All about ICS Files

The ICS file type is primarily associated with Google Calendar.

ICS	File extension: ICS
	File type:	plain text file

What is an ICS file

ICS files mostly belong to Google Calendar. ICS files are calendar files that use the iCalendar standard. They store event data in plain text format, containing details like start and end times, location, and descriptions.
They are used to share and import calendar events across different applications. For example, if you use a calendar app like Google Calendar, you can import an ICS file to add appointments automatically.
Key functionalities:

Store events: Keep details such as dates, times, and locations.

Interoperability: Work with multiple calendar applications.

Share events: Allow users to send or receive event files for scheduling.

Editable: You can open them in a text editor, though a calendar app is preferred to view them properly.

How to open an ICS file

You need a suitable software like Google Calendar to open an ICS file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your ICS file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a ICS file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online ICS Text Viewer

Choose your .ics file to view

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

✈

Read our privacy guarantee in Filext’s terms and privacy policy

Please allow ads on our site

This helps us keep our servers running. Then re-upload your file to view it.

Click here to see how to disable the ad blocker for filext.com

How to extract texts from ICS files or capture a screenshot to PDF, JPG, DOCX, TXT, ...

If you want to extract texts from ICS file or capture a screenshot, you can use our free Online ICS File Viewer:

Just click the "Choose your .ics file to view" button on this page.
After your file is opened in browser,
click "Save as..." in the menu.
Then choose the file format (e.g. JPG, PDF, DOCX, TXT, ...) you want.
Your file will be converted and downloaded.

Programs that open and convert ICS files:

Google Calendar
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. ICS files are often referred to as Google Calendar simple text files because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
CopyControl (Generic Copier Floppy Disk Image) by Microcosm Ltd.
CopyControl is a special program-securing algoritm. It creates a floppy with one longer than normal sector, where it inserts information needed to unlock a specific program. An ICS file is a disk image of this floppy.
iCalendar (Calendar Data) by Apple Inc.
A standard way to store calendar informaiton in a text file on the Internet. The format is described in RFC 2445. The format is used by ICal on the Macintosh and in the Mozilla Calendar project. Other programs like Lotus Notes can also generate .ICS files for synchronizing calendars. The Mime types used with this association are: text/calendar. The identifying characters used for this association are - Hex: 42 45 47 49 4E 3A, ASCII: BEGIN:. This file format is classified as Text. Related links: Macintosh ICal Program, Mozilla Calendar, Apple iCalendar File Format Page, Request for Comments: 2445 Specification, Wikipedia iCalendar Page
Image Cytometry
Inovate 3D CAD File
IronCAD 3D CAD File
Outlook (Calendar File) by Microsoft Corporation
SwiftView (ICS Command File) by SwiftView, Inc.
ICS = Image Command Set. This is a text file (despite the MIME type) of commands to produce a distributable electronic document. Because of a naming conflict with a Microsoft product, SwiftView now suggests using .ZHP for these files. The Mime types used with this association are: application/vnd.swiftview-ics.

ICS file format:

To find out what program is needed to open ICS files, you need to determine the file format. The file format can be determined based on the file extension and the signature (the first few characters of a file). If the file extension or signature does not match the file format, errors will occur when opening or editing the file. When there is a problem with a file, the first step to solving it is to determine the file format. Below is our analysis of the ICS files:

ICS is a very widely used file extension. The file type uses a well-defined format that can be read by many programs. The file formats most commonly found in ICS files are:

95% of all ICS files are associated with iCalendar - vCalendar. If you open these files in a text editor, you can view and read the content yourself. The file size is in the range of 410 bytes to 9 KB. The file type was created recently. Several words can almost always be found in the files, e.g. BEGIN:VCALENDAR, VERSION:2.0, PRODID, STANDARD, DTSTART, TZID, CALSCALE:GREGORIAN, BEGIN:VTIMEZONE, METHOD:REQUEST, BEGIN:VEVENT and Microsoft. A common filename is invite.ics. Files like these are about calendar, gmail, meeting, appointment, afspraak, webinar, google and event.
1% of all ICS files belong to Image Cytometry Standard header. These files are text files and can therefore be read using a text editor. The files are often between 240 bytes and 110 KB in size. The files contain the following words: version.

The remaining 4% of all ICS files are files with no common format. Often described as group, attachment, listing, mime, webex, addressbook, interview, contacts or basic. If you want to find out what your ICS file contains, drag and drop it onto this page.

Technical Data for ICS File Extension

File classification:

Simple text file

Identifier:

Hex: 42 45 47 49 4E 3A, ASCII: BEGIN: (provided by TrID database)

Related files:

vcs, ifb, ical, isc, icalendar, jcs, ice, ict, cis, lcs, icx, icv, untitled, tcs, icf, icr, irc, mime-attachment, ic, ids, csmo, xml, csv

Mime type:

text/calendar

The following listing is compiled from the database produced by the 'Associate This!' program, selected data from the main FILExt database and file extension information submitted by users.

ProgramID: icsfile, FileType: iCalendar File, AppName: Microsoft Office Outlook

ProgramID: icsfile, FileType: iCalendar File, AppName: Microsoft Outlook
EXEFile: OUTLOOK.EXE

ProgramID: IrfanView.ics, FileType: IrfanView ICS File, AppName: IrfanView

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MI1933~1\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MI1933~1\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MI1933~1\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MI699F~1\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~1\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~1\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~2\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~2\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~2\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~3\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~3\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~3\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~4\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~4\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~4\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\OfficeXP\Office10\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: W:\OfficeXP\FILES\PFILES\MSOFFICE\OFFICE10\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical %1

ProgramID: vcsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Works Shared\wkscal.exe /vcal %1

ProgramID: DVPlay.Document(ics)
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\SONY\DIGITA~1\DVPlay.exe %1

ProgramID: OrganizerVcvIcsFile
EXEFile: D:\lotus\org6\organize\VcViewer6.exe %1

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MI69DF~1\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical

ProgramID: WindowsCalendar.FileIcs.1
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Windows Calendar\wincal.exe /icsfile

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MI1933~1\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical

ProgramID: vcsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\File comuni\Microsoft Shared\Works Shared\wkscal.exe /vcal

ProgramID: vcsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\gemeinsame dateien\microsoft shared\works shared\wkscal.exe /vcal

ProgramID: icsfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\WordPerfect Mail\Programs\bin\WPMail.exe -M -a%1

ProgramID: IrfanView.ics
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\IrfanView\I_VIEW32.EXE

ProgramID: Outlook.File.ics
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MICROS~2\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical

ProgramID: IrfanView.ics
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\IRFANV~1\i_view32.exe

ProgramID: application/vnd.SwiftView-ICS
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\SwiftView\sview.exe

ProgramID: Outlook.File.ics
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\MI3369~1\Office12\OUTLOOK.EXE /ical

ProgramID: iCalendarfile
EXEFile: %ProgramFiles%\Oracle\Calendar\OCal.exe iCal -file

Show all 35 listings To Top

an ics plain text file is a special file format and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with ICS files

Associate the ICS file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open plain text files. Because only the current version supports the latest ICS file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the manufacturer website after an available Google Calendar update.
To make sure that your ICS file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .ICS file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.