login name and password. The password is only shown once.

Important: With two-factor authentication, your normal password does not work for calendars and contacts. You need an app password in that case.

Computer: desktop app

The desktop app keeps a folder on your computer in sync with Nextcloud. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux at nextcloud.com/install.

1. Install the app and start it.
2. Enter your Nextcloud address, https://cloud.example.com.
3. Your browser opens. Log in and confirm with Grant access.
4. In the app, choose which folders to sync to your computer.

You do not need an app password here, the app creates its own access. On Windows and macOS you can use virtual files. You then see all your files, but they only download when you open them.

Phone: Nextcloud app

The app is available from the App Store, Google Play and F-Droid.

1. Install the app and open it.
2. Enter your Nextcloud address.
3. Log in in the window that appears and confirm with Grant access.

You can turn on automatic upload of your photos in the app settings.

Calendars and contacts

For these you use your device’s own calendar and contacts apps, not the Nextcloud app. You need these addresses:

Device	Address
Android, Thunderbird	https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav
iPhone, iPad, Mac	https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/principals/users/NAME/

Replace NAME with your username.

Android

Android cannot do this on its own. You need the DAVx⁵ app. It has a one-time price on Google Play and is free on F-Droid.

1. In DAVx⁵, tap + and choose the login with URL and username.
2. Enter https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav as the base URL, plus your username and app password.
3. Use your email address as the account name. You need this to send invitations.
4. Set contact groups to “Groups are per-contact categories” and create the account.
5. Select your calendars and address books and allow access.

iPhone and iPad

1. Open Settings, then Apps, Calendar, Calendar Accounts and Add Account.
2. Choose Other and Add CalDAV Account.
3. Enter cloud.example.com as the server, plus your login name and app password, and tap Next.
4. Under Advanced Settings, set the server field to https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/principals/users/NAME/. Keep SSL on, the port is 443.

For contacts, do the same via Apps, Contacts and Add CardDAV Account. Appointments can take a few minutes to appear.

Mac

1. Open System Settings and Internet Accounts.
2. Choose Add Other Account and then CalDAV Account.
3. Set the account type to Manual. Enter your login name, app password and https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/principals/users/NAME/ as the server address.

Repeat this with CardDAV Account for contacts. You cannot set up both in one step.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird handles both on its own, so you do not need an add-on.

• Calendars: In the calendar view, choose New Calendar and On the Network. Enter your username and https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav, then pick your calendars.
• Contacts: In the address book, click the arrow next to New Address Book and choose Add CardDAV Address Book. Enter your username and https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav.

Windows and Outlook

Outlook does not support this connection on its own. On Windows, I therefore recommend Thunderbird for calendars and contacts. For classic Outlook, there is the free Outlook CalDav Synchronizer add-in. The new Outlook cannot use it.

If it does not work

• The login is rejected: Use an app password and the login name shown with it. With two-factor authentication, DAVx⁵ otherwise often shows “Unknown resource”.
• A page in your browser says “not found”: Some Nextclouds run without short addresses (pretty URLs). You then need /index.php, so https://cloud.example.com/index.php/login instead of /login. Addresses with /remote.php/dav are not affected and always stay the same.
• No calendar appears: Check that the calendar is ticked in DAVx⁵ or in the account. The first sync can take a few minutes.
• Subscribed calendars are missing on Android: You also need the ICSx⁵ app for these.
• Certificate error: iPhone and Mac need HTTPS with a valid certificate. Always use the address with https://.
• Lost a device: Delete its app password under Devices & sessions. It then has no more access.